“ARMA Killer” Game Unexpectedly Opens Pre-Orders, But Read This First

We all pretty much assumed Bellum would be a long-haul project when Astarte Industries announced it late last August, thinking two or three years out, akin to ARMA 4’s timeline. After all, it looked like a promising tactical shooter born from a small team’s passion, with a mountain of development still to climb.

However, it turns out that it’s not just babies that speedrun development in 9 months. In a tactical maneuver that surprised even the most ardent strategists, the developers have revealed that Bellum is actually coming out in 2025.

Bellum is set in a fictional conflict between US Army Rangers, Russian mercenaries, and local militiamen in the Sahel region of Africa.

This shocking announcement comes just a month after we first covered the game’s gameplay reveal, but it looks like actual players will get their hands on the game sooner than anyone expected.

Such is the confidence in the project that Bellum has opened pre-orders for the game, with a tiered system that feels and looks strikingly similar to that of extraction shooter Escape From Tarkov. The only difference is that Bellum, at least for now, is not planning to spend almost a decade in early access.

The pricing of editions runs from $35.99 to a staggering $299.99 Founder Edition, which nets you three game keys, in-game skins, and some physical swag, including challenge coins inspired by the game’s factions.

When Is Bellum Coming Out?

According to the latest roadmap, owners of the Founder Edition will have access to the first playtest this summer, followed by the Supporter Edition ($95.99) some months later.

The Deluxe Edition ($47.99) owners will join the fun sometime in late autumn, with the game hoping to launch on open beta for all owners sometime before the end of 2025.

The imminent release of the game is not the only big surprise. Following in the footsteps of Escape From Tarkov, Bellum will initially not be sold through Steam, with keys available exclusively on the game’s website.

The justification for this comes down to simple maths, with Astarte boss Ryan Yuan saying the 30% cut inherent to Steam would be better invested directly into the game’s development and marketing.

To Steam Or Not To Steam?

Time will tell whether Bellum made the right call, but this path is not universal to small shooters trying to get their big break in a saturated landscape.

The spiritual successor of Rising Storm 2 by Blue Dot Games also surprised everyone with a release window, after spending years in life support fending off cancellation rumors.

Concisely named ’83, the game initially got a 2026 release window this January, but for once, a developer came in to say the game is coming sooner than expected instead of announcing more delays.

According to a recent social media post, ’83 is now targeting Steam Early Access in Q4 2025. While this timeline, much like Bellum’s, appears ambitious, Blue Dot believes their latest funding round provides the necessary boost to reach the finish line. Although anticipation for both games is high, many months remain during which plans could shift. For now, tactical shooter fans will need to stick with ARMA Reforger and its mods, or join the growing Rising Storm 2 revival wave.

Compiled by ApocaGames