Evan Lee Salim
The reveal of Chronicles: Medieval during last year’s showcase left the gaming community captivated by its ambitious promise: a marriage of the intimate, gritty role-playing of Kingdom Come: Deliverance with the grand, sweeping geopolitical simulation of Crusader Kings III. For months, the developer, Raw Power Games, remained tight-lipped regarding how these systems would coalesce into actual warfare. That silence was finally broken during the Summer Game Fest 2026, where a fresh trailer and a comprehensive technical presentation provided the first tangible look at the title’s large-scale tactical engine.
Ahead of the reveal, I sat down with Senior Game Designer Gareth Bourn and Community Lead Clemens Koch to dissect the mechanics that will define the battlefield, moving beyond mere spectacle to understand how Raw Power Games intends to redefine the medieval combat genre.
The Vision: A Living, Breathing Sandbox
"With our announcement trailer last year, our focus was revealing the vision behind Chronicles: Medieval," explains Community Lead Clemens Koch. "We wanted to explain what we are building, and what we want players to feel when they step into our world."
The premise remains as potent as ever. Chronicles: Medieval is not a traditional strategy game, nor is it a standard RPG. It is a hybrid designed to simulate a world that persists independently of the player’s agency. Through a complex simulation of trade, diplomacy, and religious politics, the world breathes, reacts, and evolves. However, the missing piece of the puzzle has always been the transition from the boardroom to the battlefield.
"Ever since the initial announcement, we’ve been asked the same question: ‘Can we see battles? What do they look like?’" Koch notes. With the new footage, the team has finally answered that call, showcasing a system that prioritizes authenticity while retaining the "fun factor" necessary for a compelling gameplay loop.
Tactical Granularity: From Skirmishes to Crusades
One of the most refreshing aspects of the combat system is its refusal to rely solely on massive, screen-filling clashes. While the game engine is certainly capable of rendering hundreds of soldiers in a single engagement, Senior Game Designer Gareth Bourn argues that scale should be dictated by narrative necessity rather than engine limitations.
"One of our core pillars is large-scale battles, and we are bringing hundreds of soldiers together," Bourn explains. "But something I think is really cool about the battles of the Hundred Years War is that they were not all great big clashes of the utmost importance."
The gameplay loop is designed to fluctuate. Players might find themselves engaged in a desperate, low-stakes skirmish against a group of brigands in the rolling hills of Burgundy, only to transition minutes later into a pivotal, kingdom-defining siege. "Where you are on the map and who you’re choosing to battle against matters," says Bourn. "Each field supports battles of every scale." This scalability ensures that the player feels the weight of every encounter, regardless of whether they are commanding a twenty-man patrol or a full-scale royal army.
The Command System: A Marriage of RTS and Action
At first glance, the planning phase of a Chronicles: Medieval battle might evoke memories of the Total War series. There is a clear, tactical interface that allows for the positioning of troops, but the philosophy behind the execution is distinctly different.
Raw Power Games is moving away from the "god-view" omniscience typical of the strategy genre. Instead, the player is physically present on the field. As a commander, your life is just as vulnerable as that of your soldiers.
The "Battle Line" Doctrine
Rather than utilizing rigid, preset formations, the game employs a flexible system called "battle lines." Units possess innate cultural and tactical preferences—English longbowmen instinctively seek the flanks, while French heavy cavalry favor the vanguard—but the player maintains full control. "There’s no prescribed shape any army has to conform to," Bourn emphasizes. This allows for emergent strategy, where a player can override the natural inclinations of their troops to execute unorthodox maneuvers.
The Limits of Communication
The most innovative element of the command system is the restriction on communication. You cannot simply issue orders across the entire map at the click of a button. In the heat of the fray, the "Command Mode"—a feature that slows time to a crawl—only functions within the radius of your character’s voice.
To manage a sprawling army, the player must establish "Standing Orders" before the engagement begins. By setting behavior profiles—such as aggressive, defensive, or adaptive—the player delegates autonomy to their subordinates. This creates a realistic simulation of medieval command, where the fog of war and the limitations of 14th-century communication often forced leaders to rely on the competence of their captains.
The Psychology of Combat: Morale and Leadership
Perhaps the most crucial, and arguably the most brutal, aspect of Chronicles: Medieval is its morale system. Bourn is firm on the reality of ancient warfare: "Morale breaks before bodies do."
Units cycle through five distinct states of mental fortitude:
- Inspired: The pinnacle of combat effectiveness.
- Confident: A standard, stable state.
- Neutral: The baseline of professional soldiers.
- Wavering: The beginning of a breakdown.
- Broken: The point of no return.
Once a unit reaches the "Broken" state, they are considered lost. Even if the majority of the men survive the rout, they are functionally deserters who will no longer answer to your command. This mechanic forces players to be mindful of their unit’s positioning. Flanking, taking heavy casualties, or witnessing the collapse of adjacent lines all contribute to a unit’s degradation.
The Role of the Lord
The player acts as the ultimate force multiplier. Your presence on the field is not just for show; it is a tactical asset. If your men are wavering, your physical presence—the sight of your banner and your participation in the fight—can stabilize them. However, only truly extraordinary acts of prowess can elevate a unit to the "Inspired" state.
"There is no standing order that will do it, no horn call," Bourn notes. "Only you can, and only by being the sort of lord that men want to die for." This necessitates a "lead from the front" mentality, forcing the player to balance the safety of their commander with the morale requirements of their army.
Technical Foundations and Future Prospects
As Chronicles: Medieval edges toward its 2026 Early Access launch, the team at Raw Power Games is focusing on a "substantial foundation." The integration of voice acting talent, such as Lars Mikkelsen (noted for his work on The Witcher and House of Cards), adds a layer of prestige and narrative immersion. Mikkelsen’s portrayal of historical figure Johannes Gutenberg will serve as the game’s narrator, guiding the player through the epochal shifts of the era.
The Modding Philosophy
A significant takeaway from the presentation was the team’s dedication to modding. Unlike many modern titles where modding support is an afterthought, Raw Power Games has integrated it into the engine’s architecture from the ground up. "Every time I or any other designer designs a system or a feature, we’re thinking about modding from the very beginning," says Bourn. This suggests that the longevity of the game will likely be extended by a community-driven ecosystem, mirroring the success of titles like Mount & Blade.
Looking Ahead
The implications of this combat system are vast. By prioritizing the player’s physical vulnerability and the psychological state of their troops, Chronicles: Medieval is carving out a unique niche. It challenges the player to be more than just a strategist; it demands that they become a leader.
With the Steam wishlist already open and the Early Access release on the horizon, the gaming world now has a clearer picture of what this title entails. If Raw Power Games can successfully balance the complexity of its simulation with the accessibility required for a broad audience, Chronicles: Medieval could very well become the new gold standard for historical strategy RPGs. The battle lines have been drawn; now, it is up to the players to decide how the history of the 14th century will be written.
Nana Wu
Siti Muinah
