Firefly Studios’ Stronghold: Warlords has received another delay. Originally slated to release on January 26th, it’s now been delayed to March 9th. This is after it was delayed from its September 2020 release date. The prime cause of the second delay is multiplayer.

According to the developer on Twitter, the multiplayer mode is “simply not ready to be released yet.” It ran into some “unexpected issues” and needs more time to fix them. While it contemplated delayed multiplayer and releasing it a future update, the developer wants to stick to its promise of having multiplayer ready for launch and providing a “full experience.”

Stronghold: Warlords offers quite a bit in terms of multiplayer functionality. Two players can team up and fight the AI or even work together to manage a castle with one person managing the army and the other working on the economy. Along with the campaign and multiplayer, Steam Workshop support will also be available at launch for user-created maps. Hopefully, more gameplay will be provided in the coming weeks before launch so stay tuned.

We have an important announcement to make regarding the release date of Stronghold: Warlords to share with you all today. pic.twitter.com/PyuFTxujAJ

— Firefly Studios (@fireflyworlds) January 11, 2021

FireFly Studios’ Stronghold: Warlords has received a release date – it’s out on September 29th for PC. The latest trailer also showcases the game’s multiplayer battles, which can become quite insane when all the different armies get involved. Check it out below.

In a press release, marketing director Nick Tannahill spoke a bit more about the multiplayer options. Players can either team up together and battle the AI or they can cooperatively manage a castle. “For instance, one player could handle the economy from the start while the other builds up an army. Then later during a siege that player could control defensive units like the Fire Lancer and Archers, while the other triggers castle traps and puts out fires,” says Tannahill.

Stronghold: Warlords will offer more than just a campaign and multiplayer at launch. There will also be support for the Steam Workshop so that players can create their own maps and scenarios to share with others. Given the number of strategy titles that support user-created content, it’s good to see Stronghold: Warlords also offering the same.

Unlike previous games in the series, Stronghold: Warlords takes place in 3rd century BC China and involves the Shogunate, the Mongol Empire and other forces vying for control. Along with fire lancers, players will also have samurai and bowmen to field. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.