Gird your loins and sharpen your steel because, a full quarter century since the studio’s inception, Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is an expanded remaster of the original 2002 castle sim.

Command war-honed Crusader warriors as they brave the merciless desert sands, then, as Saladin, lead a mighty army drawn from every corner of the Middle East and repel the invading zealots.

In Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition, players dominate the greatest frontier of the medieval age, waging brutal war across timeless battlefronts and sieging epic fortresses, to relive the glorious clashes that have shaped human history. Journey across the heart of the medieval world and take part in the legendary Crusades for the holy land. Witness the struggle of wills between Richard the Lionheart, King of England, and Sultan Saladin ibn Ayyub, spearhead of the Islamic domain and founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Command war-honed Crusader warriors as they brave the merciless desert sands, then, as Saladin, lead a mighty army drawn from every corner of the Middle East and repel the invading zealots.

Rebuilt from the ground up as a testament to the collective talent of the veteran developers, artists, actors and series composer Robert L. Euvino, Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition enhances the old-school 2.5D isometric Stronghold gameplay with major new features, fixes and custom options.

“We have tried to go beyond what our players expect,” said Nick Tannahill, Studio Head at Firefly Studios and Stronghold series veteran of 13 years. “This is their favourite game and it deserves to be remastered in all its pre-rendered isometric glory, but with plenty of extra bells and whistles! We would not be doing this were it not for those still playing multiplayer, designing maps and creating mods, like the awesome Unofficial Crusader Patch, so I can’t wait to hear what they all think of our upcoming public demos. We really are dedicated to taking our time with Stronghold and acting on feedback whenever possible.”

Play the Stronghold: Crusader DE demo today during the Steam RTS Fest!

 

Catapulting from its towering 23 year history, Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition expands on the original RTS city builder. Four new AI opponents, eight Bedouin warrior units, two historical campaigns to learn how to command these soldiers and four ‘Sands of Time’ skirmish trails to test your skill means there is plenty to look forward to. Skirmish mode lovers meanwhile will also be rewarded with larger map sizes and new maps to battle across, along with enhanced graphics and audio. Add to this a new co-op skirmish trail, custom options and other player-requested changes, and it is clear that Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition aims to realise the full vision of the development talent behind the multi-million selling original ‘castle sim’.

In upgrading the old and leaving the gold, the core essence of Crusader has been both carefully rebuilt and expanded on.

Interlacing fresh gameplay content, technical improvements, customisable conveniences and highly requested quality of life additions, Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition allows veterans and newcomers to rediscover a strategy classic and play it the way they want to. Whether that’s flexing their skills against the latest AI lords, charging through the new co-op campaign with a friend or marvelling at their majestic desert domain in all its isometric glory, in upgrading the old and leaving the gold, the core essence of Crusader has been both carefully rebuilt and expanded on.

Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition is coming to PC (Steam) on July 15, 2025.