Community News
Stronghold 4: Skirmish Demo Available
Posted on 19th Oct 2026
Greetings Lords and Ladies!
Faithful to previous announcements, the next demo of Stronghold 4 has been released earlier today (October 19, 2026).
This version brings a newfound Free Build map - according to the Studios, "the biggest one yet" -, as well as two preset Skirmish match missions: an 1v1 against The Snake, and an 1v3 versus the alliance of The Snake, Penryn and Sir Longarm. There is no standalone Skirmish mode in this version.
You can download the Demo here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2153760/Stronghold_4/ (8.9 GB size).
Please note that this public demo does not reflect the ready product and as a result, bugs and unfinished features may occur. Refer to the SH4 megathread for more information about potential features, as well as the Stronghold 4 Steam page for system requirements.
Have fun with this version!
Content Highlight - Star Wars: a Duet
Posted on 14th Oct 2026
Hello Everyone!
@ IgnasheunKnight has arrived yet again with a dual campaign pack for Stronghold Legends, inspired by the namesake cult classic sci-fi movie.
Star Wars parts I and II are give loose re-imaginations of the movies' plots, where real-life empires and prominent councils are warring endlessly long time in a realm far, far away. Part I has two Knights of the Round Table dispatched by Lord Hildebrand only to fight a hopelessly uphill battle against the Turks and Picts, while Part II sees Sir Lancelot fighting for her love and kin to protect, as the evil Draculian Jarl and his hellbent warriors descend with their full might on the harmony of the world.
Over four and six missions respectively, you are put in scenarios of varying difficulty and setting. Most missions limit your troop and unit availability, as well as trading, forcing you to make the most out of your estate's capabilities. Siege missions in particular also require some finesse and keen eye, as even the slightest misstep can cause a restart, even though their difficulty is on the lower end on average.
Therefore, it is recommended you save often, and try enjoying the sometimes harsh reality of these series! Will you command Sir Lancelot and Sir Bedivere to victory?
Download the scenarios here: Part I, Part II/1, Part II/2
Stronghold 4: Second Demo and Release Date
Posted on 8th Oct 2026
Hello Everyone!
There are multiple news in the SH4 department, as it is a double whammy: a new demo version has been made available for download on Steam, as well as details about the early access period arrived.
About the Demo
There are two demo versions coming up: one already available as of October 8, while a second one will release on October 19 with the Steam Next Fest.
The current demo is featuring a Free Build mode to play around with the toys at our disposal, as well as resources can be added at will along with preset invasions to lay siege on your fortification. On top of it, the tutorial missions have been preserved for play, should you prefer a more narrative approach to economy and military alike.
The second demo will come with the yet unseen Skirmish Mode, where you can battle it out against three computer opponents in 1v1 or 1v3 preset settings: Penryn, The Snake and Sir Longarm.
The download link for the current demo is unchanged: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2153760/Stronghold_4/ (4.6 GB size).
About the Early Access
As alluded to in earlier news: an Early Access period will precede the 1.0 launch, starting on December 7, 2026 and it is going to last approximately six months. According to the game's Steam Store page, the EA will contain partially complete features and builds may vary based on community feedback on the studios' Discord. Pricing is not yet known, however the early access price may be increased by the full release.
At this time, SH4 EA promises to include a prequel story campaign, Skirmish mode against 8 opponents, Freebuild and a Skirmish Trail.
Please note that this public demo does not reflect the ready product and as a result, bugs and unfinished features may occur. Refer to the SH4 megathread for more information about potential features, as well as the Stronghold 4 Steam page for system requirements.
Have fun with the demo!
Ai Character Articles Complete
Posted on 16th Aug 2026
Greetings Everyone!
In recent days, another article collection of our AI lords has been completed: this time for Stronghold Crusader.
These articles intend to help with the inner workings of the computer characters, when faced in Skirmish games, such as what troops they use, what kinds of castles they attempt to build, and in general how much they go on your nerves with their raids. If a character has had a major change in the Definitive Edition - e.g. Frederick who buys weapons there -, it is also indicated.
With this collection in place, I also recommend checking out our similar article collections for other games:
- Stronghold Crusader 2 AI Lords (from @ Sir Windows )
- Stronghold 2 AI Lords (from @ Lord_Chris )
- Stronghold Legends AI Lords
Until next time, m'lord!
Crusader Definitive Edition - Summer Update Released
Posted on 3rd Aug 2026
Hello Everyone!
The Summer Update (v2.8, 129.1 MB) has landed for SHC:DE, bringing the last set of new content promised by Firefly. As usual, there is a free and a paid part each to it, with the two new lords of The Surgeon and Baibars that are available as part of the DLC.
Please make sure that you update to the latest version in order to access multiplayer via Steam, via the auto-updater!
Refer to the following forum post for the exact details regarding the Summer Update:
Full patch notes:
- New Coat of Arms with the logo of the upcoming "Fool King" game that's going to be released by Firefly
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Added new maps:
- Skirmish: Lush Crossover, Bypass
- Free Build: River of Life, Coast Life, Insular Hope, Fields and Forges
- Custom Missions: Rockhold, Island Living
- Added insults to Custom Skirmish Lords
-
Added a Troop Movement Speed toggle:
- when moving troops, a single-click to the destination will make them move each unit at their normal speed. Double-clicking will make them move at the slowest unit's speed (this is the vanilla Crusader behaviour)
- Fixed placing ballistae at a failed location taking gold away
- Fixed control groups 9 and 0 not working correctly
- Fixed Outposts not functioning correctly in Custom Scenarios that were set to any difficulty other than Normal
- Fixed apple farmers getting stuck on gatehouses
- Peasants getting stuck in the Moat could cause performance issues, so the game will gracefully delete them after some time.
- Various interface fixes