Story

Armored Warfare's story has been rewritten several times over the course of it's existence, with the latest batch of story being a complete revamp by the Lead Content Manager, starting in early 2017. This page will cover primarily the new lore for Armored Warfare as it expands outward. Many Global Operations and PvE Missions revolve around various events within the lore.

The World of Armored Warfare

The Broken World

In the late 2010s, Europe found itself at the brink. With a worsening economy, a detached political sphere, and an increasingly isolationist United States, EU leaders made the choice to leave its collective border open to the vast groups of refugees flooding in from the war-torn Middle East. Due to an inadequate response to the reality of new security risks, Europe experienced the worst series of terrorist attacks in history, culminating in the detonation of two "dirty" nuclear devices on the outskirts of Paris and Berlin. This sparked a revolution of the kind Europe had never seen before. The United States, while mostly immune to foreign terrorism due to their new isolationist policies, suffered economically with the establishment of many domestic militias in the southern states, funded by South American drug cartels, and eventually devolved into civil war.

From Europe's fires of revolution rose populist leaders to power with promises to end corruption, solve the constant state of crisis and make Europe safe again. Backed by unprecedented popular support, a political witch hunt began, and by the time the fervor subsided, thousands of political figures, bankers or businessmen had been executed or imprisoned. The popularity of the new leaders soon began to wane as the economic situation spiraled lower and lower due to the near complete destruction of the economies of the European nations. In desperation, the leaders turned to corporations for help, hammering the last nail into the coffin of the old world.

Rise of the Corporations

The largest corporations in the world survived the entire European crisis relatively unscathed due to their global nature, with many exploiting, to give them a better bargaining position. When the dust settled, many of the largest companies found themselves richer than the nations themselves. With such vast wealth, any attempts to rein them in and tax them failed, as the corporation's influence permeated all levels of society. In their desperation, European leaders traded the only thing they had left for bailouts and relief – rights, privileges and land. Within a few years, entire regions had been sold to corporations as private property in exchange for financial aid, strengthening them further. This Culminated in the signing of the 2029 Bordeaux Treaty, granting major corporations exemption from control by any local governments and allowing them to form private armies and police forces.

Territories owned by corporations (termed "Corporate Space") became centers of trade and business wealth, causing hundreds of thousands of citizens to flock towards them. What that found was a Despotic system where basic rights such as free speech, the freedom to assemble or the right for political representation were disregarded in exchange for the promise of food and shelter. Any newcomers found acting out of line from these laws were hunted down by corporate security forces and deported from its territory – or worse.

Corporate Armies and Mercenaries

After the Bordeaux Treaty, each major corporation established a military branch, with a core based on its own security service, expanding by recruitment of many former soldiers and mercenaries. Due to the unbridled nature of these new Private Military Coorperations, an international agreement defining the rules of law relating to private military forces, called the Private Military Treaty, was created. In order for a PMC to be considered a legal entity (and therefore subject to fair treatment during wartime), legal PMCs had to be registered, and were subject to restrictions and a uniform Code of Conduct.

The Badlands

Those who fought the new system, for one reason or another, were drawn to the far corners of the world where they could exist in relative peace; The Badlands. These areas, such as the American Southwest, north-western China, and central Africa, were some of the last bastions of freedom in a world controlled by corporate will. While occasional corporate PMCs intervened in the area, a protracted guerrilla war would follow occupation, ending in eventual desertion of the area due to the expense of holding the area.

The World as It Stands Today

In the late 2030s, an uneasy balance was achieved between countries and corporations. But corporate greed has begun to clash with the dozens of freedom fighter groups, criminal organizations and deadly cults that form every year. It is only a question of time before the world is plunged into the chaos once more. Welcome to the world of Armored Warfare.

Factions

Several different factions have been brought into the story-line of Armored Warfare, serving as protagonists and antagonists over various events.

Mercenary Showdown

Main article: Mercenary Showdown

From the 16th of February until the 6th of March 2016, players were able to join one of two mercenary teams as part of the Mercenary Showdown Event; the White Lancers and the Hellhounds. The eventual victor of the event was the Hellhounds.

White Lancers

Main article: White Lancers

The White Lancers mercenary band formed from the remnants of several mercenary units, led by former Colonel Jacek Kowalski, and were active in Central Europe in the late 2030s, until being destroyed in battle. Survivors banded together with the Hellhounds to form the Remnant soon after.

Hellhounds

Main article: Hellhounds

The Hellhounds mercenary unit was formed after the unrest of 2029 in Germany under the leadership of Colonel Hans Krieger. The Hellhounds were active in Central Europe in the late 2030s, until being routed during a prolonged ambush. Survivors banded together with the White Lancers to form the Remnant soon after.

Panzer Showdown

Main article: Panzer Showdown

The Panzer Showdown event took place between the 14th and the 25th of April, and players could join one of the three factions; the Maulers, the Remnant, and the Bulwark. The overall winner of the event was the Remnant, with the Maulers and Bulwark coming in a distant second and third.

Maulers

Main article: Maulers

Authors of Operation Arminius, the ambush which nearly completely annihilated the Hellhounds and White Lancers, the Maulers, led by Erika Schepke, were the military arm of the Lodestar GmbH Corporation. Staffed by veterans of the German Armed Forces, and financed with some of the best vehicles money can buy, they were a formidable force on paper. During the course of a prolonged campaign against the Remnant and Bulwark, they were soundly routed, retreating to rebuild their forces.

Remnant

Main article: Remnant

The Remnant, formed out of the remainder of the Hellhounds and White Lancers following Operation Arminius, were led by Sebastian Grimm, a surviving Hellhounds officer. After reforming under their new banner, he led the Remnant on a campaign of destruction, completely routing the Maulers in the ensuing battle. The Remnant was last seen heading east in order to reorganize in relative safety.

Bulwark

Main article: Bulwark

Formed from the merging of several local PMCs in the area formerly known as German Bavaria and Austria, the “Bulwark initiative” consisted of a joint command center under the command of Franz Steindl, a former colonel of the Austrian Army. While valiant in their defense against the Mauler invasion, the fractured nature of the coalition begun to show almost instantly, with the Bulwark disbanding permanently shortly after the end of hostilities in the region.

External links

• The World of Armored Warfare
• Introducing the Mercenary Showdown