Stardock Entertainment is giving its Elemental series another shot at realizing its original grand vision. The studio announced that Elemental: Reforged, a complete remaster and unification of War of Magic, Fallen Enchantress, and Sorcerer King, will enter Early Access on October 23, 2025.
Originally launched back in 2010, the Elemental series was an ambitious attempt to blend 4X strategy, role-playing, and sandbox empire-building. But the first game, Elemental: War of Magic, was held back by the limits of 32-bit technology. As Stardock’s CEO and lead designer Bradley Wardell puts it, “Back then, having a game where players could design units, build family dynasties, terraform terrain, and go on quests was just too much to fit in memory in a stable way.”
With Elemental: Reforged, modern 64-bit hardware finally allows Stardock to combine everything the series once aimed for into one complete experience. The remaster includes content and mechanics from all three games, running on an updated engine that supports larger maps, smarter AI, and improved visuals via DirectX 11.
Each of the original games had its own strengths. War of Magic introduced family dynasties and genetics systems — yes, even cross-species offspring. Fallen Enchantress brought deeper tactical combat and detailed unit stats. Sorcerer King added crafting and rich quest systems. Reforged merges all these systems into one, while refining them with modern performance and stability.
Wardell notes that Elemental: Reforged wasn’t initially planned for Early Access. “We assumed we’d just finish the remastering and release in February 2026. But fans’ interest has been much greater than anticipated,” he said. “With Early Access, we have the opportunity to refine the game alongside our players and prioritize what they want us to focus on.”
The Early Access release aims to let players experience the unified systems and provide feedback before the full launch.
Key Features
- Ultimate Fantasy Sandbox: Create custom leaders, factions, and civilizations complete with their own histories and lore.
- Unified Elemental Experience: Merges dynasty-building from War of Magic, tactical depth from Fallen Enchantress, and crafting and questing from Sorcerer King.
- Rich, Dynamic Worlds: Procedurally generated environments filled with evolving cities, lore-driven quests, and individually simulated citizens.
- RPG-Infused Unit Design: Fully customize heroes and armies with stats, equipment, and abilities that evolve through experience.
- Refined Tactical Combat: Engage in short, strategic battles or rely on advanced auto-resolve AI for streamlined play.
- Deep Story Integration: Quests and lore events directly affect diplomacy, exploration, and empire growth.
- Modern Engine and Interface: Enhanced visuals, seamless zooming, and redesigned UI optimized for modern PCs.
- Integrated Modding Tools: Built-in map and mod editors with Steam Workshop integration.
With Elemental: Reforged, Stardock hopes to deliver the fantasy 4X experience it first envisioned 15 years ago — this time with the technology to back it up. Players can wishlist the game now on Steam, with Early Access beginning October 23, 2025.
