The Settlers New Allies

The Settlers: New Allies on PC is a real-time settlement-building strategy game that combines economic logistics with direct military control. The current Steam, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Store listings continue to use the name The Settlers: New Allies; no separate verified rebrand or definitive edition replaces it. Developed by Ubisoft Düsseldorf within the Blue Byte group and published by Ubisoft, it is aimed at players who want a readable city builder with faster combat and online strategy modes.

Settlement logistics meet real-time battles

Each match begins with a small settlement, limited territory, and a population that must be organized into a functioning economy. You expand across island maps, claim new sectors, gather raw materials, process goods, and connect production buildings through a visible supply chain.

The defining economic layer is the relationship between Carriers, production buildings, storage, and military infrastructure. Basic settlers transport goods around the settlement, while specialized workers turn materials into food, tools, weapons, and other resources. Poor planning can leave a critical building waiting for supplies even when the wider economy appears healthy.

Construction is handled from an isometric-style 3D perspective. Territory expansion matters because new sectors unlock access to resources and strategic positions, while defensive structures and military buildings determine how safely your settlement can grow.

Combat is real-time rather than turn-based. The army includes frontline units, ranged troops, and specialized forces, with faction-specific units adding different tactical options. Battles are supported by active unit abilities, territorial positioning, and an economy that must keep replacing losses.

Three factions with different identities

The PC version includes the Elari, Maru, and Jorn. They share the same broad settlement framework, but each faction has its own visual identity, background, strengths, and unique military unit.

The Elari are closely associated with the campaign's refugee storyline and emphasize a practical settlement-building identity. The Maru bring a nature-oriented theme, while the Jorn have a more martial, northern-inspired presentation. Faction choice changes the look of buildings and armies as well as the way players approach development and combat.

Research is organized through Academies and technology trees. Players can develop protection, crafting, settlement defense, territorial control, or offensive capabilities, creating a choice between a safer economy and a more aggressive military timetable.

Later content updates also added Gadgets, limited-use consumable powers that can influence extraction, concealment, recruitment, or emergency defense. These tools are not a replacement for economic planning, but they give experienced players another layer of timing during difficult matches.

Campaign, Skirmish, and Hardcore play

The story-driven campaign contains 13 missions and follows the Elari as they search for a new home after fleeing a military coup. The campaign introduces the three factions, the production chain, territorial expansion, combat, and the basic technology structure instead of functioning solely as a linear military RTS.

Skirmish mode is the main replayable structure. Players choose a faction, establish a settlement, expand through contested territory, and compete against human opponents or AI across objective-based maps. Official PC storefront information describes online matches for up to eight players, with formats including 1v1, 2v2, and 4v4 play.

Co-op is available through online multiplayer and cross-platform play. You can work with other players against AI or join competitive battles, but this is not a local split-screen city builder. The multiplayer focus makes communication, shared expansion plans, and coordinated attacks more important than simply maximizing one settlement in isolation.

Hardcore mode adds tougher scenarios with constraints such as reduced resources, larger enemy armies, or tighter time limits. It is a better fit for players who already understand the production chains and want the game to punish inefficient openings.

What is included on PC?

The paid base game includes the campaign, the faction roster, Skirmish, online co-op, online PvP, and the core settlement systems. It is not presented as a free-to-play base game. Steam and Epic list the game separately from its optional add-ons and Deluxe Edition.

The current storefront package includes two principal add-on listings: the Starter Pack and the Deluxe Pack. The Starter Pack is built around cosmetic items, in-game Credits, a temporary booster, faction decoy skins, an emblem, and a title rather than a new campaign or faction.

The Deluxe Edition includes the base game together with the Deluxe Pack and Explorer Pack. Storefront descriptions identify these as digital and in-game content additions, so players buying only the standard edition still receive the central campaign, factions, and multiplayer systems.

Updates have also expanded the live game with balance work, additional buildings, new gameplay systems, and scenario content. The important distinction is that these updates do not turn New Allies into a large DLC-driven collection of historical campaigns; the core value remains the campaign and repeatable online settlement matches.

Who should play The Settlers: New Allies?

New Allies suits players who enjoy watching an economy come alive while still having a clear military objective. It is more approachable than a highly technical competitive RTS because the settlement systems are visually readable and the campaign gradually introduces the main tools.

It is a strong match for players who prefer resource chains, territory control, faction selection, and co-op strategy over hero leveling or tactical micro-management. It also works for groups that want a colorful medieval-fantasy setting without committing to a purely peaceful city builder.

Players seeking deep civilian simulation, extensive mod support, or a large offline skirmish sandbox should approach it cautiously. The game puts significant emphasis on online skirmish structure, and its combat model is intentionally simpler than the unit depth found in specialist competitive RTS games.

For a slower territorial RTS with seasonal survival and flexible worker assignment, deliberate settlement strategy games like Northgard provide a useful comparison, although New Allies places more emphasis on visible production logistics and conventional military expansion.

PC platform details and player ecosystem

The PC release is available through Steam, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Store, and Ubisoft Connect. Steam lists Ubisoft Account requirements and Denuvo Anti-tamper, while the Ubisoft Store states that Ubisoft Connect must be installed for PC play. Players should therefore treat the launcher and account requirements as part of the purchase decision.

Steam lists partial controller support, but the game is fundamentally designed around keyboard-and-mouse strategy controls. Players who want precise building placement, production management, and army commands should expect mouse and keyboard to remain the most practical input method.

Localization covers interface and subtitles in 13 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Czech, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. Full audio is listed for English, French, German, and Italian on the Steam storefront, while the remaining supported languages provide interface and subtitle localization.

The game also supports Steam achievements, online PvP, online co-op, and cross-platform multiplayer. Those features make the PC version part of a wider shared multiplayer ecosystem rather than a standalone offline release.

Comparable PC strategy games

Players drawn to the settlement economy and medieval warfare may also enjoy castle-building RTS games such as Stronghold: Definitive Edition, which puts greater emphasis on walls, food production, sieges, and fortress defense.

For a broader civilization-scale RTS with longer technological progression and more historical factions, classic economic warfare like Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is the closer comparison. New Allies is more compact and settlement-focused, while Age of Empires gives players a wider range of eras, civilizations, and battlefield compositions.

These comparisons clarify the game's position: it is not a pure city simulator, not a fortress-only defense game, and not a traditional age-progression RTS. Its identity sits between those categories, with economic flow and territorial expansion supporting relatively direct real-time battles.

The Settlers: New Allies FAQ

Has The Settlers: New Allies been renamed?

No current storefront evidence indicates a replacement name or definitive-edition rebrand. Steam, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft continue to list the PC game as The Settlers: New Allies.

Does the PC version have a single-player campaign?

Yes. The game includes a 13-mission story campaign centered on the Elari and introduces the Maru and Jorn during its progression.

Does The Settlers: New Allies support co-op?

Yes. The PC version supports online co-op and cross-platform multiplayer. Co-op can be used for matches against AI, while the same multiplayer ecosystem also supports competitive PvP.

Can you play against AI?

Yes. Official storefront descriptions list Skirmish battles against other players or AI, and Hardcore mode provides additional high-difficulty PvE challenges.

Is The Settlers: New Allies free to play?

No. The base game is sold as a paid product. Optional Starter and Deluxe Packs add cosmetic items, Credits, and other digital content, while the Deluxe Edition bundles the game with selected packs.

Does it support controllers on PC?

Steam lists partial controller support. Keyboard and mouse remain the safer choice for detailed settlement management, production control, and real-time army commands.

What makes the PC version different?

The PC edition combines the full settlement economy with online PvP, online co-op, cross-platform multiplayer, Steam achievements, Ubisoft Connect integration, and broad interface and subtitle localization. It is best understood as an online-capable build-up RTS rather than a purely offline city-building sandbox.