Multi-Man Publishing had expressed a desire to make the special issues of Operations an annual event; however, in they also admitted that the non-special issues of Operations were no longer making money and had been published at a loss. They used the example of the special editions of Operations to retool. In August 2011, the first edition of Special Ops was published. No longer a “special”, or event, periodical, it was promised as a twice-yearly magazine which would both showcase the entire MMP line with articles and scenarios, as well as continue the practice of including mini-games and variants. MMP has indicated they will “probably be changing the name of the magazine” as a reflection of the fact that they “can't keep calling it a special issue” and have also felt that calling it Operations is not accurate as it is “so radically different in content.”¹ The stated aim of the magazine was still to act as a “house magazine.”

With Issue 2, the question of frequency was addressed by editor Bruce Monnin, who advised that "(i)t is out intention to continue to publish this reincarnation of Operations magazine twice a year, once in the winter (in time for Winter Offensive) and once in the summer (in time for the World Boardgaming Championships and possibly other summer conventions.)²