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.

With the release of Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition almost upon us, Firefly Studios has saved the best for last, revealing their full post-launch release plan!

In addition to the usual fixes, improvements and balancing expected of an expanded RTS remaster like Crusader, Firefly is also planning two major updates coming later this year.

As a result the aforementioned Autumn and Winter Updates will both be released this year, alongside two separate paid DLCs.

Alongside community driven features coming at launch, which include new buildings and increased unit caps, Firefly’s post-release plan supplements those already confirmed. With 93% of players expressing an interest in Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition DLC, it was clear to the developer that post-launch content was something their community wanted, not exactly a surprise for their favorite game!

The free Autumn/Fall Update will feature a series-first economic campaign as well as a brand new CPU commander. Five missions will challenge players to complete a series of economic objectives, leaning heavily into the city builder gameplay mechanics of the castle builder series. The new computer-controlled commander can meanwhile be played as friend or foe, selectable in the game’s offline skirmish and online multiplayer modes as an opponent or ally. Last but not least, three new maps will also be added, one for skirmish, another in Free Build mode and a balanced multiplayer battlefield.

Following this content drop, the game’s free Winter Update will add perhaps the greatest player request so far... The ability to customise CPU opponents, castles and campaigns! Players will be able to create the rivals or allies of their dreams (or nightmares), design their defences and then place all of this into custom mission scenarios created by the community. If that wasn’t enough, the Winter Update continues this community-first trend with the addition of a second co-op campaign of missions. Was the 10 missions found in the first co-op trail not enough for you? Well, dare to brave the challenges of this new trail and you might just come out victorious. Once again a new map pack of three maps will be added to the overall pool, keeping things fresh for players after launch.

Releasing alongside these updates will be a pair of paid DLCs, which in Stronghold tradition will each introduce two new CPU opponents and a series of challenging missions known to fans as a ‘skirmish trail’. More will be revealed about these characters in due course, however today’s video may contain some clues for eagle eyed viewers. Either way you can expect a proper challenge, with some formidable new opponents mixing things up for series veterans.

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.