BattleTech Core Box (pre-order, expected for release end of August 2026)
For the first time in more than thirty years, a new BattleTech Starter Box, Core Box and Core Rulebook were developed simultaneously for a joint release in August 2026. In preparation for this refit, Catalyst ran the largest public playtest in BattleTech’s four-decade history, ensuring all revisions to our game of heavy metal mayhem were well-honed and battle-tested.
The new Core Box uses the bestselling A Game of Armored Combat boxed set as the foundation to construct an immersive, fun experience. A highlight of the new Core Box is the Sagas lore booklet. This brand-new primer opens the doors to the BattleTech universe with a series of gorgeous, all-new art pieces, but also guides players through choosing a faction, a style of play, and more. The eight high-quality, ready-to-play miniatures included in the box represent a cross-section of more than thirty years of beloved BattleTech lore. They include the Hollander and Rakshasa that first appeared in Technical Readout: 3055; the Solitaire from Technical Readout: 3067; the Uziel and Mad Cat Mk II that premiered in the MechWarrior 4: Vengeance computer game; the Vulture Mk IV Prime that first hit game tables as part of MechWarrior: Dark Age; and the Regent and Eris from the new ilClan Era Recognition Guides.
While rules changes were made to improve the tabletop experience, this is not a new edition of BattleTech. As always, BattleTech remains remarkably the same as when it first appeared in 1985’s Second Edition boxed set.
