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.

Firefly Studios is thrilled to dive into some of the most highly requested gameplay additions from players for this expanded remaster - brand new units and AI characters! Just as a warrior is only as capable as their weapon, an RTS is only as masterful as its troops and its enemies.

8 New Units We’re Adding to Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition

“Bringing the new units to life in Crusader: DE was both a challenge and a blast. With most of the original assets missing, everything had to be rebuilt from the foundations,” said Darrin Horbal, Senior Graphic Designer. “This gave me the chance to refine the animations and push for smoother movement, clearer silhouettes, and stronger visual storytelling. The Heavy Camel was especially fun (and tricky), but there’s nothing more satisfying than watching these characters charge across the battlefield, fully animated and game-ready.”

Units are the foundation of any good RTS combat system, being the building blocks for your ultimate military force. On top of the original troop types present in the first game, Crusader: DE aims to offer players an entirely new arsenal of warriors, each equipped with specialised gear for every challenge in the long march to victory. These new units were carefully based on the weapons and strategies of the historical Bedouin Arab tribes that have been present in the Middle East as early as 6000 BCE.

“With new missions comes new challenges, and new challenges demand new solutions. Enter the Bedouin tribe units – several thousand years of desert-hardened tactics and ruthlessly efficient tools.”

Bedouin societies are masters at surviving in the unforgiving desert environment, making highly resourceful use of the items and raw materials at their disposal. The development of these units was driven by the aim of creating the level of strategic depth that players have come to expect of the Stronghold series. From the skilled Sappers that are adept at demolishing structures and the pyromaniac Ambushers that drown their enemies in righteous fire, to the brutish, burly Eunuchs dual wielding scimitars and the life-saving medical wisdom of the Healers, players’ only limit would be their own crafty imagination.

The New Characters of Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition

Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition not only elevates the original content that players loved but will bolster the whole package with entirely fresh mission scenarios, units and, of course, AI characters.

These four new characters serve as opponents for players to fully test their strategic depth against and bring the total of characters in Crusader DE to a whopping 20 (!) Lords. Each of these new lords has been designed to embody a unique tactical and cultural aspect of the ancient world:

The Kahin is a cold and ruthless priestess of a desert sect. Her mission is to preserve the sanctity of the desert and to kill all those that violate it. As a Bedouin-based AI with a balanced playstyle revolving around Eunuchs and Heavy Camels, she ranks medium on the difficulty scale.

The Sentinel is a stalwart titan of the Templar Order, a creature so bred for battle that he’s never been seen without his helmet. He employs a deadly cocktail of units including the crippling crossbowmen, marauding macemen and the brand new Demolishers. Being harder to counter than other AI opponents, he ranks medium-to-high difficulty wise.

“We know that the [original] AI opponents have lived long in players’ memories, so whilst we’re polishing them for a new release, we’re making sure not to disrupt the tried-and-true formula.”

Then there’s the Nomad, a confident Bedouin warrior whose protection spreads to whatever land he calls his home. Taking after his wandering lifestyle, he utilises Light Camels and Skirmishers to rush his opponents and catch them off guard. A good opponent for those who are looking for a rapid and relentless skirmish match, he ranks lower on the difficulty scale.

Last but not least is the Jewel, kin of long-standing Stronghold character Sir Longarm and a character who first appeared in Stronghold: Definitive Edition. A veritable force of nature in her own right, she bulldozes enemies using legions of tanky knights and swordsmen, only preferring to move out after amassing sufficient forces. As such, she sits high on the difficulty scale – a true challenge for anyone brave enough to face her.

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.