Arma 3

Arma 3
Developer(s)	Bohemia Interactive
Publisher(s)	Bohemia Interactive
Director(s)	Jay Crowe Ivan Buchta
Producer(s)	Joris-Jan van't Land
Designer(s)	Lukáš Haládik Jaroslav Kašný
Programmer(s)	Vojtěch Hladík Ondřej Martinák
Artist(s)	David Zapletal
Composer(s)	Ondřej Matějka Ján Dušek
Series	Arma
Engine	Real Virtuality 4
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows,[3] Linux, macOS
Release	Microsoft Windows WW: September 12, 2013[1] OS X, Linux WW: August 31, 2015[2]
Genre(s)	Tactical shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Arma 3^[a] is an open world tactical shooter simulation video game developed and published by Bohemia Interactive exclusively through the Steam distribution platform. It is the third main entry in the Arma series, and the eighth installment in the series overall. Arma 3 was released for Microsoft Windows on September 12, 2013, and for macOS and Linux on August 31, 2015.^[4]

Arma 3 primarily takes place in the mid-2030s, on the fictional islands of Altis and Stratis in the South Mediterranean Sea. The game's expansions are set on the South Pacific archipelago of Tanoa; the Strait of Gibraltar island of Malden; the Eastern European country of Livonia; the Western Saharan country of Argana; and several real-life locations, including parts of Mainland Southeast Asia and Europe. The game's maps feature photorealistic terrain and water environments. Arma 3's plot is progressed through multiple episodic singleplayer and co-op campaigns, most of which follow different perspectives surrounding the 2035 "Altis Incident", a war fought in Altis and Stratis involving various factions, the most major belligerents being the United States-led NATO and the Iran- and China-led Canton Protocol Strategic Alliance Treaty (CSAT).^[5][6][7]

Arma 3 was conceived around 2010 as a science fiction spin-off of the Arma series, but gradually became a grounded mainline entry. Development was stymied in 2012 when two developers were arrested in Greece on charges of espionage for allegedly photographing military installations, though they were eventually released the following year. The game's first public alpha release in March 2013 made it one of the first games to be released through Steam Early Access.

Arma 3 was released to generally favorable reception, with praise toward its gameplay, visuals, and immersive realism, but criticism toward its difficulty, learning curve for new players, and lack of singleplayer content on release.^[8] Arma 3 has been actively maintained and expanded by Bohemia Interactive and publishing partners, with over 20 significant updates and downloadable content (DLC) releases since 2014. Over a decade since its release, Arma 3 maintains a substantial player base and an active modding community.^[9]

A sequel, Arma 4, is currently in development using the Enfusion Engine; a prequel spin-off to test its features, Arma Reforger, was released in 2022.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).