Presented by Nordcurrent Labs

Swordfight, joust, and siege your way to victory in Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns

News

Do you have what it takes to conquer England in this remastered classic, announced exclusively at the Future Games Show

Back in 1986, Amiga gamers were wowed by a new game set in the Middle Ages that blended strategy with cinematic visuals. Now, 40 years later, we know that Defender of the Crown is making a triumphant return with a remastered version thanks to a world premiere reveal at the Future Games Show Spring Showcase Powered by HyperX.

England is at war, and following the death of the King it's up to you to amass an army and defeat your rivals, to take control of both the country and the crown. After choosing one of four Saxon lords as your character, you'll use the strategic world map to manage your territories and engage in diplomacy or combat, featuring swordfighting raids, castle sieges, jousting tournaments, and perhaps even rescuing a damsel in distress with the legendary Robin Hood.

This fresh remaster offers three different ways to experience the adventure, with Retro Mode featuring a near-perfect recreation of the original graphics and gameplay, while Classic Mode provides a modern visual makeover and smoother mechanics. Then we have the brand new Kingdom Mode, which reimagines the experience as a dice-driven roguelike where players build tactical decks to battle for victory in procedurally generated campaigns.

Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns is targeting a Summer 2026 release, and will be available on PC via Steam and GOG, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. In the meantime, you can follow Nordcurrent Labs on X and Facebook for the latest news.

If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.

Iain Wilson
Iain Wilson
Guides Editor

Iain originally joined Future in 2012 to write guides for CVG, PSM3, and Xbox World, before moving on to join GamesRadar in 2013 as Guides Editor. His words have also appeared in OPM, OXM, PC Gamer, GamesMaster, and SFX. He is better known to many as ‘Mr Trophy’, due to his slightly unhealthy obsession with amassing intangible PlayStation silverware, and he now has over 1,000 Platinum pots weighing down the shelves of his virtual award cabinet. He does not care for Xbox Achievements.