On balance, it’s probably a good thing we have little cause to use the word ‘fief’ anymore. But I do wish I had a few more excuses to deploy it, if only because it’s such an enjoyable word to say. Luckily, I’m able to postpone starting a degree in medieval history just so I can drop ‘fief’ into conversation more often without coming off as a total weirdo, because feudal estates happen to be the focus of Wartales’ newest DLC.

Wartales, for those unaware, is a low-fantasy RPG where you control a band of mercenaries. At a glance it looks ferociously boring, but as I discovered in my Wartales review, it proved a surprisingly capable story engine laced with gripping turn-based tactical combat. Wartales has received consistent updates—both free and paid—since it launched in 2023, but its latest expansion is apparently the one fans have been anticipating most heavily.

“Since the early days of Wartales’ early access, one request has consistently stood out from the community: owning and managing a fief,” writes developer Shiro games in a recent Steam post. “With our upcoming DLC, Contract: The Fief, we’re finally bringing that vision to life.”

The Fief adds a more strategic layer to Wartales. WIth a ruined castle and a small patch of land, you can slowly build and expand it into a thriving fortified settlement. Your fief produces resources every time your party rests as it explores the world, namely food, defence, trade goods, and knowledge. These resources can be used to satisfy your settlement’s needs, which in turn determine the speed at which your fief grows.

As your fief expands, you can push it toward one of several specialisations, building up its security to transform it into an impregnable citadel, or converting it into a thriving trading port. You can also select a specific government type that will allow you to pursue mandates—strategic objectives that you have several rests to complete.

While the fief is structurally different from Wartales’ broader experience, it sounds like it’s intended to deliver the same emergent moments. Shiro says that the buildings you construct will influence the types of population and the bonuses you receive, and that your mercenaries can “shape these systems directly through construction, upgrades, or audience events”.

Contract: The Fief isn’t out yet, but its arrival is imminent, looming out of Wartales’ autumnal landscape on September 25. There’s no word on price yet, but since the other two Contract DLCs are $13 (£11), I imagine The Fief will cost around the same.

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