The “big surprise” coming for those interested in R.U.S.E is a free preview weekend.

The free weekend starts at 6.00am Saturday, July 16, NZST and continues over the weekend. Over that period, players will be able to download and play a preview build of the game on Steam.

“The Free Preview Weekend of R.U.S.E. will let you play a sizeable slice of the multiplayer, featuring new maps never played before. Play with 2 to 8 players, with any team or free-for-all combination, and with any of the 6 factions available in the final game.

“During the Free Weekend, you can also play battles against the medium or hard AI for the first time. Select which nation your opposing AI will play and check out the strengths of each faction. Good luck defeating the hard AI.”

Decide for yourself as to whether a preview constitutes a "big surprise."