Japanese developer Area 35 announced a delay for TINY METAL 2, their sequel to their throwback strategy series.

TINY METAL 2 will forgo its previous 2026 release for Windows PC (via Steam) for one sometime next year, in 2027.

Furthermore, the game announced a new playtest coming next month from April 2nd through the 29th, giving fans a first chance to play the game. The game will also be playable for the first time at PAX East this year, from March 25th through the 29th.

Here’s a rundown on the new playtest, plus a trailer:

April’s Playtest features single-player and local co-op multiplayer action, expanding the theater of war across dynamic battlefields where each decision can affect the battle’s outcome. Try all-new factions in combination with classic, returning factions, and lead mixed-unit loadouts into war, utilizing dynamic, new combat mechanics like Focus Fire, which lets multiple allied units combine attacks into one devastating, simultaneous assault.

Team up with friends in the Playtest to engage in large-scale battles for up to four players across maps designed for combat on land, in the air and, for the first time in the series, on the high seas. Unleash fleets of massive battleships, agile destroyers, stealthy submarines and more to turn the tide of war in high-powered naval battles. Millions of combinations are possible – What kind of military force will you create?