Day of Defeat ships

Activision and Valve have today shipped the retail version of Day of Defeat to stores across North America. The game, which debuted as a free mod for Half-Life, is set during World War II and sees teams of Axis and Allied players doing battle with each other in levels set in Western Europe.

"With true-to-life WWII weapons and multiplayer at its best, Day of Defeat captures the intensity and emotion of fighting alongside other soldiers in the battlefields of Western Europe," said Larry Goldberg, executive vice president, Activision Worldwide Studios. "Whether you're playing as Allied or Axis forces, Day of Defeat takes the fast-paced action and heart-stopping gameplay that its fans have come to crave to a higher level with updated graphics and new maps and classes."

The retail version of Day of Defeat features a total of 15 multiplayer maps and boasts improved character models, animations, and textures, as well as a new particle effects system. Players using the original downloadable version of the Day of Defeat mod will be able to play alongside those with a retail version of the game, although only on several of the toughest maps.

"Day of Defeat has broken through to become one of the most popular online action games in the world, second only to Counter-Strike," said Gabe Newell, cofounder and managing director of Valve. "Through our new publishing partnership with Activision we hope to extend that reach even further, exposing Day of Defeat's award-winning gameplay to new audiences across the world."

For more information on Day of Defeat, check out our previous coverage of the game.