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.

A new series of videos now available on the Firefly Studios YouTube channel, The Lore of Stronghold covers your favourite characters from the original castle sim and its sequels!



Revisiting our core narrative to piece together key events and flesh out these beloved figures, this new series offers Stronghold veterans a deep dive into the history of our central cast. Over the years these larger than life figures have shaped the narrative of our castle sim and we're excited to explore four of them in our first season of this new video series.



Through the deeds and dealings of series staples, starting with the original Stronghold, we examine the lore that forms the basis of our overarching story. Memorable characters are what make these games a captivating setting for castle building and besieging, so join us as we immerse ourselves in the Stronghold universe!



From The Rat, a detestable man as inept as he is infuriating, and The Snake, a cold-blooded conniver hiding behind a literal wall of gems and jewels, all the way to The Pig, a cruel man with a similarly cruel past who brute-forces his way from gutter to Dukedom and The Wolf, the most malicious Lord in Stronghold, your ultimate adversary as a player and mysterious invader of England.



Using a combination of the original game scripts, Stronghold gameplay, concept art and historical reenactments, we chronicle the interconnected events that lay the foundation for the heroes and villains of the series. With full cinematic summaries for players who have never played a Stronghold title in their life and never-before-seen details for those of you looking to start your umpteenth playthrough, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in Season 1 of The Lore of Stronghold!

The Lore of Stronghold (Season 1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq4oDwUTJBU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ8MeYKzcH8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPZ-x_5gpL8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MDf3CoLlGc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCA81WbtsiM
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears! Today we proudly announce that Romans: Age of Caesar is out now and free to play on Steam!

A brand new co-op city builder from a team of veteran Caesar developers, Romans: Age of Caesar is the latest historical strategy game from our team here at Firefly Studios. Players must rebuild the once great empire as they share resources, re-establish trade routes and protect their cities from barbarian invasion. Experience classic city builder gameplay across a sprawling online empire as you build, trade and fight alongside fellow players in a shared open world. Revive the republic and restore the Roman Empire to its former glory!



In our last Romans video we discussed what made the empire such a compelling setting for videogames and entertainment in the centuries following its collapse. To further discuss exactly what makes this setting and our new historical MMORTS special, we have none other than Firefly Studios co-founder Simon Bradbury, creator of Stronghold and former designer on the Caesar series!

Assembling each ancient city state from its early foundations into a flourishing beacon of civilization will be a puzzle to solve. From its architectural layout and strategic defences to your economic establishments and cultural backbone, it takes serious effort to rebuild Rome... Which is why you’ll be doing it alongside 15 other Governors! Pool responsibilities and resources to advance your shared city and then expand your influence over thousands of other players across the empire.



This cooperative gameplay extends to the wider region, with countless other player cities led by their own ruling Governors. This can take the form of negotiating trading routes, exchanging supplies, developing new goods, combating barbarian hordes and extending the frontiers. Eventually with a network of cities established you will form a new Roman Empire, a commonwealth of a size and scope the world has never witnessed!



Within this network of factions vying for supremacy there is the grand Roman Senate, a political endgame that will decimate all but the most shrewd power brokers. The road will be long, but the rewards are more than plentiful for those deemed worthy of them. Be crowned as Caesar himself and have your name echoed throughout the ages.

Nevertheless talking can only do so much and it didn't work out too well for Caesar... So why not explore our new, expanded empire map for yourself by playing Romans: Age of Caesar now on Steam!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/872570/Romans_Age_of_Caesar/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5lU75Kc_F4
As we approach the Steam launch of our upcoming online co-op city builder Romans: Age of Caesar on April 27th, we wanted to discuss ancient Rome and its collective hold on us as developers. Through its influence across law, architecture, trade, military tactics, art and craftsmanship, Rome well and truly has its hold on us here at Firefly as we approach release.



Today we're incredibly excited to talk about why the Eternal City and the empire that blossomed from its industrious seed came to be the setting for our latest and most ambitious online game yet. Gaming is unique in its capacity to allows players to actively engage with historical settings, making your experience far more personal as a result of being active participants, instead of just passive observers. With Romans: Age of Caesar we can't wait to see how players' political ambitions, city builder expertise and tactical military might plays out across our constantly growing empire map.



While every genre chooses different dimensions of this great civilization to examine, in Romans we’re particularly interested in bringing to life architectural, economic and political planning needed to transform a city on the southern Italian peninsula into an continent-spanning empire that lasted for centuries through natural disasters, civil wars, barbarian invasions and power-hungry tyrants.



So join us as we examine the many advances in our ability to recreate ancient Rome, in everything from music and design to visual art and gameplay. Then prepare for our latest release, which promises to build upon the classic city-building heritage that Firefly Studios is known for in an entirely new online world.

Stay tuned for more upcoming information about Romans, the Stronghold series and future of Firefly Studios. For now we can’t wait for you to get your hands on Romans: Age of Caesar for free on Steam on April 27th!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/872570/Romans_Age_of_Caesar/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRNspYlaZu0

It brings us great pleasure to announce that we have just launched our open beta for Romans: Age of Caesar! With Romans' first gameplay trailer also being released, its full speed ahead for our new co-op strategy MMO as we begin the march toward a full Steam launch in 2022.



From the minds of former Impressions Games developers Simon Bradbury, Eric Ouellette and Darrin Horbal comes Romans: Age of Caesar, the latest historical strategy game from the folks here at Firefly Studios. Romans sees city states of up to 16 players rebuilding the empire as they share resources, re-establish trade routes and protect allied cities from barbarian invasion. Classic city builder gameplay is taken online across the Roman Empire as players build, trade and fight alongside fellow would-be senators in a shared open world.



Featuring 16 players per city and thousands more active across the empire, players must cooperate in order to rebuild Rome. Beyond their district lies an expansive empire map, where you can build new settlements, discover resources and team up with otherwise rival city states. Sharpen those legions and engage in tactical combat to push back barbarian frontiers in PvE or engage in political warfare, forging alliances to claim glory in epic PvP battles. Battle or build alongside fellow players, defeating common threats and building the prosperity of each shared city.



While the ultimate goal is to be crowned Caesar, players must first work their way up through the senate before reaching the political endgame. Earning the confidence of their political allies and either rising with them through the chambers or betraying them at the opportune moment. Manoeuvre between different loyalties, positions and gods, to remain politically nimble and succeed in the final quest for power. Dare to become emperor and have your name known across the empire.



Scheduled for release on Steam in 2022, Romans: Age of Caesar is now in open beta, with players able to sign up and play the game for free via the official website. Those waiting for the full Steam launch next year can also wishlist the game via the link below.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/872570/Romans_Age_of_Caesar/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWki5r4ohZs
We have now released version 1.4 of Stronghold: Warlords on Steam! The Skirmish Trail Update introduces Warlords' first ‘skirmish trail’, a series of challenging missions with unique conditions to overcome and achieve victory. Other features added in the update include a new mounted soldier, two additional AI warlords, the return of a popular building for healing units and two extra multiplayer maps.



A classic mode introduced in the original Stronghold: Crusader, skirmish trails invite experienced players to display their mastery over Stronghold’s economic gameplay and RTS combat. Each trail mission pits player lords against a unique combination of AI opponents, recruitable warlords, resources, starting goods and teammates across a combination of new and existing maps. Choosing between ‘Standard’ and ‘Challenging’ difficulties, the classic ‘Chicken’ feature can also be used to skip missions players find too difficult.



The mounted Samurai Lancer marks Warlords’ first post-release unit, boosting the game’s launch roster of 16 soldiers and 10 siege weapons. With the ability to buff attack damage for all nearby mounted allies, the Samurai Lancer is a powerful new Japanese unit type. Armed with a piercing lance and clad in samurai armour, the Lancers are based on the Onna-musha female warriors of pre-modern Japan. Highly-skilled horsewomen as fast as Auxiliary Cavalry, but with an attacking strength comparable to their Imperial brethren, the Samurai Lancer provides support for other mounted units while also packing a punch of their own.



A common request pre-release and one built into Warlords’ content roadmap from an early stage, the ability to heal units is now available in the new Field Hospital structure. A unique building that can be placed by any Beetle Warlord under your control, the Field Hospital heals all allied troops standing within its area of effect. Upgrading the Beetle Warlord will also increase the amount of healing given to troops over time, making this Edict even more effective at protecting defensive troops or those stationed in preparation for a siege.



The Beetle and Bear Warlords are the first of several new warlords being added to the game in 2021. In addition to the aforementioned Field Hospital, the Beetle Warlord is a master of defence, giving players access to cheaper castle traps and shipments of armour. The Bear Warlord meanwhile is all about strength in numbers, improving the buff radius of Imperial Bannermen and making Imperial troops more affordable. The Bear is also effective for feeding your population and can even launch siege attacks of his own!



Finally both the Ascendance and Guarded Crossings maps are now available for use in skirmish mode and online multiplayer. Ascendance is a large four player map that proves some lords are more equal than others, giving each a chance to secure the high ground and claim victory. Meanwhile Guarded Crossings sees the northern player benefit from a large build area, but without access to the valuable warlords their rivals will be hotly contesting.



While the release of the Skirmish Trail Update and version 1.4 brings us to the end of our initial spring/summer content roadmap, rest assured more updates are on the way! This will begin with the reveal of our summer/autumn roadmap, with full details on that arriving next month. So if you're hungry for more Stronghold: Warlords content be sure to keep an eye on our official Discord server and YouTube channel for the latest updates.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru6Qe76T3kE
We have just released our first post-launch Stronghold community Q&A, covering both Stronghold: Warlords and other past, present and future titles in the series. Today Nick runs a gauntlet of both our most common post-release questions and a series of dastardly challenges, posed by resident Firefly Videographer and celebrity chef Aaron Hayden. So if you've ever wanted to see us inhale a bowl of spicy noodles, draw fellow Firefly staff or impersonate classic Stronghold characters then boy we do have the video for you! As always please enjoy watching us embarrass ourselves while simultaneously answering your questions about the future of Firefly, Warlords and the Stronghold series.



Got a question not featured in today's post-release Q&A? Worry not! We've taken the liberty of including all other community questions (to which we currently have answers) in the video's description, to ensure no voice goes unheard. If you have further questions having watched today's video then please head over to the official Stronghold Discord, where developers and fellow players will be happy to discuss the series. You can also sign up to the Firefly Studios newsletter for the latest Stronghold news and inclusion in other initiatives such as player surveys, giveaways and beta invites.



We hope you enjoy this new Q&A as we look forward to the future of the Stronghold series. With version 1.3 releasing on Tuesday May 18th, adding new maps and improvements to the game, we're just getting started with Stronghold: Warlords. New AI, units, warlords, game features, single and multiplayer content are planned for introduction in a series of free updates in 2021 along with new DLC, starting with next week's 'The Art of War Campaign' which adds six missions and two new warlords to the base game.

Please stay tuned for updates to our content roadmap for Stronghold: Warlords in 2021, as well as updates on the Stronghold series as a whole. Thanks for playing!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuvPMZGYt0I
Today Stronghold: Warlords gets its first major content release with the Sun Tzu v1.2 Update! Adding requested features such as a new AI opponent, AI invasions in Free Build mode, a new Free Build map, general fixes and AI improvements, this update is now available to all players.



The introduction of new AI is something we're excited about and we're kicking things off with none other than Sun Tzu. The master tactician was an easy choice for us post-launch and, coupled with recent improvements to the AI, one we're excited to put in the hands of players. Initial testing puts Sun Tzu at the higher end of the difficulty scale, particularly when combined with the newer Extreme difficulty option and other tweaks possible in skirmish mode. So when going up against this fiendish AI remember to move fast and seize control of the battlefield!



The AI focus continues this week with the much anticipated post-release addition of AI invasions in Free Build mode. Allowing players to launch enemy invasions of different shapes and sizes, as well as the difficulty of these attacks and other parameters, invasions open up Free Build mode to the more combat minded players out there. Now not only can you build to your heart's content in Free Build mode, but also use this time to prepare for war! Balance castle cosmetics with real world tactical considerations and crown yourself as the ultimate castle designer.



Today's new content update also brings the total number of maps in Warlords to 15 across Skirmish, Multiplayer and Free Build, with a further 300 user-created maps also available via Steam Workshop. In the past few weeks Warlords has gained a brand new map, a rework of an existing large map with increased build space and now a new Free Build map, the first of its type to feature warlords. This increase will continue into the upcoming version 1.3 and beyond, with v1.3 specifically set to include three new maps for use in skirmish mode and multiplayer.

Read The Full Patch Notes

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYuSRk1PPaA
Today we reveal the first part of our post-release content roadmap for Stronghold: Warlords! This first phase in our overall roadmap of updates for Warlords covers the spring and early summer period, with additional smaller patches planned and more to come in the second half of the year. Everything covered in today's announcement will be added to the game free for all players, released as soon as it's ready.



Our content roadmap for Stronghold: Warlords is divided into two separate tracks of minor or major updates. Minor updates, starting this week with our first proper patch, will be aimed at improving the core gameplay and adding smaller improvements to Warlords. These include the addition of a new Extreme Difficulty mode, AI improvements, new maps and stability improvements. At the higher end of these 'minor updates' you'll find series staple features, such as the addition of invasions controls in Free Build mode.



When it comes to our planned major updates for the next few months we also have two substantial content additions scheduled, as part of this initial roadmap. Planned pre-launch and requested in post-release feedback, our new AI character (Sun Tzu) and later Skirmish Trail #1 update (including 10 missions, a new playable unit and two warlords) will aim to improve the content on offer in both single player and multiplayer modes.

We hope you enjoy this week's update and look forward to future additions to the game. If you're playing Stronghold: Warlords and would like to provide feedback please leave us a review on Steam and join the official Stronghold Discord.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjLOm-zxwKI
Fans of building, besieging and ‘wuselfaktor’ rejoice! The latest entry in our almost 20 year old ‘castle sim’ series, Stronghold: Warlords is now available on Steam. Today we celebrate the game's long awaited release with a final launch trailer featuring fresh gameplay, the full campaign map and a story preview narrated by the talented Rae Lim.



Including a 31 mission campaign with conflicts and sieges ranging from 300 BC China to 16th century Japan, Stronghold: Warlords both covers a wide historical period and (more importantly) introduces gunpowder to the series for the first time! Introducing legendary figures like Genghis Khan and lesser known rulers such as Thuc Phan, Warlords is designed to build on everything players know and love about Stronghold in an all new setting. Warlords has something for all Stronghold fans, whether you enjoy a single player campaign, unlimited castle building freedom in Free Build mode, offline skirmish or online multiplayer with friends and AI. The game comes complete with everything you expect from a mainline entry in the series, in addition to brand new gunpowder fuelled units, siege weapons and returning favourites like Siege Towers and Horse Archers.



With Stronghold: Warlords release we also have the introduction of the titular Warlords system, a new gameplay mechanic allowing players to conquer, upgrade and command AI ‘warlords’ across the battlefield. A flagging economy can be saved with an Ox or Pig Warlord, who can boost a players' industry and food reserves with their unique ‘Edict’ commands and passive perk abilities. Players looking to rain down fire and fury on their opponents can instead opt for a Dragon or Tiger Warlord, able to supply the player with special units and launch attacks in a pincer movement against their enemies! Whether players decide to forge these alliances through diplomatic buildings like the Consulate or simply by marching in an army and forcing warlords to bend the knee, these bonds can make or break their overall strategy.



Stronghold: Warlords - Special Edition is also available including Stronghold HD, ‘The Art of Stronghold: Warlords’ digital art book, a new soundtrack created by series composer Robert L. Euvino and a special ‘Making Of’ feature-length documentary.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/907650/Stronghold_Warlords