: The AI moved away from static build plans, instead adjusting its strategy based on its specific Wielders and goals. It also became significantly better at utilizing spells and defending settlements.
: A major "Simultaneous Turns" feature was added, allowing players not currently in battle to continue moving, gathering resources, and managing towns while others were in combat, significantly reducing downtime.
: Gameplay is divided between managing a kingdom on a world map (building towns, researching tech) and engaging in hex-based tactical combat using units led by powerful commanders called "Wielders".
This development cycle, often referred to by the developers as the "Difficulties Unlocked" update, introduced several transformative features to the game:
: Five distinct difficulty levels were introduced, ranging from "Very Easy" to "Very Hard," allowing players to customize their challenge.