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 keeping this momentum going by revealing some of the details of new gameplay content that fans can look forward to in the weeks to come.

The first major ‘Autumn’ update will arrive in two parts -  a free content update as well as an optional paid DLC. The free content will introduce The Crocodile, a brand new computer-controlled opponent with his own tactics, castle design, army and of course, snappy personality!

The wizened lord of the marshes, The Crocodile is a bitter cruel fellow, driven beyond sanity by envy of his rival lords. Players will encounter The Crocodile across a new five mission economic campaign, in addition to being playable in skirmish mode (and in case you’re wondering - yes, the game has actual crocodiles, too.) While there will be some degree of combat to contend with in the economic campaigns, the ultimate goal and thus victory will be decided by mastery of the game’s various economic industries and castle-life mechanics.

The free component of the Autumn Update will be capped off by the inclusion of three new maps, one for Skirmish, Freebuild and Multiplayer.

The paid DLC will feature two new CPU commanders in the form of The Canary and The Trader, and a new 9 mission ‘Sands of Time’ skirmish trail - complete with target completion times and leaderboards. Players can expect military scenarios will test their strategic prowess and skills of siegecraft, as they wage war against these new tricky CPU characters. More about these new adversaries and their attributes will be revealed in due time!

After Stronghold Crusader: DE’s fantastic launch, Firefly is highly determined to keep pushing further, through the likes of additional content updates and gameplay improvements, to truly make this definitive edition the completely elevated tribute of a strategy classic.

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 available for PC (Steam).