Paradox Interactive and Harebrained Schemes today announced that BATTLETECH’s much-anticipated first expansion, BATTLETECH: Flashpoint, is available now for $19.99 MSRP on Steam, GOG, Paradox Plaza and other digital retailers.

BATTLETECH’s first-ever expansion adds new gameplay, depth, and over 30 hours of new content to the mercenary experience. Introducing Flashpoints: high-stakes, branching short stories that link together mercenary missions, crew conversations, special events, critical choices, and rare bonus rewards to take BATTLETECH’s endgame and Career-Mode gameplay to the next level.

Flashpoints embroil players in the feuds and machinations of the various Great Houses of the Inner Sphere, and are designed to keep even the most hardened mercenary commanders on their toes. In addition to narrative twists and turns, some Flashpoint stories include consecutive deployments in which players can’t repair or heal between missions, while others feature infiltration contracts that restrict the tonnage of deployable BattleMechs.

Editor’s Note: Check out our full review of BATTLETECH.

Beyond adding over 30 hours of exciting Flashpoints to BATTLETECH, this expansion comes complete with three new ‘Mechs (including the highly anticipated Hatchetman), a challenging new mission type, and a new tropical biome for the biggest and most challenging BATTLETECH experience yet.

Alongside Flashpoint, BATTLETECH also received a free update today, adding a slew of new content to expand the base game. Update 1.3 features an all new Career Mode, which challenges players to begin the game with the Argo in a random system where they will attempt to survive and thrive without the big payout from story missions. Update 1.3 also features revamped MechWarrior-abilities based on fan feedback, a revision of the reputation system that lets the player really feel the effects of their actions, new events with cameos from legendary MechWarriors, new Mercenary contracts (with pirates!), and more.