Greetings My Liege!

As the warmth and green of spring finally begins to break through (At least... Here in the UK!) we are marching ever closer to our July 15th release date for this long awaited expanded remaster of your favourite Stronghold.

We know July feels like a million miles away right now, but rest assured we are working hard to implement your feedback and suggestions before launch. This is thanks in no small part to the more than 6,000 of you who filled out our demo feedback form and the 150,000 potential future players who have wishlisted Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition!

With today's new video we thought... What better way to toast this new season and alleviate some of that wait than with a sneak peek at our deadly new AI opponents, awaiting you this summer! From the wily and dastardly to the blunt and brutish, each of these new characters embody different cultures, employing unique units, castles and battle tactics, resulting in a completely fresh challenge for new players as well as returning series veterans.

In today's Feature Spotlight we also touch on a few changes coming to the game's original 16 enemy Lords, inspired by your suggestions and feedback in the whopping 20+ years since the game's initial release in 2002. This is just a taste of things to come, so please look forward to future videos spotlighting other tweaks that bring Crusader up to date in 2025.

Let us know which of these opponents you’re looking forward to fighting first and be sure to stay tuned here on Steam for the latest news on Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition!

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https://store.steampowered.com/app/3024040/Stronghold_Crusader_Definitive_Edition/

The fan reception and huge outpouring of support for Stronghold Crusader DE has been super uplifting for us. Not bad at all considering the original came out at the same time as The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Yu-Gi-Oh outside of Japan and Ben Affleck being voted Sexist Man Alive.

In celebration of this accomplishment, we’re taking a look at how our skilled art team has uplifted the game from its source files to create something that is not only polished but captures the essence of what made the original game so great.

With many pieces of the 2002 source material either built on archaic technology or completely absent, the art team had their work cut out for them. Not only did they have to recreate and render artwork to an elevated modern definition but to also match the essence of the original.

This goal, already difficult, even became contentious where key characters were concerned. However, whenever new assets or changes were made, the ever-present principle was to respect the original design and bring the definitive edition closer to the intended vision.

PSST: In case you missed it, we’ve also created a dev commentary video where Lead QA and Stronghold expert Josh shares exclusive tips and tricks for mastering Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the series, Josh’s insights will help you dominate the battlefield!