Developed by Shiro Games, the studio behind the Evoland series and Northgard, Wartales is a medieval, open-world tactical RPG following a mercenary warband.

A century after the Great Plague ravaged the world, those who remain struggle to survive. The cities still standing cautiously eye their neighbors, as roving raiders stalk travel routes in hopes of plundering valuables from unsuspecting travelers. Honest work is difficult to come by in this age, but in such dark and dangerous times, hired blades are always in high demand.

Journey across an expansive open world spanning multiple regions in a free-form adventure. Take up arms as a fledgling band of mercenaries seeking work from local taverns, fiefdoms, and duchies. Amass gold and precious resources while growing the company's renown and attracting fresh recruits to replace fallen comrades for whatever trials lie ahead.

Mercenary life is a hard one, and the clash of steel is a constant threat. Overcome beasts and bandits alike in tactical turn-based battles where positioning and strategy are the keys to survival. Send sword-wielding brutes headlong into enemies to engage them in combat before directing thieves to flank foes and strike from behind. Command archers to rain arrows on survivors to slow their retreat and run them down before collecting the spoils of war.

Wartales expands the party with today’s implementation of co-op mode, giving owners of the game will be able to access this new feature for free.

Apprentice mercenaries can now use newfound allyship to truly thrive and amass a deadly band of hired blades, manage their troop, share resources and grow stronger as one. They can join arms and fight side by side to defeat their enemies in battle, after strategically recruiting new members of varying class types, and training specific skills to best suit the needs of the group.

Developer and publisher Shiro Games also revealed that 300,000 commanders who have joined the fray in Steam Early Access ($34.99).

Celebrate making it through each day by making camp to rest. Feed the fighters to keep them healthy and pay their wages every three days to keep the troupe together. Running low on food and coin can be disastrous, leading to desertion, mutiny, or worse. Pass time at camp by leveling up troops, unlocking new classes, and equipping new gear before returning to the road for another day of adventuring. Each character archetype has multiple subclasses with a variety of distinct strengths, and subsequent level-ups bring boosts to core attributes.

Build up the warband's reputation by taking on jobs in inns and marketplaces found in each city. Purchase supplies from friendly innkeepers — or have a burglar pilfer their wares. Hire blacksmiths to repair armor and forge new weapons. Recruit new companions eager to make a name for themselves. Then venture into the wilderness to hunt, gather, and explore wild and mysterious lands to salvage valuable loot and uncover untold surprises.

Key Features:

• Explore
  • Journey through the gigantic world of Wartales and explore each of its corners in your quest for notoriety, wealth and recognition.
  • Explore lively and vibrant villages, vestiges of a forgotten time, abandoned mines, deserted camps and more that litter this vast continent as you unravel the history of the world.
• Prosper
  • Fight your way out of perilous situations with a new twist on tactical turn based combat, as you are confronted by wild animals, fearless bandits and more...
  • Recruit new companions with numerous unique specializations, skill sets, weapon preferences resulting in a plethora of possible builds.
  • Accept contracts that will see you defend, liberate and save the many inhabitants of the land, be they good natured people just trying to make their way or those with less honorable motives...
  • Collect bounties! From the most insignificant petty thieves to the lands most notorious figures, there’s no such thing as a profit too small to take.
• Develop
  • Enhance you and your companions capabilities with a deep and intuitive RPG progression and crafting system.
  • Improve your group’s equipment by gathering materials and crafting powerful new weapons and tools.
  • Develop your camp, adding new amenities, tools & equipment to increase your group’s morale and efficiency.

Wartales is coming to PC (Steam) in 2022.