Firefly Studios announces they plan to reveal Stronghold Crusader 2 at E3 next week, though of course this actually reveals plans for their siege gameplay series today. At E3 they will roll out video and screenshots from the game, and presumably release new details, though they offer quite a bit already, including a Q4 2013 release window and word that they will be crowdsourcing some of the funding for the self-published project. Here's word:

London, UK – 4th June 2013 – Strategy fans and castle builders rejoice, Firefly Studios has just announced the next entry in their legendary Stronghold series will be revealed at E3 2013. Set to march across the Atlantic next week Stronghold Crusader 2 will be shown to press at E3, with the first screenshots and game trailer released to the public shortly after.

Seeking to build upon the trademark gameplay of the original Stronghold Crusader, Firefly will be showing press the game’s new visuals, sleek new battle interface, new units and AI characters. Stronghold Crusader 2 promises the original game’s epic fast-paced skirmish gameplay with all-new maps, unit classes, traps and unique castle designs not seen before in the Stronghold series.

“The Stronghold series has been a huge success. Since the launch of the first game more than 6 million Stronghold games have been sold and it’s all thanks to the fans, many of whom have been with us from the very start,” said Nick Tannahill, Marketing Manager at Firefly Studios. “We can’t wait to show people what we’ve been working on and will do just that with our E3 reveal. I’m happy to announce that we will also be launching the full Crusader 2 website on June 11th, which will feature the game’s first trailer, artwork and more”.

Currently scheduled for release in Q4 2013, Stronghold Crusader 2 will be self-published by Firefly Studios. Later this year the team plans to seek additional funds through game-focused crowd sourcing service Gambitious, with funding going towards polish, a closed backer-only beta and additional game content.

More news and information on Stronghold Crusader 2 can be found at StrongholdCrusader2.com and fans can help fund the latest crusade at Gambitious.com. Follow @SHCrusader2 for updates on the crowd funding campaign and updates on the development of Stronghold Crusader 2.