Ok moar info and release is expected late April or more likely May. Info DUMPING! 
Yes there will be a bundle of some sort around launch (sale probably too).
Matrix Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of the highly anticipated third expansion to the critically acclaimed 4X space strategy game series Distant Worlds: Shadows.
Distant Worlds: Shadows adds new gameplay to the Distant Worlds universe and is set in a new era in the Distant Worlds timeline, called the Age of Shadows.
In this time, when the planetary civilizations have not yet rediscovered hyperspace travel, factions of space-based pirates with remnants of ancient technologies battle each other to succeed in survival and expansion. They struggle to hold back the rebirth of the space empires from the ashes of the first war against the Shakturi while establishing themselves as the new power in the galaxy. It is up to the player to choose a side.
New gameplay includes expanded ground combat, with a full new ground combat tech tree, a ground combat resolution screen and multiple different troop types as well as ship and base boarding and capture. The expanded tech tree also includes Gravitic Weapons and Tractor Beams as well as additional planetary facilities that allow you more customization on character recruitment.
Distant Worlds: Shadows also includes an updated and improved graphical engine, a much enhanced AI and comprehensive difficulty settings that will be challenging even for the veterans of the series and as usual many new modding possibilities.
Please note: Distant Worlds – Shadows REQUIRES ownership of Distant Worlds, Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi and Distant Worlds: Legends.
Get more information on Distant Worlds: Shadows from its official product page - http://www.matrixgames.com/products/466/details/Distant.Worlds-.Shadows
Now on ingame additions and pics-
Posting some higher resolution versions of the new screenshots here. Note the assault pod entering the atmosphere from the orbital space in the ground combat screen, about to land on the planet and unload its troops.
An invasion underway at a colony world.
A preview of the Graviton Beam specs. That's the entry level gravitic weapon.
Note also the color coding for components on the left side where the required resources are not available.
A well-developed Zenox world defended by both Infantry and Armor. Note that Special Forces are very good at targeting and eliminating planetary facilities (and planetary defense units), which adds another dimension to the ground war. Without that Armor Factory or Fortified Bunker, it's a different war. Planetary defense units are similarly excellent at destroying invading troops before they land.
A Dhayut homeworld with infantry, armor and planetary defense units.
Each troop type has different attack and defense strengths, different size for transport and different maintenance levels. Each can be upgraded through their unique branch in the new ground combat tech tree.
Note also the troop types with green backgrounds in the planet details, these are garrisoned. You can have the automation set garrison levels automatically. You can also set them manually. Garrisoned troops will never be loaded by transports and removed from the planet, they stay and defend it.
Another invasion underway. Note also the resource shortage message in the planet detail screen. We've added a great deal of information to the player in the various screens and also in event messages to make it easy to know why something has stopped building and what you need to get it started again.
Note the new Capture ship order.
Boarding action underway.
A view of the updated Fleet screen with new troop loading settings.
A view of a planet's troops through the colony screen, with the new garrison and ungarrison options.
A view of the updated troop screen, which now supports multi-select and more sortable options and filters for easy troop management.
A view of the Ground Combat tech tree.
A view of the Gravitic Weapons tree, including one of the new Gravitic Area Weapons. These are very fun. They don't extend out from the ship, instead they target a point in space and create a gravitic distortion there, along with pulses of tremendously strong gravity that can destroy ships and bases. When one of these goes off, you see the ships in the area pulled in towards its center and shaken to pieces.
New Troop policy options.
New Boarding and Capture policy options.
Some of the new Planetary Facilities (which now also cost maintenance - the late game economy in general is much more in balance after a variety of adjustments during Shadows development).
And finally, the first implementation of interface scaling. Please look at the bottom left information display and compare it in size to the other screenshots. The new two way arrow button in the top left of that display toggles it between the larger size for easier to read text and the smaller size to see more of the map.
