← The Chronicle

City States: Medieval Leaves Early Access at 1.0 with New Sandbox Mode

The medieval strategy title reaches its full release milestone, adding a freely-requested Sandbox Mode and expanding its roster of playable factions.

Distilled Aug 20, 2026·1 min read·source confidence88%
City States: Medieval

After a period of weekly Early Access updates, City States: Medieval has reached version 1.0 as of July 24, 2026, according to a launch announcement from developer Konstantin.

The team describes the release not as a conclusion but as a continuing development commitment, with regular post-launch updates planned.

What changed at 1.0

  • Sandbox Mode added by popular demand — players can choose a nation and build freely without campaign objectives
  • Expanded factions: Christian, Muslim, Pagan, and Slavic powers are now playable, each with distinct units and mechanics
  • Community-driven improvements: dozens of features and quality-of-life changes accumulated over the Early Access period
  • Additional nations will continue to be added on a weekly basis post-launch; players can request specific factions via the forums

The 1.0 announcement specifically credits player feedback — bug reports, suggestions, and reviews — as the primary driver of the game's development trajectory during Early Access.

For players who held off on the Early Access build, the 1.0 release offers a fuller faction roster and the flexibility of Sandbox Mode alongside whatever campaign structure was already in place.

Distilled from 1 source

Ask the oracle to go deeper on City States: Medieval.

Consult the Oracle

Get this coverage inside Steam itself

Follow The Arcane Oracle and our verdicts on City States: Medieval and games like it surface on the store pages you already browse.

Follow our Steam Curator →