Chronicles: Medieval Brings Large Scale Medieval Warfare to Steam Early Access This Year

Chronicles: Medieval is coming to Steam Early Access this year, bringing a player driven medieval sandbox RPG from Raw Power Games, a Danish studio made up of developers with credits on The Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed, Hitman, and Grand Theft Auto.

The game is heavily inspired by Mount and Blade, but Raw Power Games is building its own identity through historical grounding, deeper tactical battle systems, and a living medieval world that continues moving whether the player is involved or not. The studio describes the experience as a rags to riches journey where you are part of the world rather than the center of it.

Chronicles: Medieval is set in 14th and 15th century Europe, with war, trade, politics, diplomacy, reputation, and ambition all shaping the campaign. Kings can rise and fall, armies can break, and the player’s choices can reshape their position in the world over time.

At Summer Game Fest 2026, Raw Power Games showed a new gameplay trailer and confirmed the Holy Roman Empire as the third playable faction, joining England and France.

Battles are built around planning, morale, and direct command

Large scale battles are one of the main pillars of Chronicles: Medieval. Raw Power Games is targeting up to 2,000 characters on screen, meaning the largest battles could reach 1,000 soldiers against 1,000 soldiers, depending on the strength of the player’s PC.

Before a fight begins, players enter a battle planning phase. Units are placed into battle lines based on their role and culture. French heavy cavalry naturally moves toward the vanguard, English longbowmen prefer the flanks, and Holy Roman Empire troops favor dense armored lines. Players can adjust these deployments manually before the battle starts.

Once fighting begins, players control their character in third person. They can join the fight directly, pull back to command, or switch between both roles. Command Mode slows time while orders are issued, but it does not fully pause the battle. That keeps pressure on the player while still giving enough room to manage units.

Morale can decide battles before every soldier is killed

Chronicles: Medieval does not treat battles as simple fights to the last man. Morale is central to the combat system. Units move through several morale states, including Inspired, Confident, Concerning, Wavering, and Broken. Once a unit breaks, it routes and is counted as lost to desertion.

Morale can fall because of casualties, charges, flanking attacks, and nearby friendly units breaking. The player can also raise morale through personal action. Kills, headshots, lance kills, and visible executions can push nearby soldiers into an Inspired state. That gives the player a direct reason to fight alongside their army rather than only command from a distance.

There is also a difference between routing and retreating. A routed unit is lost, while a retreating unit can remain part of the army if the withdrawal is controlled. Even after the victory or defeat screen appears, players can still act on the battlefield, whether they want to cover a retreat, chase fleeing enemies, or stand down.

Raw Power Games wants history and modding to separate it from Mount and Blade

The Mount and Blade comparison is obvious, and Raw Power Games is not avoiding it. The studio said one major difference is the historical setting. Instead of a fictional fantasy world, Chronicles: Medieval draws from real European nations, cultures, weapons, armor, and battlefield traditions from the Hundred Years’ War period.

The studio is also planning serious mod support. Raw Power Games said modding has been considered from the start, with tools planned for maps, castles, AI strategy, and other systems. The full modding toolset is expected around version 1.0 rather than necessarily being complete at the start of Early Access.

The game will also include unit progression. Soldiers who survive battles can gain experience and move through upgrade paths, while the player also develops over time. If the player dies during battle, the fight continues without them, and nearby troops who witness the death can suffer a morale hit.

Chronicles: Medieval is planned to stay in Early Access for about a year. If Raw Power Games can deliver its promised mix of sandbox freedom, tactical battles, historical detail, and large scale warfare, it could become one of the more interesting medieval RPGs for players who want a deeper battlefield command experience.