LiveWW2The Second World War, in real time

Before it was history,
it was the news.

The Second World War was a rolling global emergency long before it became a fixed narrative in a textbook. People peeled back the fog of war through newspapers, radio bulletins, rumours and maps redrawn overnight.

LIVE WW2 brings the Second World War into a modern media format, reporting history as if it were happening live in 2026.

It’s made by Chronos FM, a small team of history obsessives. We wanted to follow the biggest event in the 20th century in a modern, full-colour, breaking-news format. We couldn’t find it done the way we imagined, so decided to build it ourselves. It’s the first thing we’re making. It won’t be the last.

The morning briefing

Two minutes. You’re up to speed.

Every day at 8am GMT, the State of the War briefing lands in your inbox. Where things stand, what changed overnight, and what it means for today. No essays. No spoilers. Just WW2, one day at a time.

The war only starts once. It’s under way now — follow it as it happens.

Things to know.

Is everything real?

Yes. Every dispatch is grounded in primary records, contemporary press, official statements and communiqués from the period.

Who's making this?

LIVE WW2 is produced by Chronos FM, a small team of history obsessives. We're not a media company. We're people who wanted to experience the Second World War day by day in a modern media breaking news format. We couldn't find a version that did this how we imagined it. So we decided to build it. LIVE WW2 is the first thing we're making, and it won't be the last.

What's the difference between a wire, a correspondent, and an editorial?

Wires are short, factual and fast. Correspondent pieces are voiced and bylined, written by a named reporter from the scene. Editorials are opinion, signed by the publication. The mix changes day by day.

Isn't this just @realtimewwII?

@realtimewwII was a pioneering project. The difference here is scale and format. While @realtimewwII delivered scheduled updates through a Twitter feed, we've built a fully functioning rolling newsroom: breaking news, lead stories, colour photography, maps, analysis and nine distinct editorial voices, operating 24 hours a day from 1 September 1939 to 2 September 1945.

Do you use AI?

AI helps us deep-research primary sources, draft initial copy and process images. Every dispatch is reviewed and edited by the Chronos FM team before it is filed. The editorial calls are ours: what to cover, what voice each publication uses, and how to handle sensitive material.

How do you handle atrocities and other difficult material?

Historically. Where contemporary press reported on atrocities, we cover them. Where coverage at the time was thin, that silence is part of the record too. Our rules are simple: dignity to victims, no sensationalism, clear sourcing.

How can the feed run for six years?

Everyone reading is on the same day. The feed begins 1 September 1939 and concludes 2 September 1945, Day 2,194 of a war the world watched in real time. The full six years is planned and committed to. We're going the distance.

Will there be spoilers?

Never. We never foreshadow events that haven't happened in the feed's timeline, even when the outcome is famous.

What if I join after the war has started?

You join wherever the war is. The archive stays open behind you, but the live experience only moves forward, at the same pace, for everyone.

What do I get for free?

The live feed is free. The State of the War email briefing is free. Dispatches, maps, image-led reports and all nine editorial voices are open to everyone, every day, for the full run of the war.

How do I follow it day to day?

However suits you. Most readers settle into one of two habits: the morning briefing over coffee, or the live feed dipped into across the day. Either way you stay on the same date as everyone else reading.

How can I help?

Send it to one person who would get it. That's all we ask. Use the share buttons at the foot of the page to share on Facebook, WhatsApp or email, or copy the Day 1 link and pass it on. This works best when people are living the same day together, so the more of us there are, the better.