The good news? Stronghold 2 is coming to Steam independent of the Stronghold Collection. Even better news? The game is being re-released with new content as a free upgrade for existing owners on Steam! Stronghold 2: Steam Edition will come with full Steam integration and restored multiplayer, as well as new content created specifically for this version of the game.

Following in the footsteps of its predecessors Stronghold 2 has been remastered to support wide screen resolutions and modern machines, enabling you to play with a properly scaled UI and wider views of the battlefield. Whether you’re expanding bread production, managing peasants or sneaking up on an enemy castle, you should now be able to spot hostile threats with ease. In addition to expanding supported resolutions Stronghold 2: Steam Edition will also feature improved draw distances and textures.

Support for modern machines becomes even more important when you’ll soon be able to dive back into multiplayer sieges! Since the unfortunate closure of GameSpy, which previously powered Stronghold 2 Online, we have been longing to revive multiplayer and the release of new Steam Editions for Stronghold 2 and last year’s Stronghold Legends enables us to do exactly that. At release multiplayer functionality will return to Stronghold 2, allowing you to test your mettle with up to eight players around the globe!

Full Steam integration also means that Stronghold 2: Steam Edition will release with Steam Workshop support, giving you easy access the community’s supply of custom maps. Feeling creative? Then create your own single player scenario or multiplayer arena in the map editor and share it on Steam for the Stronghold community to enjoy! To provide you with a little inspiration not only have we created a completely new map pack for the Steam Edition, but will also be uploading a few of our favourite community-made maps to the Workshop at launch. To celebrate this milestone in Stronghold 2 history, each Steam Edition will also come with a digital art book and the game’s official soundtrack.

The best news of all is that, assuming you already own Stronghold 2 on Steam as part of the Stronghold Collection, the above will be automatically added to your Steam account as a free update. Just as with Stronghold Legends: Steam Edition last year, all owners of Stronghold 2 on Steam will receive the newer Steam Edition free of charge. Stronghold 2: Steam Edition will simply replace the old game in your library.

Did we mention Steam achievements? Those are in there too!