It is rare for a studio to muster the courage to completely reimagine an old vision after more than a decade. But that is exactly what Stardock Entertainment with Elemental: Reforged - and this time everything really seems to fit.
Over 14 years ago, Stardock wanted to create the ultimate fantasy strategy game with Elemental: War of Magic - a mix of Civilization, Heroes of Might & Magic and a pinch of Game of Thrones. However, technical limitations, overambitious ideas and the 32-bit engine made for a half-baked result at the time. The vision was later continued in three sub-projects: War of Magic, Fallen Enchantress and Sorcerer King. Each of these games had great ideas - but none of them combined them all.
Now, in the year 2025 Elemental: Reforged - and finally brings them together. With a modern 64-bit engine, DirectX support and a wealth of content from all three predecessors, Stardock is now fulfilling what was once promised.
Elemental: Reforged reunites old strengths
In Elemental: Reforged you take on the role of a ruler who is building a new civilization in a world destroyed by magic. You research spells, build cities, wage wars and shape the fate of a world that has literally fallen apart at the seams. No two playthroughs are the same: Diplomacy, spells, technologies and alliances shape each game anew.
The game combines the Family dynasties from War of Magic, the in-depth unit customization from Fallen Enchantress and the crafting and questing system from Sorcerer King. The result: a fantasy strategy game that feels more alive and detailed than ever before. Each unit has individual equipment, stats and its own story. Even animals or neutral creatures are uniquely designed - a detail that was planned back in 2010 but could never be technically realized.
A modern 4X experience with character
Thanks to the new engine, larger maps, better AI and significantly smoother gameplay are possible. The user interface has been completely overhauled, and the zoom levels now range from the overview map to tactical battles with the finest detail view. If you want, you can lead your armies in turn-based battles yourself - or leave the auto-resolve mode to the AI.
In terms of content, Stardock remains true to the sandbox principle: you decide whether you write history as a wise mage, cruel conqueror or neutral diplomat. With every magic shard you gain, your power grows - and your influence on the world. The procedural generated maps, random quests and different factions ensure almost unlimited replayability.
A legend returns with Elemental: Reforged
With Early Access on 23 October 2025, Stardock wants to actively involve the community in further development - a step that already worked extremely well with Galactic Civilizations. CEO and designer Bradley Wardell himself calls Elemental: Reforged "the version we always wanted to make - except that the technology wasn't quite ready back then".
And this is exactly what you notice in the game. Where there used to be technical boundaries, a complex fantasy world now unfolds in which everything is interconnected: cities grow through magic, heroes found dynasties and every decision reverberates through the world.
At the end Elemental: Reforged not just for a technical upgrade, but for a second chance - for a studio that has never given up on its vision, and for all the fans who believed in the Magic have believed.
