Stronghold: Warlords
{{Short description|2021 video game}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}{{Use British English|date=January 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2025}}{{Infobox video game
| title = Stronghold: Warlords
| image = Stronghold - Warlords cover.png
| developer = Firefly Studios
| publisher = Firefly Studios
| platforms = Windows
| released = {{vgrelease|WW|9 March 2021}}
| genre = Real-time strategy
| series = Stronghold
| modes = Single-player, multiplayer
}}
Stronghold: Warlords is a 2021 real-time strategy video game developed and published by Firefly Studios for Windows. Unlike the previous entries of the Stronghold series, which were focused on Europe during the Middle Ages, Stronghold: Warlords is set in East Asia, with campaigns based on historical events of China, Vietnam, and Japan. It was the last game Firefly Studios released as an independent entity before being acquired by Devolver Digital three months later.
Gameplay
One of the key differences in gameplay compared to the previous games is the introduction of warlords, 8 neutral AI-controlled lords who each have different benefits available after subjugation by either military force or diplomacy. After coming under the player, the warlords can provide shipments of resources, provide forces, attack an enemy lord on command or rank up, by expending diplomacy points. Diplomacy points can be accrued over time, which is sped up by constructing some new buildings introduced in this game. This is also the first game in the series to have introduced gunpowder.
Release and reception
{{Video game reviews
| MC = 65/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/stronghold-warlords/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Stronghold: Warlords for PC Reviews |website=Metacritic |publisher=Firefly Studio |accessdate=September 18, 2021 |archive-date=21 January 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250121230755/https://www.metacritic.com/game/stronghold-warlords/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live }}
}}
The game was announced at E3 2019,{{Cite web|date=2019-06-11|title=Firefly Studios Announces Stronghold: Warlords|url=https://fireflyworlds.com/2019/06/11/firefly-studios-announces-stronghold-warlords/|access-date=2021-09-17|website=Firefly Studios|language=en-US|archive-date=22 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622161727/https://fireflyworlds.com/2019/06/11/firefly-studios-announces-stronghold-warlords/|url-status=live}} with a release date of 29 September 2020,{{Citation|title=Stronghold: Warlords - Multiplayer Trailer (E3 2020)| date=12 June 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDemQNOiACI|language=en|access-date=2021-09-17|archive-date=17 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117171716/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDemQNOiACI&gl=US&hl=en|url-status=live}} but was delayed til January 9, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and finally released at 9 March 2021, after further delays due to problems in the game's multiplayer mode.{{Cite web|last=Clayton|first=Natalie|date=2021-01-12|title=Stronghold: Warlords has been delayed until March because multiplayer is 'simply not ready'|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/stronghold-warlords-has-been-delayed-until-march/|access-date=2021-09-17|website=PC Gamer|language=en-US|archive-date=23 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923143605/https://www.pcgamer.com/stronghold-warlords-has-been-delayed-until-march/|url-status=live}}
The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.
External links
- [https://www.strongholdwarlords.com/ Stronghold: Warlords Official Website]