Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS), Simulator, Strategy
Stronghold: Warlords
The Return of the Jiangshi!
Compete in the resurrection of our time-limited Halloween survival challenge! Available now as a special mission, players must defend their castle from increasingly difficult waves of mythical AI invasions. This seasonal content will run until November 2nd at 10am GMT, after which time the mission will disappear... Meaning you’ll have to get your Jiangshi and Terracotta Warriors fix in Free Build mode, as selectable AI Invasions!
Inspired by tales from the crypt, Chinese folklore and history, our Warlords Halloween update is now live! Erect your defences and prepare for a supernatural slaughter, as you brave our terrifying special mission against the fearsome Jiangshi and Terracotta Warriors. Customise your castle and ready your army for magic and malice unseen since the days of Stronghold Legends!
The name of the game here is survival, as you're pitted against a relentless onslaught of castle invasions and foes that are almost certainly not of this world... Use Peace Time wisely as you outfit your defences for the days to come, with the knowledge that each foe is an opposite side of the same supernatural coin. A weakness to one could be a strength to the other. So experiment with fire, fury, steel (and diseased animal carcasses) as you pinpoint their vulnerabilities to hold back the hordes of undead!
Whatever you do, never underestimate a single Jiangshi. For although they may be isolated from the pack, they are ever as deadly...
Happy Halloween and Happy Jiangshi Hunting!
Stronghold: Warlords v1.11 Update - One final bonus update
Back in April we announced that, after over a year's worth of updates, development on Stronghold: Warlords was winding down and the v1.10 update would be our final update for Stronghold: Warlords. Since then, however, we have made a few further tweaks and fixes to the game which we have included in this bonus v1.11 update. We didn't feel that was quite enough for a final update though so we have also created one last Skirmish Trail and 2 new Skirmish maps for everyone to enjoy.
Thanks for coming with us on this journey, all your feedback has been taken on-board and will be used to create future Stronghold games. Our focus is now on the next Stronghold game and we hope to be able to share more information with you in the not too distant future. In the meantime we hope you continue to enjoy playing Stronghold: Warlords.
Mystic Valley - There's danger high and low, with only the South East player able to use Warlords to protect them against disgruntled neighbours.
Mountain View - Whoever takes up the centre estate will have a high point to defend, but expect a fierce battle if surrounded by foes.
Added New Skirmish Trail ‘The Trail of the Tormentor’
Added Support link to Title screen
Updated manuals
General Fixes
Quality of Life changes to contextual mouse feedback
General stability fixes
Fixes for AI not building castles correctly due to incorrect tile markers
Ranged units such as Archers now resume Patrol or Attack Move orders after stopping to do missile attacks vs. targets
Move+Attack and Patrol no longer reset the Defensive Position of the actor if he pauses to attack en route
The Lore of Stronghold - Season 2
A second season of videos now available on the Firefly Studios YouTube channel, The Lore of Stronghold 2 covers some of your favourite characters from the anticipated castle sim sequel!
Take heed and rejoice, for we bring glad tidings! Season 2 of the 'Lore of Stronghold', this time focusing on Stronghold 2, is here in full for your viewing pleasure. This new season covers the history behind Stronghold 2, our first 3D Stronghold featuring an all new cast of characters. Exploring our fictional narrative, we examine the lore that made Stronghold 2 a captivating place for series veterans, even without the original game's cast of now legendary characters.
From Sir William, a man who marched through hell on a quest for redemption and Matthew Steele, a boy who rose to weave his own tapestry of legend from nothing, to Lady Seren, a woman whose intensity of spirit and heart of steel would let nothing keep her from her goals. Stronghold 2 had an eclectic cast that we fondly remember today and will surely inspire us going forward.
When it first released in 2005, Stronghold 2's greater focus on cinematics and story driven gameplay went hand in hand with the technical progression of the series. This scope and ambition is inspiring today as we look back on where we've been and the road ahead. For now however join us as we look back on some of the most memorable Stronghold protagonists to grace our screens.
The Lore of Stronghold (Season 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIyU5TMaRbM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDzF6-VkObo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buj7JixeFtc
The Lore of Stronghold - Sir William
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIyU5TMaRbM
Season 2 of 'The Lore of Stronghold' is upon us! Join Firefly Studios veteran and series narrator Matt, as we delve into the privileged upbringing and tumultuous medieval adulthood of Stronghold 2 protagonist Sir William. The fan-favourite "Noble Lord" is in the lore spotlight this week, with a deep dive of William's tribulations and epic redemption, proving himself worthy of knighthood and understanding the price of true chivalry.
Stronghold 2 introduced a greater level of graphical fidelity to the Stronghold series, but also a larger focus on cinematics and story driven gameplay. The game itself and its 'Path of War' campaign was a much greater ask than the first Stronghold, with player choice and a greater persistence between missions. The scope and ambition here was fresh for the franchise and something that still inspires us today. So join us as we revisit beloved characters and the many other fine details that make up the DNA of the original 'castle sim'.
Be sure to subscribe to Firefly Studios on YouTube for more Stronghold lore videos, including the upcoming backstories of Matthew Steele and Lady Seren. If you missed it Season 1 of 'The Lore of Stronghold' is also now available, featuring everyone's favourite Rat, Snake, Pig and Wolf:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOV-nlgYeNs
The second half of our New Stronghold Community Q&A series is now live! Check it out via the link above courtesy of the Firefly Studios YouTube channel. For those of you who might have missed the first half, that’s also available for your viewing pleasure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7cyVfFVJKc
Given the recent blizzard of news and announcements we’ve been sharing about the future of Firefly, we thought this would be a great opportunity to sit down and answer your plentiful questions about our next entry in the legendary Stronghold series.
Despite there being certain questions that can’t be answered as thoroughly as we would like at this early stage in pre-production, we wanted to take a broader view of the game and discuss some of our current thinking around design, visual effects, mod support and more. Most importantly of all, you will be among the first to know whether the gossip concerning Nick’s budding voice acting career has any substance or what cow catapulting could look like in UE5. Click the link and find out…
With a strong foundation to build on and more time along the development process, we’re certain that your queries will be satisfied in this and future videos. So with that in mind please leave any new questions you may have about our latest Stronghold in the comments below and your question could find itself being featured in a future video!
New Stronghold! - Community Q&A (Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7cyVfFVJKc
Hark, a new Stronghold Community Q&A approaches! With our recent announcements, including but not limited to Firefly’s new office (!), game engine and acquisition by Devolver Digital, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to examine what all this means for the series going forward.
In this first half of a new two-part series, Stronghold veteran Nick and Sak Abdi, the newest member of our marketing team at Firefly, respond to your most pressing questions. These include everything from expectations for the series and our adoption of Unreal Engine 5, to what a new Stronghold game could look like and whether the rumours are true that Boris Johnson has been narrating our Stronghold Lore video series… The answers to these questions and more are but a click away!
While there are certain questions that, at this early stage, can’t be answered as thoroughly as we would like, this Q&A takes a fundamental look at what fans can expect from Firefly from narrative, technical and artistic points of view. Watch to find out how these decisions have been shaped by our shared past experiences, as well as your valuable feedback via the Stronghold Player Survey and social media channels.
Given more time and development, we hope to further flesh out what the future holds for Stronghold and answer any questions you may have. So if there’s something we missed in today’s video let us know! Leave any lingering questions you may have about the direction of the series in the comments below and they could be featured future videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBTyVgTS3Nk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8IEZyeK-8U
Discover what the future holds for Stronghold and Firefly Studios as a whole with two recent videos, linked above and available on the Firefly YouTube Channel. Join us as we cover a number of developments that will positively impact the way we develop and release our games going forward.
Firefly is undergoing an epic period of change, with everything from a physical office relocation and new game engines, to fresh updates on the future of Stronghold and a brand new game in the works. For full details please watch both of the above videos, where Nick explores the reasoning behind these developments and what it will mean for our developers and players.
With time comes progression, especially in such a rapidly-growing industry, but one thing that will remain constant is our commitment to making the best possible experiences for our players, new and old. By investing in infrastructure and technology, we feel the next chapter of Firefly is an exciting one and we can’t wait for you to see what comes next!
Accompanying this technical shake-up is an organisational one, as you may have heard already Firefly Studios has been acquired by Devolver Digital! A world-renowned game publisher and friend of Firefly, Devolver acquired the studio in 2021 and has been supporting us ever since. With their background in championing innovative videogames and our shared history, Devolver was the ideal parent company for our studio and yet another reason we're looking ahead to a promising future.
With big things on the horizon, fans of the Stronghold series will have plenty to look forward to. As always, stay tuned for more information about the Stronghold series and Firefly Studios.
The Future of Firefly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBTyVgTS3Nk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8IEZyeK-8U
Discover what the future holds for Stronghold and Firefly Studios as a whole with two recent videos, linked above and available on the Firefly YouTube Channel. Join us as we cover a number of developments that will positively impact the way we develop and release our games going forward.
Firefly is undergoing an epic period of change, with everything from a physical office relocation and new game engines, to fresh updates on the future of Stronghold and a brand new entry in the works. For full details please watch both of the above videos, where Nick explores the reasoning behind these developments and what it will mean for our developers and players.
With time comes progression, especially in such a rapidly-growing industry, but one thing that will remain constant is our commitment to making the best possible experiences for our players, new and old. By investing in infrastructure and technology, we feel the next chapter of Firefly is an exciting one and we can’t wait for you to see what comes next!
Accompanying this technical shake-up is an organisational one, as you may have heard already Firefly Studios has been acquired by Devolver Digital! A world-renowned game publisher and friend of Firefly, Devolver acquired the studio in 2021 and has been supporting us ever since. With their background in championing innovative videogames and our shared history, Devolver was the ideal parent company for our studio and yet another reason we're looking ahead to a promising future.
With big things on the horizon, fans of the Stronghold series will have plenty to look forward to. As always, stay tuned for more information about the Stronghold series and Firefly Studios.
Fixed a crash that could occur when destroying Fear Factor buildings after knocking back their assigned workers
Ultimate Edition Now Available
[previewyoutube="NdnGUnEmj4o;full"] Today we are pleased to announce the release of Stronghold: Warlords Ultimate Edition! Combining the latest version of the game, 10 post-release updates, 4 DLCs and all Special Edition content, Warlords' Ultimate Edition is the complete package for Stronghold players looking for the most missions, maps and medieval goodness.
Packaging the base game with every DLC and free update, released as part of Warlords' post-launch roadmap, the Ultimate Edition has it all. Enjoy a whopping 9 historical campaigns, 20 warlords, 8 AI opponents, 28 skirmish maps, 18 units, 10 siege weapons and 45 extra missions set across 3 skirmish trails. This is in addition to other free content added since launch such as Extreme Difficulty mode, custom AI invasions in Free Build, increased troop limits and more!
The Ultimate Edition also comes packed with all Special Edition content, which includes a feature length making of documentary, orchestral soundtrack from series composer Robert L. Euvino, a digital art book and bonus copy of Stronghold HD.
Today's release represents the end of Warlords' post-launch roadmap and our current plans for the game. We've thoroughly enjoyed exploring the rich and varied history of East Asia over the past four years and can't wait to reveal what comes next. For all that and more stay tuned to Firefly Studios' YouTube, where we'll be providing development updates, early previews, reveals and Q&As as the future of the Stronghold series takes form.
