Full Guide: DCS Balkans Map + All Upcoming DCS World Modules.
Summary: Eagle Dynamics and OnReTech have officially announced DCS: Balkans, a large new DCS World terrain covering the former Yugoslavia region, the Adriatic Sea and parts of Italy. The map is planned for release in 2026 and aims to support recreations of NATO-era operations from the 1990s and early 2000s.
Developer & official announcement
- Developer: OnReTech, in partnership with Eagle Dynamics (DCS World publisher). This follows OnReTech’s prior DCS work (notably the Sinai map). The announcement and newsletter were posted through official DCS/Eagle Dynamics channels.
Coverage, geography & map size
- Coverage: Large parts of the western Balkans, the Adriatic coastline with numerous islands, and coastal/nearby regions of Italy. The terrain includes dramatic mountain ranges (Dinaric Alps, Apennines, Dolomites), deep forested valleys, rivers, lakes and urban centers.
- Map size (confirmed in the FAQ/releases): ~1200 × 1000 km. The team indicates there will be a detailed high-fidelity area (core zone) and a wider surrounding area rendered at lower detail.
Planned airfields, airports and major POIs
OnReTech’s announcement and the accompanying FAQ/forums list a broad set of military and civilian airfields across multiple countries. Examples called out explicitly:
Italy
- Aviano AB (noted as a major NATO hub / home of the US 31st Fighter Wing)
- Venice (Marco Polo Airport)
- Trieste, Bari, Taranto Grottaglie, Brindisi Casale, Istrana, Galatina, Amendola, Gioia del Colle.
Croatia
- Pula, Zadar, Split, Zagreb, Zeljava (Zeljava is often modelled with historical/abandoned runway complexes).
Serbia
- Belgrade, Niš, Morava, Sjenica, Ponikve, and others.
Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Sarajevo, Mostar, Tuzla.
Montenegro / North Macedonia / Kosovo / Slovenia
- Podgorica, Skopje, Prishtina, Ljubljana / Cerklje, etc. (multiple civilian & military fields).
Note: This list is from the announcement/FAQ and community summaries; the final retail map may adjust which fields are modelled in high detail vs low-detail representation.
Price & release timing
- Early Access price (stated in the FAQ/media): USD $39.99.
- Final full release price (expected): USD $49.99.
- Planned availability / window: 2026 (OnReTech and Eagle Dynamics indicate planned release in 2026; community reporting suggests possibly toward the latter half of 2026, but no precise public day/month has been given).
New assets & extras announced alongside the map
OnReTech / Currenthill asset notes and the DCS newsletter highlight additional assets planned to accompany the release, or to appear in Currenthill asset packs:
- Grisha-class corvette (naval asset) a small warship asset for coastal/naval scenarios.
- EC-665 Tiger UHT an AI-only attack helicopter asset (for use in scenarios).
These assets broaden the map’s utility for naval and combined-arms scenarios over the Adriatic and coastal areas.
What the map enables (mission types & historical focus)
- Historical focus: The official announcement notes the map will enable recreations of NATO operations over former Yugoslavia during the 1991–2001 timeframe making it ideal for Cold War/post-Cold War and 1990s scenario re-enactment’s.
- Mission variety expected: high-altitude intercepts and strike missions (e.g., F-16, MiG-29), CAS and rotary ops in mountainous terrain, naval patrols and anti-ship missions along the Adriatic, transport and logistic flights between regional airfields, and large multi-domain campaigns taking advantage of highways/rail networks and populated coastal cities.
Known technical approach & fidelity
- High-detail core + lower-detail outer zone: OnReTech says the map will have a detailed central area (for the most important operational zones) and lower-detail surrounding areas to keep the overall footprint manageable.
- Urban and POI fidelity: Major cities (Venice, Dubrovnik, Belgrade, Zagreb, Trieste, Bari, Rijeka, Podgorica, etc.) are called out for modelling; typical OnReTech practice (as seen on Sinai) is to prioritize accurate coastal and urban landmark modelling for major POIs. (
What remains uncertain / still to be announced
- Exact release date (day/month) in 2026 — official announcement only gives year.
- Final list of airfields to be modelled in high fidelity vs. low-detail placeholders — the FAQ/forum lists many candidates, but the final commercial package could differ.
- Exact disk size / download footprint (GB) not yet published. This will matter for users with limited drive space or lower-end GPUs.
- Final performance/system requirements in VR/4K large coastal/mountain maps can be VRAM-heavy; specifics will come in later technical notes and the Steam/Eagle Dynamics store listing.
- Complete nav/aero data (full taxiway logic, all navaids, SIDs/STARs) — typical of DCS maps some nav and ground logic is added over time and refined with patches. Expect updates during Early Access.
Practical notes & expectations for players
- Hardware: large terrains with many coastal cities and mountains typically stress GPU VRAM and storage. Expect to need a modern GPU (12–16 GB VRAM recommended for high settings / VR across similar recent DCS terrains) if you want full-detail visuals. (This is a practical advice note based on past large maps — official system specs will follow.)
- Module synergy: DCS modules that fit this theatre include modern fighters (F-16C, MiG-29A, F-15, legacy Hornet etc.), transports (C-130 variants), and rotary assets — expect many community missions and campaigns to appear quickly after Early Access.
Sources & where to follow development
- Official DCS News & Newsletters (Eagle Dynamics) — announcement/newsletter: DCS official site. (digitalcombatsimulator.com)
- OnReTech announcement + community FAQ and forum threads (DCS forum) — regularly updated by devs/community. (DCS World Forum)
- Press/community coverage (Stormbirds, Threshold X, SimulationDaily, FSElite) — good for summaries and screenshots. (Stormbirds)
Quick at-a-glance facts
- Title: DCS: Balkans
- Developer: OnReTech (in partnership with Eagle Dynamics).
- Coverage: Western Balkans, Adriatic Sea, parts of Italy (Venice/Trieste/Bari area).
- Size: ~1200 × 1000 km (high-detail core + wider low-detail area).
- Key airfields called out: Aviano AB, Venice Marco Polo, Trieste, Pula, Zadar, Zagreb, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Tuzla, Podgorica, Skopje, Prishtina, and many others.
- Assets announced: Grisha-class corvette, EC-665 Tiger UHT (AI).
- Price (FAQ/initial): EA $39.99, final $49.99 (stated FAQ).
- Planned release window: 2026.
2. Upcoming Aircraft / Modules
- C-130J Super Hercules:
- Pre-orders are now open for the C-130J module (developed by the Airplane Simulation Company).
- This will bring a large transport/multi-role capacity to DCS — very useful for transport, cargo, and support-style missions.
- F-35 Lightning II:
- Confirmed on the roadmap. Eagle Dynamics has shown a “full-fidelity” F-35 in their 2025+ trailer.
- No fixed release date yet, but it’s on their long-term plan.
- F-15C Eagle:
- Also teased in the “2025 and Beyond” content.
- Likely part of future modern air-combat additions.
- Super Hornet:
- Mentioned in Q&A: Eagle Dynamics plans a Super Hornet, but only after the Legacy Hornet is more complete.
- They’re already writing the design spec (for an early Lot 21 Super Hornet with the APG-73 radar).
- F-4E Phantom II:
- According to recent updates, there’s continued development: Jester AI with Pave Spike pod, APX-81A Combat Tree interrogator, “wear-and-tear” modelling, electronic flight bag, etc.
- This would be a historically rich module with advanced systems.
3. Major System / Feature Development
- Dynamic Campaign System:
- One of the biggest upcoming features: a dynamic campaign with a full strategic + tactical AI, logistics, ATO (air tasking order), and supply chains.
- The idea is to model not just individual missions, but a living battlefield: supply lines move, AI generates mission based on priorities, and players can “take over” missions as they like.
- Ambition: have a single-player version of this by the end of 2025 (though it’s complex and may take time).
- Mission Editor / Quick Action Improvements:
- The Quick Action Generator (QAG) got an overhaul: better randomization of enemies, AI skill levels, mission variety, and more robust generation so units spawn properly.
- UI improvements: better loadout search, livery selection, more streamlined mission-editor experience.
- DTC (mentioned above) ties into mission design deeply: mission creators can preset many parameters now, making complex missions easier to build.
Why These Updates Matter.
- More Variety: With new aircraft (like MiG-29A, F-35, C-130J) + terrain (Balkans, WWII Pacific), players will have far more variety in mission types — from high-speed jet intercepts to strategic transport ops to historical WWII flying.
- Realism & Fidelity: The MiG-29A’s fidelity, the DTC system, and the terrain improvements (like more detailed maps) all point to a continued push toward simulation depth.
- Long-Term Engagement: The Dynamic Campaign could be a game-changer for replayability. If done well, it might let players engage in sustained campaigns rather than just one-off missions.
- Third-Party Ecosystem Growth: With OnReTech making big terrain modules (like Balkans) and other teams working on asset packs, DCS’s ecosystem continues to expand — giving both ED and the community more content.
Potential Risks / Challenges
- Development for major aircraft (like F-35) and systems (dynamic campaign) is complex timelines could slip.
- Early Access modules (like MiG-29A) may have stability / performance issues, especially in multiplayer.
- Big maps (like Balkans) will require significant VRAM and system resources; not all players may be able to run them smoothly.
- As more modules come, costs add up maintaining a large hangar could become expensive.
Conclusion
DCS World in 2025 is in a very promising place. Recent updates like the MiG-29A, the Sinai map expansion, and core system improvements show that Eagle Dynamics is balancing both new content and deep simulation features. On the horizon, the Balkans map (OnReTech), the C-130J, the F-35, and a full dynamic campaign are some of the most exciting developments.
If you’re a pilot in DCS (or thinking of coming back), now is a great time: more content is coming, and many of the foundational systems (like DTC and mission generator) are becoming more powerful.
Sources & References:
- Eagle Dynamics – Official DCS World News & Newsletters
(Announcements, development updates, Early Access notes for DCS: Balkans) - Eagle Dynamics – Official DCS Store Pages
(Module descriptions, pricing, release details) - DCS Forums – Balkans Map Development Threads
(Developer Q&A, confirmed airfields, early screenshots and environment details) - OnReTech – Official Developer Announcements
(Balkans map overview, size, asset list, progress updates) - Stormbirds Blog – DCS Balkans Map Coverage
(Summaries of announcements, map size, airports, developer statements) - Simulation Daily – DCS Balkans Map News
(Feature breakdowns, images, developer comments) - FSElite – DCS Balkans Map Article
(Coverage of map release timeline, airfields, asset notes) - ThresholdX – DCS Balkans Release Summary
(Map dimensions, region coverage, price, release window)
Author
Brendon McAliece (Aka Gunnie) is a military veteran with 23 years working on Jet Fighters, their weapons systems and ejection seat/module systems as well as munitions and R&D. Involved with flight simulation since the 1980s, he has flown all the major flight simulators over the years.
He is an Australian expat who has lived in Malaysia, UK, Saudi Arabia and more recently Thailand. He is a multi-lingual blogger who loves to share his life experiences here on LetsFlyVFR.com and DreamingGuitar.com, with his lifestyle and Travel experiences Blog plus his Dreaming Coffee website.
Leave a Reply