[5] Another prominent addition not found in its predecessor is a skirmish mode in single-player, allowing customized battles with AI opponents instead of the linear campaign.

Stronghold Warchest was only released in a limited number of countries (e.g. USA or Poland), meaning players in the rest of the world have never encountered the second Crusader Trail, or second set of characters.

[7][8] A remaster subtitled Definitive Edition is scheduled for release on Windows on 15 July 2025 by Firefly Studios, four years after Devolver Digital purchased the company.

As a consequence, farms can only be built on oasis grass, which leads to rivalry among players for limited farmland and resources.

Three of these (Emperor Frederick, King Philip, and The Sheriff) were made available by Firefly as a free download, but the five others - Nizar (based on the real-life Hassan-i Sabbah), The Emir, The Wazir, The Marshal (a repurposed Sir Longarm from the original Stronghold), and The Abbot - had to be obtained via buying the Warchest package.

[10] As Stronghold was a commercial success in the German market, local commentators suggested before Crusader's release that it would become a hit as well.

[21][22] It maintained an unbroken streak in Media Control's top 30 for full-price games through June 2003, placing 20th that month.

[25] Crusader ultimately received a "Gold" certification from the Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (VUD),[26] indicating sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

[28] On 28 January 2008, Firefly Studios announced an expanded version of the game: Stronghold: Crusader Extreme.

It boasts "new AI opponents and maps", a "new crusader extreme trail", "battles featuring over 10,000 units" and Windows Vista compatibility.

In early 2025, Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition was announced by Firefly, with a release date for July of that year.