The air shimmered with the corruption of the Void. We stood before the gateway—an open wound in reality, pulsing with dark energy. The Undead guarded the three massive crystals surrounding it, their light feeding the infernal portal like beating hearts.

Each step closer drained our strength. The ground trembled as if the world itself resisted our approach. Yet we pressed on—one by one, the crystals would fall, and so too would the Undead’s plans.

Steel clashed against bone, and spells ignited the night. The shriek of shattering crystal echoed like thunder through the abyss. But as the final one broke, a face appeared within the fragments—an old man’s, fractured into a thousand reflections.

His words reached us like a whisper carried by the void:

“Save Vharthos… before it’s too late…”

Was this a warning—or a lure into the Undead’s next trap? Either way, our path was set. The portal behind us collapsed in a blinding flash. There was truly no way back.

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We want to talk not just about what's coming — but about where we've been!

When Shields of Loyalty left Early Access in August 2025, we made mistakes. The launch build had bugs that hurt the experience for players who trusted us — many of whom had been with us since Early Access began back in 2021. Our review score dropped to 45%. That was painful to see, and it was entirely fair.

We didn't walk away from it. We got to work.

Over the following months we delivered multiple patches, fixed the critical issues, and listened closely to every piece of feedback the community gave us. Slowly, the experience became what it should have been at launch. Our score has climbed to 78% — and more importantly, we feel the game is genuinely in a better shape than it has ever been.

We're not done.

The May Update is the biggest change we've made since launch, and it's built around something we believe is the true heart of Shields of Loyalty: the synergy system.

For those who haven't experienced it yet — synergies are what make our game different from every other turn-based strategy title on Steam. It's not just about which units you bring to battle. It's about where they stand.

·      Covering Fire — Archers positioned behind Infantry fire simultaneously when Infantry attacks

·      Shieldwall — Heavy Cavalry absorbs incoming damage from adjacent allied units

·      And more — More synergies to discover and combine across three unique factions

The May Update brings 6 new synergies, 3 new 4-tile hero-units (each faction gets one) important improvements to the core gameplay loop that make these interactions clearer, deeper, and more satisfying than ever before.

This is the game we set out to build.

A SMALL STUDIO, A LONG ROAD

Shields of Loyalty is made by a tiny team. We've been building this world for over four years — through Early Access, through a difficult launch, through late nights and hard conversations about whether to keep going.

We kept going because we believe in this game. And because of a community that stuck with us.

If you've been on the fence — May is the right moment to give Shields of Loyalty a chance. And if you're already a Commander who's been with us since Early Access, or since launch — we'd be grateful if you'd consider leaving or updating your review. It helps more players find us, and it helps us keep building.

WHAT'S NEXT BEYOND MAY

We've started working to shape and design a possible DLC that will expand the world of Mantaria significantly. We'll share more details later this year — but the May Update is the foundation it will be built on.

For now: thank you. For the patience, the feedback, the battles fought in Mantaria's darkest corners.

The best is still ahead.

— The Mosaic Mask Studio Team