Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns
Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns launches on Thursday, August 13, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and GOG. It is developed by Black Tower Basement and published by Nordcurrent Labs.
Shown in your local time · counts down to Thursday, August 13, 2026 (time not yet official)
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Release date: Thursday, August 13, 2026 · PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC · TBA
- Release date
- Thursday, August 13, 2026
- Platforms
- PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Price
- TBA
- Pre-order
- Not yet open; wishlist available on Steam, GOG, PS Store and Xbox
- Last verified
- July 7, 2026
Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns is a ground-up remake of the 1986 Cinemaware strategy classic, arriving to mark the original's 40th anniversary. Set during the Saxon-Norman struggle for medieval England, it hands players a knight's ambitions to raise armies, lay siege to castles, and unify a fractured kingdom. The package bundles three distinct ways to play: a faithful Retro Mode, a modernized Classic Mode, and an all-new Kingdom Mode.
Developer Black Tower Basement and publisher Nordcurrent Labs have confirmed a simultaneous launch on Thursday, August 13, 2026, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC through both Steam and GOG. A standard-edition price has not been announced at the time of writing, and the storefront listings are currently open for wishlisting rather than paid pre-order. No Game Pass or PlayStation Plus availability has been confirmed.
Anticipation is high because the title revives a name many players remember from the Amiga era while adding something new for a modern audience. Retro Mode preserves the original experience, Classic Mode rebuilds it with fresh visuals and smoother systems, and Kingdom Mode layers in a dice-driven roguelite deck-builder in which players assemble tactical decks and manipulate rolls across procedurally generated campaigns. That mix of nostalgia and reinvention is what has kept the countdown front of mind.
Global unlock times
When the countdown hits zero, here is the local time in cities around the world.
| City | Local unlock time |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles UTC-7 | 5:00 PM · Wed, Aug 12 * |
| New York UTC-4 | 8:00 PM · Wed, Aug 12 * |
| São Paulo UTC-3 | 9:00 PM · Wed, Aug 12 * |
| London UTC+1 | 1:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Berlin UTC+2 | 2:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Paris UTC+2 | 2:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Istanbul UTC+3 | 3:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Riyadh UTC+3 | 3:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Dubai UTC+4 | 4:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Cairo UTC+3 | 3:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Mumbai UTC+5:30 | 5:30 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Bangkok UTC+7 | 7:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Jakarta UTC+7 | 7:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Hanoi UTC+7 | 7:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Manila UTC+8 | 8:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Kuala Lumpur UTC+8 | 8:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Singapore UTC+8 | 8:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Tokyo UTC+9 | 9:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Seoul UTC+9 | 9:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Shanghai UTC+8 | 8:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Taipei UTC+8 | 8:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Karachi UTC+5 | 5:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Dhaka UTC+6 | 6:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Mexico City UTC-6 | 6:00 PM · Wed, Aug 12 * |
| Bogotá UTC-5 | 7:00 PM · Wed, Aug 12 * |
| Buenos Aires UTC-3 | 9:00 PM · Wed, Aug 12 * |
| Santiago UTC-4 | 8:00 PM · Wed, Aug 12 * |
| Chicago UTC-5 | 7:00 PM · Wed, Aug 12 * |
| Toronto UTC-4 | 8:00 PM · Wed, Aug 12 * |
| Madrid UTC+2 | 2:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Rome UTC+2 | 2:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Moscow UTC+3 | 3:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Warsaw UTC+2 | 2:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Lagos UTC+1 | 1:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Johannesburg UTC+2 | 2:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Sydney UTC+10 | 10:00 AM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
| Auckland UTC+12 | 12:00 PM · Thu, Aug 13 * |
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