To coincide with the launch of our first Stronghold Crusader 2 DLC later today, we have just released a free update for all players adding a new map pack and improved enemy AI. Dive into new Custom Skirmish and Multiplayer experiences on a set of four challenging maps, each testing of your experience and prowess on the battlefield. Do battle with your friends online or go up against improved enemy Lords, updated with more effective AI when attacking or defending against the player.

Full Change Log

Please Note: Today’s ‘Blow the Horn, Bang the Drum’ update is independent of ‘The Princess and The Pig’ DLC and should download automatically once you open Steam.

What’s Next?

We have our second free content update of 2015 planned for release in two weeks on April 1st. This new update will add sandbox invasions to the game’s Freebuild mode, allow the player to choose between Crusader and Arabic factions in Skirmish Trail missions and more. We hope you enjoy today’s update and look forward to the next! There is still much to come for Stronghold Crusader 2.

To coincide with the launch of our first Stronghold Crusader 2 DLC later today, we have just released a free update for all players adding a new map pack and improved enemy AI. Dive into new Custom Skirmish and Multiplayer experiences on a set of four challenging maps, each testing of your experience and prowess on the battlefield. Do battle with your friends online or go up against improved enemy Lords, updated with more effective AI when attacking or defending against the player.

Full Change Log

Please Note: Today’s ‘Blow the Horn, Bang the Drum’ update is independent of ‘The Princess and The Pig’ DLC and should download automatically once you open Steam.

What’s Next?

We have our second free content update of 2015 planned for release in two weeks on April 1st. This new update will add sandbox invasions to the game’s Freebuild mode, allow the player to choose between Crusader and Arabic factions in Skirmish Trail missions and more. We hope you enjoy today’s update and look forward to the next! There is still much to come for Stronghold Crusader 2.

We can now reveal two important dates and new features coming to Stronghold Crusader 2! Get ready for 'The Princess & The Pig' DLC on March 20th and receive a free map pack as part of our ‘Blow the Horn, Bang the Drum’ update on the same day. That's not all... We also plan to release sandbox invasions, new Freebuild maps and more on April 2nd!

March 20th - The Princess & The Pig DLC

Blow the horn, bang the drum, The Pig is coming to town! Coming next week on March 20th, 'The Princess & The Pig' resurrects a central antagonist from Stronghold in a brand new Crusader Trail, while also introducing a completely new character in the form of the noble Princess. The first piece of downloadable content available for Crusader 2, 'The Princess & The Pig' adds seven missions, two AI opponents, 10 achievements and new castle designs unique to the new Lords. It will be available next week on Steam for £3.99, $5.99 or €4.99.

March 20th - ‘Blow the Horn, Bang the Drum’ Update

To celebrate the release of 'The Princess & The Pig' DLC we will also be updating Crusader 2 with a new map pack. This update, which we have dubbed ‘Blow the Horn, Bang the Drum’ in honour of our new AI Lords, will add four new maps to the game. These maps will be available to all players in Custom Skirmish and Multiplayer modes, automatically downloaded via Steam when the update goes live on March 20th.

April 2nd – Freebuild Invasions

Two weeks after the release of ‘Blow the Horn, Bang the Drum’ we will follow up with another free update, available on April 2nd. This time we will add invasions to the game’s Freebuild sandbox mode, the ability to choose your preferred faction in Skirmish Trails and a second map pack featuring both Skirmish and Freebuild maps!

We also have new screenshots and extra about some of the new maps in the news post: Official News Post

Hope you like the new content!

We can now reveal two important dates and new features coming to Stronghold Crusader 2! Get ready for 'The Princess & The Pig' DLC on March 20th and receive a free map pack as part of our ‘Blow the Horn, Bang the Drum’ update on the same day. That's not all... We also plan to release sandbox invasions, new Freebuild maps and more on April 2nd!

March 20th - The Princess & The Pig DLC

Blow the horn, bang the drum, The Pig is coming to town! Coming next week on March 20th, 'The Princess & The Pig' resurrects a central antagonist from Stronghold in a brand new Crusader Trail, while also introducing a completely new character in the form of the noble Princess. The first piece of downloadable content available for Crusader 2, 'The Princess & The Pig' adds seven missions, two AI opponents, 10 achievements and new castle designs unique to the new Lords. It will be available next week on Steam for £3.99, $5.99 or €4.99.

March 20th - ‘Blow the Horn, Bang the Drum’ Update

To celebrate the release of 'The Princess & The Pig' DLC we will also be updating Crusader 2 with a new map pack. This update, which we have dubbed ‘Blow the Horn, Bang the Drum’ in honour of our new AI Lords, will add four new maps to the game. These maps will be available to all players in Custom Skirmish and Multiplayer modes, automatically downloaded via Steam when the update goes live on March 20th.

April 2nd – Freebuild Invasions

Two weeks after the release of ‘Blow the Horn, Bang the Drum’ we will follow up with another free update, available on April 2nd. This time we will add invasions to the game’s Freebuild sandbox mode, the ability to choose your preferred faction in Skirmish Trails and a second map pack featuring both Skirmish and Freebuild maps!

We also have new screenshots and extra about some of the new maps in the news post: Official News Post

Hope you like the new content!

As an early Christmas present for the Stronghold Crusader 2 community we have just released a new update (Version: 1.0.20143). This update, which adds a key feature players have been asking for since launch, introduces a custom Stock Bar and extra options for the in-game camera and windowed mode.

New Features

• Added a new customisable Stock Bar which displays all resources, food and weapons in the top left corner while playing the game. This allows players to easily keep track of their stocks without having to look in the Stockpile, Granary or Armoury.
  
• Implemented options for inverting camera rotation.
  
• Implemented an option for locking the cursor to the window when in windowed mode.

Stronghold Kingdoms players should also pay attention to this new update, which allows them to enter their Crusader 2 name as “SHK” in order to receive a redeemable Kingdoms code! This only works if your in-game language is set to English, so please check this before changing your name.

P.S. Happy Christmas to all you Crusaders! Thanks so much for your support this year and please look forward to more free updates and DLC coming in 2015.

Please Note: The above version number (1.0.20143) should appear at the bottom of the main Crusader 2 title screen, as proof that you have successfully updated to the new version. If the version numbers do not match up please exit the game and restart Steam until they do, as this will force the update.

As an early Christmas present for the Stronghold Crusader 2 community we have just released a new update (Version: 1.0.20143). This update, which adds a key feature players have been asking for since launch, introduces a custom Stock Bar and extra options for the in-game camera and windowed mode.

New Features

• Added a new customisable Stock Bar which displays all resources, food and weapons in the top left corner while playing the game. This allows players to easily keep track of their stocks without having to look in the Stockpile, Granary or Armoury.
  
• Implemented options for inverting camera rotation.
  
• Implemented an option for locking the cursor to the window when in windowed mode.

Stronghold Kingdoms players should also pay attention to this new update, which allows them to enter their Crusader 2 name as “SHK” in order to receive a redeemable Kingdoms code! This only works if your in-game language is set to English, so please check this before changing your name.

P.S. Happy Christmas to all you Crusaders! Thanks so much for your support this year and please look forward to more free updates and DLC coming in 2015.

Please Note: The above version number (1.0.20143) should appear at the bottom of the main Crusader 2 title screen, as proof that you have successfully updated to the new version. If the version numbers do not match up please exit the game and restart Steam until they do, as this will force the update.

We are happy to announce that the Winter Update for Stronghold Crusader 2 is now live on Steam! Today’s release (Version 1.0.19990) adds full Steam Workshop support, six new skirmish maps voted for by players and advanced multiplayer features including Strong Walls and Double Health Walls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHrpqR-LpiY

Steam Workshop

• Upload and share maps through Steam.
• Download and play user-created maps and missions.
• Vote, subscribe and comment on maps.
• Publish direct to Steam Workshop from the Map Editor.

Classic Map Pack

• The River
• North Vs South
• A Friend Indeed
• Great Euphrates
• Green Belt
• The Ford Across The River

Available on the Steam Workshop Page

New Multiplayer Advanced Options

• Strong Walls
• Double Strength Walls
• Trade Restrictions
• No Trebuchets
• No Assassins
• No Traps
• No Engine Towers
• No Fire

Additions

• Waterfalls added to the Map Editor.
• Steam Group Chat button added to the Multiplayer lobby.
• Multithreaded pathfinding improvements.
• Optimisation for formation movement code.
• Increased range at which Siege Camps can be placed near enemy units and buildings.

As our first expansion-style update for Stronghold Crusader 2, we hope the Winter Update conveys our commitment to the game post-release and into 2015. Players can now log into Steam, automatically download the latest version and gain access to six new skirmish maps by visiting the Crusader 2 Steam Workshop page. In addition to Steam Workshop support and the Classic Map Pack, we have also added several advanced Multiplayer features requested by players. These Multiplayer options are designed to allow Crusader Lords and Ladies to tailor their experience of the game by turning off certain units, gameplay features and even change the way walls can be damaged by other players.

Please enjoy the new update and look forward to more content and DLC next year!

Note - The above version number should now appear at the bottom of the main Crusader 2 title screen. If the version numbers do not match up please exit the game and restart your Steam client, doing so until you force the new update to download. All maps included in the Classic Map Pack must be downloaded via the Crusader 2 Steam Workshop page. This can be accessed via the Steam client or by logging into the Steam Store through a web browser.

We are happy to announce that the Winter Update for Stronghold Crusader 2 is now live on Steam! Today’s release (Version 1.0.19990) adds full Steam Workshop support, six new skirmish maps voted for by players and advanced multiplayer features including Strong Walls and Double Health Walls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHrpqR-LpiY

Steam Workshop

• Upload and share maps through Steam.
• Download and play user-created maps and missions.
• Vote, subscribe and comment on maps.
• Publish direct to Steam Workshop from the Map Editor.

Classic Map Pack

• The River
• North Vs South
• A Friend Indeed
• Great Euphrates
• Green Belt
• The Ford Across The River

Available on the Steam Workshop Page

New Multiplayer Advanced Options

• Strong Walls
• Double Strength Walls
• Trade Restrictions
• No Trebuchets
• No Assassins
• No Traps
• No Engine Towers
• No Fire

Additions

• Waterfalls added to the Map Editor.
• Steam Group Chat button added to the Multiplayer lobby.
• Multithreaded pathfinding improvements.
• Optimisation for formation movement code.
• Increased range at which Siege Camps can be placed near enemy units and buildings.

As our first expansion-style update for Stronghold Crusader 2, we hope the Winter Update conveys our commitment to the game post-release and into 2015. Players can now log into Steam, automatically download the latest version and gain access to six new skirmish maps by visiting the Crusader 2 Steam Workshop page. In addition to Steam Workshop support and the Classic Map Pack, we have also added several advanced Multiplayer features requested by players. These Multiplayer options are designed to allow Crusader Lords and Ladies to tailor their experience of the game by turning off certain units, gameplay features and even change the way walls can be damaged by other players.

Please enjoy the new update and look forward to more content and DLC next year!

Note - The above version number should now appear at the bottom of the main Crusader 2 title screen. If the version numbers do not match up please exit the game and restart your Steam client, doing so until you force the new update to download. All maps included in the Classic Map Pack must be downloaded via the Crusader 2 Steam Workshop page. This can be accessed via the Steam client or by logging into the Steam Store through a web browser.

On December 9th we plan to release a special Winter Update for Stronghold Crusader 2. Our first free expansion-style update for the game introduces full Steam Workshop support, six classic Crusader maps lovingly recreated by our designers and advanced Multiplayer options such as Strong Walls! Our biggest upgrade to the game since launch, the Crusader 2 Winter Update was designed from the ground up with the Stronghold community in mind.

Steam Workshop

The headline feature in our December update, Steam Workshop provides you with the official means to share and rate custom maps. Uploading a map or mission designed to test the mettle of your fellow lords is easy. Simply publish direct to Steam Workshop using automatic tags to sort your map by size and type, with custom tags available should you wish to go into more detail about your creation.

Don’t use the Map Editor? Then think of Steam Workshop as a treasure trove of custom maps, missions, historical castles and fantasy replicas just waiting to be downloaded. Never again will you have to trawl the internet for an accurate recreation of Minas Tirith or the Siege of Jerusalem. Using Steam Workshop you can get up and running in minutes, playing your chosen map in-game after just a few clicks. Load it up in Skirmish Mode, Free Build or go online and use the lay of the land to your advantage against friends in a Multiplayer death match!

Classic Crusader Map Pack

Available the minute our new update goes live, these six maps will be downloadable direct from the Crusader 2 Steam Workshop page. Voted for by players over the course of development, it was your Tweets, forum posts and Facebook comments that helped us settle on six of the most popular maps from the original Stronghold Crusader.

Recreated in 3D for the first time, the new maps are completely free for existing players and include such favourites as North vs South and A Friend Indeed, the latter of which can be seen in the images below. We can’t thank you enough for helping us decide which maps to include. Have a favourite map of your own? Why not try your hand at creating it in the Map Editor and publish your masterpiece to our Steam Workshop page on December 9th for the world to see!

New Screenshots: A Friend Indeed

Advanced Multiplayer Options

Since launch players have filled the Crusader 2 forums with requests for advanced Multiplayer options. In response the team has spent the past few weeks noting down, coding, testing and balancing these features in preparation for the Winter Update. Many new options will be included to help tailor your Crusader experience, tweaking settings to feel more like the original game or changing things up with the newer options at your disposal. To name but a few, we are adding the option to turn on Strong Walls, Double Health Walls, enable a ‘No Fire’ mode and add restrictions to the trade of resources, food or weapons. You can expect more features to be revealed when the update goes live.

We hope you enjoyed our Friday info blast! Please enjoy the above new screenshots and make sure you try out the Winter Update on December 9th. This is a huge step forward for the game and the Crusader team is looking forward to more updates and DLC drops like it in the future.

On December 9th we plan to release a special Winter Update for Stronghold Crusader 2. Our first free expansion-style update for the game introduces full Steam Workshop support, six classic Crusader maps lovingly recreated by our designers and advanced Multiplayer options such as Strong Walls! Our biggest upgrade to the game since launch, the Crusader 2 Winter Update was designed from the ground up with the Stronghold community in mind.

Steam Workshop

The headline feature in our December update, Steam Workshop provides you with the official means to share and rate custom maps. Uploading a map or mission designed to test the mettle of your fellow lords is easy. Simply publish direct to Steam Workshop using automatic tags to sort your map by size and type, with custom tags available should you wish to go into more detail about your creation.

Don’t use the Map Editor? Then think of Steam Workshop as a treasure trove of custom maps, missions, historical castles and fantasy replicas just waiting to be downloaded. Never again will you have to trawl the internet for an accurate recreation of Minas Tirith or the Siege of Jerusalem. Using Steam Workshop you can get up and running in minutes, playing your chosen map in-game after just a few clicks. Load it up in Skirmish Mode, Free Build or go online and use the lay of the land to your advantage against friends in a Multiplayer death match!

Classic Crusader Map Pack

Available the minute our new update goes live, these six maps will be downloadable direct from the Crusader 2 Steam Workshop page. Voted for by players over the course of development, it was your Tweets, forum posts and Facebook comments that helped us settle on six of the most popular maps from the original Stronghold Crusader.

Recreated in 3D for the first time, the new maps are completely free for existing players and include such favourites as North vs South and A Friend Indeed, the latter of which can be seen in the images below. We can’t thank you enough for helping us decide which maps to include. Have a favourite map of your own? Why not try your hand at creating it in the Map Editor and publish your masterpiece to our Steam Workshop page on December 9th for the world to see!

New Screenshots: A Friend Indeed

Advanced Multiplayer Options

Since launch players have filled the Crusader 2 forums with requests for advanced Multiplayer options. In response the team has spent the past few weeks noting down, coding, testing and balancing these features in preparation for the Winter Update. Many new options will be included to help tailor your Crusader experience, tweaking settings to feel more like the original game or changing things up with the newer options at your disposal. To name but a few, we are adding the option to turn on Strong Walls, Double Health Walls, enable a ‘No Fire’ mode and add restrictions to the trade of resources, food or weapons. You can expect more features to be revealed when the update goes live.

We hope you enjoyed our Friday info blast! Please enjoy the above new screenshots and make sure you try out the Winter Update on December 9th. This is a huge step forward for the game and the Crusader team is looking forward to more updates and DLC drops like it in the future.