Chivalry 2 has just charged through the gates, bringing players across systems together in cross-platform multiplayer clashes between 64 screaming, flaming, hack, and slashing knights. It isn't just the player counts that make Chivalry 2's battles even larger than before. Its giant team objective maps are multi-stage battles that throw both teams into escalating clashes. Each map tells its own story, just like the chaotic medieval melees of big-screen films that inspired them. Some begin with sieges that become frantic city sackings. Others are chaotic nighttime raids that transition from burning barricades to assaulting a keep. Chivalry 2's biggest battles keep you constantly fighting tooth and nail for the next objective.
The Siege of Rudhelm is just one of those five huge battles. You spawn in after what's apparently been weeks of siege at Rudhelm, where you'll play as either the Mason Order defending the stronghold and its heir or the attacking Agatha Knights making their final assault. You'll be able to showcase your first-person slashing combat skills just like in team deathmatch or free-for-all maps, but there's a strategic level to be thinking about too. Which side is victorious is down to your team's ability to defend objectives and use the map to their advantage.
As the Agatha Knights, you'll start out escorting giant siege towers to Rudhelm's walls, clawing your way to the gates to overwhelm the defenders. A progress bar at the top of the screen shows you how it's going, but the other indicator of your success is all of the chaos around you. You'll need to keep a sharp eye on the battlefield to see which of your more than 30 teammates need your assistance via a blade in the back of some Mason scum.
Once your siege towers are successfully escorted, the fight changes. You'll break through the stronghold's gates into the city streets inside and your priorities will change. You're in tighter spaces now, surrounded by knights being set on fire and arrows whizzing past your head from an archer that's taken to the walls.
Even before you manage to break into Rudhelm's final keep, the map is full of surprises. Like its other battles, Rudhelm contains Chivalry 2's capacity for mixing grim chopping off limbs and the humor of slapstick-style warfare. Trap doors along the walls can be controlled by a lever, for instance, leading unsuspecting combatants (and maybe your own teammates) to an untimely respawn. It's all a lot of glorious madness, surrounded by the clanging of swords and the customized battlecries of your teammates.
Torn Banner has announced that it has huge post-launch plans for Chivalry 2 as well. The studio wants to double the game's size with new maps, new ways of fighting, and more. Just like the epic and chaotic maps, it has already, a newly-revealed sixth Team Objective map called Galencourt will offer its own set of objectives. It will begin with Mason players besieging the epic city’s defenses with catapults and siege ramps, then transition to storming through the perfectly manicured city streets as you head up to the gleaming white cathedral overhead. In the midst of all the chaos, multi-level combat at the city docks district peaks with the bombing of two moored ships. This massive map is sure to have its own unique tricks and surprises for both teams to pull off. The beautiful city of Galencourt will all look a little less pristine when it's covered in blood, perhaps, but that's the beauty of Chivalry 2.
Torn Banner's announcement for Galencourt and its roadmap sneak peek reveal even more. Horse combat will eventually arrive, while more maps, new weapons, character voices, armor, and more are on the immediate horizon. Torn Banner is also planning to add competitive game modes and ones with smaller player counts for those who want to really see their sword skills shine in more compact encounters. Chivalry 1's arrow cam is coming back too, for that extra bit of cinematic flair.
Chivalry 2 has plans to grow, but you'll want to start working on your feints and battle cries before then. Chivalry 2 is available on PC via the Epic Games Store, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and the Xbox Series X/S with cross-platform multiplayer for every platform.
