The Guild: Europa 1410 shows off medieval dynasty gameplay — Early Access delayed to September

Czech studio Ashborne Games and publisher THQ Nordic have released a new overview trailer for The Guild: Europa 1410, a medieval dynasty sim that lets you build a family empire through commerce, corruption, or political maneuvering. Early Access on Steam was originally set for July 16 but has been pushed to September following community feedback from the demo. No exact September date has been announced yet.

The pitch

You pick a city — Wrocław, Kutná Hora, Nuremberg, or Graz among others — and choose a trade to anchor your dynasty: blacksmithing, pottery, tavern-keeping, merchant work. From there the game opens into a web of social systems. Wealth alone isn't enough; you need political clout to make the city council listen and to keep the law on your side. The tools available include bribery, blackmail, charitable donations, church patronage, and outright criminal enterprise. Dynasty marriages and open rivalries are also on the table. The whole thing runs on Unreal Engine 5, with a stated emphasis on historical accuracy and detailed period visuals.

The game is a reboot of Europa 1400: The Guild, a cult strategy sim from 2002, reviving a franchise that stalled badly with The Guild 3 in 2019.

Studio track record

Ashborne Games isn't an unknown quantity. Their debut title Last Train Home — a tactical RTS set during the Czechoslovak Legion's grueling Siberian retreat after World War I — earned a Metacritic score of 80, 86% positive reviews on Steam, and won Czech Game of the Year 2023. THQ Nordic is betting that pedigree carries over to a more complex, open-ended sim.

The demo at Steam Next Fest ranked 25th most-played out of more than 4,000 titles, drawing tens of thousands of players. Overall Steam sentiment on the demo sits at 47% positive, though — a mixed reading that the developers say influenced their decision to delay and address feedback before Early Access opens.

Pricing hasn't been disclosed, and there's no word yet on a console release. The Guild: Europa 1410 is currently Steam-only, with Early Access arriving sometime in September 2026.