Reverie World Studios and indie.io are thrilled to announce the Early Access release date for Knights of the Crusades (formerly Crusader Knights), a genre-defining blend of real-time strategy and grand strategy. Set to launch on May 5, 2025, on Steam, this epic game invites players to unite faith and steel during the First Crusade.
Lead Campaigns Across the Medieval World
Embark on a journey through war-torn cities of the Holy Land, contested kingdoms of Spain, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. Players will navigate a living historical map, wage tactical real-time battles, govern newly conquered cities, and use diplomacy to forge alliances or destroy them. Major historical moments like the Reconquista and the defense of Edessa will shape the fate of the Crusades through bold decisions and battlefield mastery.
Grand Strategy with Real-Time Combat and City-Building
Knights of the Crusades merges large-scale real-time warfare with layered strategic systems. Construct and upgrade settlements, manage vital resources, and command forces across sprawling provinces. Faith is a core system, requiring players to manage piety to maintain influence, avoid excommunication, and unlock divine blessings. Every action carries weight in the quest for power, balancing short-term tactics against long-term ambition.
Player-Driven Sandbox Campaign
Begin as a humble knight and ascend to become the founder of a world-spanning order. Create a custom Holy Order or lead the legendary Templars, defining its structure, doctrine, and destiny. The world responds to players’ actions, crafting an emergent story shaped entirely by the player. Explore a massive, dynamic map filled with bustling towns, fortified cities, and vital pilgrim routes. Navigate naval engagements, brutal sieges, and ever-shifting alliances as AI factions pursue their own agendas.
Spiritual and Political Challenges
Face challenges from managing piety-driven economies to surviving excommunication, heresies, and escalating holy wars. Players’ stories emerge from their decisions, rivalries, and rise to power. Konstantine Fomenko, Producer and Design Director at Reverie World Studios, emphasizes the game’s focus on the balance between faith and fanaticism: “Launching in Early Access is our way of putting the sword in the players’ hands, letting them help shape the game before it’s carved in stone.”
Community-Driven Development
Knights of the Crusades enters Early Access on May 5, bringing all core systems to the battlefield, including tactical RTS combat, city-building mechanics, resource management, and a fully playable sandbox campaign. Reverie World Studios is committed to community-driven development, encouraging players to provide feedback via Steam forums, Discord, and regular developer updates.
Wishlist Knights of the Crusades on Steam now to follow development and prepare for the launch on May 5, 2025.
