Ratten Reich

Ratten Reich is a gritty, dieselpunk real-time strategy game developed and published by Metall Adler Studio. After a period of highly publicized development and an Early Access phase that began in August 2024, the game moved into its official “full release” on July 15, 2025.

It is a stark departure from the usually whimsical nature of anthropomorphic animal games, leaning instead into the visceral “mud and blood” aesthetic of Company of Heroes or Men of War. Set in a world of industrial slaughter, it replaces human soldiers with rats, mice, cockroaches, and lizards, using their distinct biological traits to fuel a nightmare of trench warfare and chemical weapons.

The Premise: The World of the Great War

The game is set on a world consumed by an eternal, world-spanning conflict. The narrative doesn’t offer easy heroes; instead, it explores the cold machinery of war through three primary factions:

• The Rat Empire: A centralized, industrial juggernaut with a Germanic aesthetic. They represent the “steamroller” of the war, utilizing heavy steel armor and massive land-cruisers to crush their neighbors.
• The Free Mouse Republic: A scrappy, diverse coalition fighting a desperate war of independence. Their design pulls from Allied and French Resistance themes, emphasizing guerrilla tactics and specialized elite units.
• The Sun Empire (Lizards): A technologically unique power from the East that utilizes more organic dieselpunk designs, specializing in high-mobility warfare and toxic chemical area-denial.

Gameplay: Tactical Grime

Ratten Reich prioritizes “realistic” combat over the fast-paced, arcade-like clicking of traditional RTS games. Every bullet is meant to feel lethal, and every tank is a complex machine rather than just a health bar.

• Destructible Environments: Utilizing Unreal Engine 5, the game features high-fidelity destruction. Cover isn’t static; stone walls crumble under heavy fire, and buildings can be entirely leveled, forcing players to constantly adapt their lines of sight and defensive positions.
• Modular Vehicle Damage: Tanks have specific components that can be disabled. You might not kill a Rat Empire heavy tank outright, but a well-placed anti-tank shot can jam its turret or blow its tracks, turning it into a stationary target.
• Direct Control Mode: A fan-favorite feature that allows you to take manual control of a single unit or vehicle. This shifts the game into a third-person shooter perspective, allowing for precise shots that can turn the tide of a local skirmish.
• Brutal Combat States: The game models suppression, morale, and the effects of gas and flame. Seeing a squad of mice break and flee under a rat flamethrower attack adds to the oppressive, “low-fantasy” atmosphere.

2026 Status: The Technical Release

Following its 2025 launch, the game has transitioned into a “Community Supported” phase. The developers acknowledged that as a small team, the “full release” was a necessary step to stabilize the project. While it launched with some technical “jank”—mostly related to unit pathfinding—frequent patches through late 2025 and early 2026 have significantly polished the experience, particularly the Skirmish and Frontline modes.

Key Features:

• Uncompromising Dieselpunk Aesthetic — A dark, mature world where anthropomorphic animals are used to tell a serious story of industrial war.
• Tactical Destruction — Use the environment to your advantage, or watch it get blown to pieces around you in real-time.
• Asymmetrical Factions — Each empire features a completely unique tech tree, ranging from the Rats’ heavy armor to the Lizards’ chemical warfare.
• Direct Combat Control — Take personal command of your units for a high-intensity, third-person combat experience.
• Hardcore Simulation — Manage suppression, modular armor damage, and unit veterancy in a high-stakes tactical environment.

Release Dates:

• PC (Steam) Early Access — August 9, 2024.
• PC (Steam) Full Release — July 15, 2025.