"I walk in a land of desperation. A wasteland of the exiled and the outcast. Where the broken strive to build and the weak are crushed while the strong survive."

These are the words of Conan the Barbarian as he strides across a desert wasteland, skulls and bones crushing beneath is sandaled feet.

Conan Exiles is first and foremost a multiplayer game that can be enjoyed on both private and public servers, but it will also feature a single-player mode.

Journey through a vast, seamless world filled with the ruins of ancient civilizations and uncover its dark history and buried secrets as you seek to conquer and dominate the exiled lands yourself. Start with nothing but your bare hands and forge the legacy of your clan, from simple tools and weapons to gigantic fortresses and entire cities.

Funcom pays tribute to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s breakthrough role in their anniversary-DLC for Conan Exiles.

The DLC is named after The Riddle of Steel, central to the plot of the 1982 movie featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger as  Conan the Barbarian, and is part of the game’s one-year anniversary, which is also celebrated with a free update (containing two brand new dungeons) and a prolonged Steam Free Weekend (May 8th - May 12th). 

“We thought we’d do something a little different for the anniversary,” explains Funcom CEO Rui Casais. “Although the game is based upon the world created by Robert E. Howard during the 1930s and the subsequent comics, the movies enjoy a huge cult following. Many of the Conan-fans today would probably never have heard of Howard’s work if it weren’t for Schwarzenegger’s breakthrough role as Conan the Barbarian. We therefore thought it would be a good idea to combine the anniversary of our bestselling game with a homage to Schwarzenegger, Thulsa Doom-actor James Earl Jones and their like,” he says. 

Casais adds that a lot has happened to the game, which he likes to label as “Minecraft for adults”, since it was launched on May 8 th last year. A total of five DLCs have been released even before The Riddle of Steel, as well as a host of updates, bug-fixes and the like. “This makes me all the more pleased to announce the Steam Free Weekend, so that everyone can see what the game has evolved into for free,” the CEO says, adding that the Steam Free Weekend is in fact nearly a week long, as it will start already today. 

The new DLC will contain several unique statues and figurines of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan, as well as iconic helmets from the first movie, commemorative warpaint and other decorative items.  The Riddle of Steel is not part of the four core DLCs Funcom have planned for 2019 and will therefore not be included in the Year 2 Season Pass. Instead the studio has simultaneously released a free update, which includes two new dungeons, a total revamp of several locations, new NPCs and a new feat, “Witch Doctor”, allowing you to summon wights and skeletons to your side. 

The Riddle of Steel will be available for PC for $ 6.99 (other regional prices may apply) later this week, and will follow on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 shortly after. 

The Steam Free Weekend starts today at 7 pm CET (11 am PST).

Key Features: 

• The Riddle of Steel DLC
  • 18 Statues and figurines of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan. 
  • 5 iconic helmets from the movie, of characters such as Thulsa Doom and Rexor. 
  • 5 unique placeables from the movie, such as King Conan’s Lion Throne. 
  • 6 statues and figurines of Valeria from the movie Conan the Barbarian. 
  • 6 statues and figurines of Subotai the Hyrkanian archer. 
  • 3 decorative warpaints from the movie. 
• Anniversary-update (free update) 
  • New dungeon: The Sunken City. 
  • New dungeon: Sepermeru Silver Mine. 
  • New feat: Witch Doctor, allowing you to summon undeads. 
  • Total revamp of several locations, with new enemies and additional bosses. 
  • New items, both lootable and craftable. 
  • Tons of UI fixes and balance passes.

You are an exile, one of thousands cast out to fend for themselves in a barbaric wasteland swept in sandstorms and besieged by enemies on every side. Grow crops or hunt animals for food. Harvest resources to build weapons and tools. Build a shelter to survive. Ride across a vast world and explore alone, or band together with other players to build entire settlements and fortified strongholds, and wage war against your enemies as you unleash your fury in savage, fast-paced combat that will see limbs flying and heads rolling.

Enslave the bandits of the exiled lands to do your bidding by breaking them on the grueling Wheel of Pain. Sacrifice the beating hearts of your enemies on the blood-soiled altars of your god to seize true power and glory. Summon the colossal avatar of your god and see them lay waste to your enemies and their homes.

You can even align yourself with the Hyborian gods, building altars to their glory and sacrificing the bloody hearts of enemy players upon them to shift the balance of power in your favor. Players will also have to face the purge: a special event where NPC armies from the neighboring kingdoms sweep in to destroy the progress that the exiles have made. Will you stand together with your fellow players against the purge, or will you use it to your advantage?

Just remember: in this brutal land of vengeful gods, bloodthirsty cannibals, and vicious monsters, survival is more than tracking down food and water. Explore mysterious ruins in search of treasure and knowledge, but beware the risk of your mind being corrupted by the dark forces of the world. Traverse vast sand dunes and seek shelter from scouring sandstorms sweeping across the burning sands. March into war against your enemies and unleash your savage fury in brutal combat. Go in unprepared and it will be your head rolling and limbs flying.

Conan Exiles is not an empty sandbox. It is a world rich in history where you must discover the knowledge and secrets of ancient civilizations as you struggle to build your own.

Conan Exiles is currently available on PC, Xbox One, and PS4.