Introducing Steadfast

Engraving of a squadron of sailing ships under way

Greetings, and welcome to our first announcement of Steadfast: an upcoming real-time tactical strategy game set during the naval battles of the Age of Sail, between 1792 and 1815.

Steadfast started as a passion project. We wanted a game where you command your own fleet, from small-scale skirmishes between cutters and brigs all the way up to recreating the Battle of Trafalgar at true scale.

Steadfast takes you from a bird’s-eye view of the whole battle right down into the action, where weather, formations, morale and your tactical decisions will make or break your fleet. Period tactics and historically modelled ships are at your disposal.

Tactical view of two fleets engaged at the Battle of Cape St Vincent, 14 February 1797 — In-engine: the tactical view of the Battle of Cape St Vincent, 1797.

A British first-rate ship of the line under full sail on a rolling sea — In-engine: down at sea level with a first-rate under full sail.

Our hope is to build a game that blends realism with gameplay, into something that players who care about historical accuracy and tactical decision-making can both enjoy. Here is some of what we are building:

Fleet action. Command anything from a handful of vessels in a skirmish to a full line of battle.
Rule the waves. Use formations and your flagship to overwhelm the enemy and break their line.
Weather. Changing wind, waves and cloud that shape how every battle plays out.
Realistic damage. Spring leaks, lose masts and watch crew morale waver under fire.
Historical accuracy. Ships and scenarios recreated from extensive research into the period.
Alone or together. Fight online fleet battles against friends and foes, or play on your own.

Painting of a small armed cutter heeling in a storm as damaged French and Spanish ships of the line run for harbour — The Royal Navy armed cutter *Entreprenante* shadowing the remnants of the Franco-Spanish fleet as it runs into Cádiz after the disastrous defeat at Trafalgar, by Thomas Buttersworth.

If any of these games stand out to you, Steadfast is certainly one to keep on your watch: Sea Power, Task Force Admiral, Age of Sail I and II, Naval Action, Ultimate Admiral: Age of Sail, Grand Tactician: The Civil War, Empire: Total War, the Silent Hunter series, Caribbean Legend, Sid Meier’s Pirates! and Ahoy.

Who we are

We are a two-man team at the moment! I’m Erik, the lead developer, and my background is in software engineering. Igor is our lead artist. Between us we bring experience from both the games and technology industries, and our previous work includes IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover (Team Fusion), Post Scriptum, the Ultimate Admiral and Ultimate General series, and Naval Action.

Painting of a British frigate firing a broadside into a French ship of the line, with more ships at anchor beyond — *Imperieuse* (first from right) at the Battle of the Basque Roads.

We are excited to be working on Steadfast, which is currently in pre-alpha. Every screenshot you see is already in-engine, and as of writing, many of the core gameplay mechanics are in place.

A frigate heeling in rough seas as a line of ships trades broadsides under a storm sky — In-engine: a line of battle trading broadsides under a storm sky.

There is no release date for Steadfast yet, but we will share more about that in the future.

What’s next?

This is only the beginning of our adventure, and we are looking forward to sharing our progress with you as we go. Expect more journal entries and updates as work on Steadfast continues. There is lots of exciting stuff to show you in the near future!

In the meantime, enjoy a glimpse of the cover art for Steadfast, by the talented illustrator Antonis Karidis.

Stay tuned, and be sure to wishlist Steadfast on Steam and join our Discord to stay up to date!

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