Well here’s a welcome surprise: 2018 game Into the Breach has announced an upcoming free updated turning it into the “Advanced Edition” with some big news accompanying it.

This is broken down into three sections: a massive update to the game which adds new content, a port of the game available to play through Netflix and a new physical edition you can buy.

Let’s start with the new content. The Advanced Edition adds so much that it “makes the game feel new again” according to the announcement, which includes:

• New Mechs and Weapons: Five new mech squads and nearly forty new weapons.
• New Challenges: More enemies, more bosses, and more mission objectives that add additional challenge and variety to any run.
• New Pilot Abilities: The expanded roster includes four new pilots and triple the amount of skills any pilot can earn through promotions.

When we reviewed Into the Breach at launch we called the game a masterpiece that was already varied in what it had to offer. Adding even more to that is rather exciting and we may just reinstall the game to give it a whirl.

Returning players and newcomers will be able to play the game right on Netflix. Subscribers on the Android and iOS apps of Netflix will get access to a version of the game with full touchscreen support.

This port is the complete version of the game, including the new Advanced Edition content with no adverts or in-app purchases to ruin your time.

The Netflix port is completely free to Netflix subscribers, so anyone can start playing immediately without any extra purchase necessary, and it will be available on 19th July too.

Finally there’s a new physical edition of the game for the Nintendo Switch. It’s slated for release in October 2022 and pre-orders are open right now.

For $34 (~R542) buyers will get a boxed copy of the game with a Nintendo Switch cartridge, a folded poster, unique inside cover art, a game manual and two sticker sheets.

This news is a bit out of the blue as we haven’t heard much from Into the Breach or developer / publisher Subset Games for some time now. It is, however, very welcome especially if it means more people get to experience it.