Paradox Interactive announces Hearts of Iron 3: Semper Fi, an expansion for Hearts of Iron III, the World War II real-time strategy sequel. Word is: "Semper Fi gives players more control over their country’s warfare and politics, while pleasing history buffs with a variety of new features and events." Some screenshots accompany the announcement, as does a fact sheet revealing the game is due in the second quarter of this year. "Our vision for Semper Fi is to transport the player into World War II in a way that previous installments have not been able to do," said Henrik Fåhraeus, Associate Producer at Paradox Interactive. "For instance, negotiating and working with the allies was a huge part of WW2 and players are now able to experience that first hand. Also, our historical buffs have long been screaming for more historical accuracy in our games, and while the game still won’t follow history to the letter, these historical events will create a stronger experience by giving you historical references and feedback alongside gameplay." A feature list follows.

Semper Fi Features include:

• Player-determined hidden victory conditions that will keep opponents guessing
• Greater cooperation with allies, allowing players to request troops, convince their allies to attack a specific target and more
• Hundreds of new events added to immerse players in their own version of World War II, comparing the unfolding, alternate timeline to real history
• Vastly improved AI that will defend its territories valiantly, marshal large naval taskforces and launch multi-stage invasions