There's some good news for Arma fans who have been waiting for years for Arma 4. They still have years to wait. It's true that this doesn't sound like "good news" but it is. The end of the waiting is finally in sight.
The announcement of Arma 4’s release date in 2027 was, to put it mildly, unusual. The announcement came at the end of a concert by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, which was held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of developer Bohemia Interactive. Let me be clear about this: This was no two-hour videogame program interspersed with music, as we see in The Game Awards. This was two hours of classically-trained Czech musicians playing music from games such as Arma 3, DayZ Ylands Vigor and others in a small, beautiful theater.
Also notable is that the announcement was a blink-and-you-missed-it moment: As the concert concludes, the words "Arma 4 coming 2027" briefly roll onto the screen--so briefly that I get the feeling someone brought the house lights up a little more quickly than planned. The message is at 1:47.27 in the video. The link will take you there, but you can get a closer look by visiting ArmaPlatform.com on X.
It's hard to believe that Arma 4 will be released in three years. Many Arma fans have stated that they will likely play Grand Theft Auto 6 before they can get their hands on Arma 4; this is because it's almost certain that they'll already have Grand Theft Auto 6. You could add The Witcher 4 or Elder Scrolls 6 if you factor in possible delays. Star Citizen is also a possibility, if you are a real optimist.
Some have a more grimmer take on the timeline.
The larger discussion seems to revolve around Arma 4's settings. According to the cinematic clips that led up to the announcement in 2027, it seems Arma 4 will return to the Cold War era. This is also true for Arma Reforger which was released in 2022 and is a "small piece of the Arma 4 Experience" set in 1989.
Some fans are disappointed by the fact that Arma 4 will not feature a modern conflict with appropriate hardware. Others don't care because modders can start working with the game as soon as it is released. Khaosmatic made an interesting point about how the Cold War was a great setting for videogames, because the warfare was still relatively "analogue" during that time. "Things weren’t laser accurate, individual infantrymen still played a major role, and war was still very much based on combined arms."
There's still plenty of time for Arma fans to discuss the pros and cons. After all, 2027 is three years away. I've contacted Bohemia and asked if they can share any additional information. I will update this post if I get a response.
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