Westeros

First, a disclosure: it has been a very long time since I seriously played this particular kind of real-time strategy game. The last one I spent much time with was Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, back in 1995. I never moved on to StarCraft, Total Annihilation, Command & Conquer and the rest. Some Total War, yes, but that’s a different beast in a lot of ways. So, with that out of the way, and the recognition that it means I’m not really in a position to tell experienced RTS players whether Game of Thrones: War for Westeros is doing something revolutionary or even exceptional for the genre. But I can give my near-neophyte impressions, and also share how well the game captures the feel of Game of Thrones (and ASoIaF) in its tactical gameplay.

The verdict? Quite impressed! I’ve posted my thoughts over at the Features section of the site, here. But one thing I shared there, I’ll highlight here as well: PlaySide has now revealed two additional heroes that will be part of the game, heroes that were not included in the demo build that we and other press had access to. Here’s the reveal of the Mountain that Rides and Arya Stark:

As teased two weeks ago, PlaySide has premiered its full gameplay trailer at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, giving a richer look at the real time strategy game’s factions and units, combat, and more. You can see the trailer for yourself below!

We’ve had the opportunity to play an early demo build of the game, and hope to share some of our impressions soon!

For more, including the announcement of a beta test, read the press release below:

Due to a combination of oversight on my part and just being rather busy, I have realized that we’ve not posted about the fact that we’ve actually put up our review of the finale of House of the Dragon a few days ago…

... and for that matter, that we’ve posted our review of Game of Thrones: The Mad King as well, rather belatedly. There may be a future video about it as well, if there’s interest, to discuss in more detail but presently we’re adhering to the RSC’s request that we don’t say too many specific things about the plot points. Suffice it to say, it’s an incredible experience, and we hope there’ll soon be news about additional performances.

Back when PlaySide Studios and Warner Bros. Games announced Game of Thrones: War for Westeros, the real-time strategy game was expected to arrive on PC in 2026. The wait will now be a little longer.

In a substantial development update, PlaySide discussed the game’s factions, heroes, combat mechanics, unit behavior, and the importance of controlling terrain. The update closed with the announcement that War for Westeros will now launch in early 2027, giving the developers additional time to reach the level of quality they are aiming for.

Today brings something rather more immediate: PlaySide has released a brief official gameplay reveal teaser. It is very brief indeed, but offers our first small taste of the game in action.

We’re barreling on towards the end of the third season of House of the Dragon, and Elio and Linda are back on Youtube to discuss the penultimate, 7th episode. You can see their thoughts below!

With Game of Thrones: The Mad Kingwell on its way after a somewhat delayed first performance, the Royal Shakespeare Company has sent out word that they have shared their first image of the primary cast in full costume. Featuring characters from the eponymous Mad King, Aerys I, to Eddard Stark, it gives us our best look yet at the costuming and the approach the show has taken to bring them to life. Absolutely love the lilac hue of Ashara’s gown, for example, and the elaborate styling of Queen Rhaella’s hair is incredible.

See the full press release that came with the image below!

Left to right, the portrait includes Tanisha Spring as Ashara Dayne, Elizabeth Ayodele as Princess Elia Martell, Mariah Gale as Queen Rhaella Targaryen, Callum Woodhouse as Lord Robert Baratheon, Michael Shaeffer as King Aerys II Targaryen, Harmony Rose-Bremner as Lyanna Stark, Luke Brady as Brandon Stark, Noah Ritter as Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Michael Abubakar as Eddard Stark.