The Settlers original creator returns to city-building with Pioneers Of Pagonia

It’s been almost 30 years since the management RTS The Settlers was first released. The series is still going strong at Ubisoft, but its original creator Volker Wertich is returning to the genre with Pioneers Of Pagonia, a similar city-building sim. The game is currently in development at indie studio Envision Entertainment and it’ll be entering early access on Steam by the end of this year.

Pagonia’s announcement trailer doesn’t divulge much information, but the team detailed some of the things we can expect in early access. As a city-builder game, you can expect to place structures, build alliances, and transport goods. Each map in the fictional islands of Pagonia is also procedurally generated, so the geography of your city will likely change in each playthrough. The team say early access will include over 40 building types and 70 good and production changes, allowing you to get more creative when building an economy.

Exploration will also play a larger role than usual in Pioneers Of Pagonia. You can journey through these tropical islands to discover treasure or hidden areas, although you probably won’t want too trek far. Not all of the island’s inhabitants are going to be friendly. A co-op mode is currently being planned, so you might be able to take a friend to the islands, at some point during the early access period.

Wertich, who's serving as creative director, says the team is “returning to the origins of city building simulation, with thousands of inhabitants scurrying around and a focus on the in-depth simulation of the game world and economy that the community loves so much.”

Wertich will have to compete with his old baby this year, since The Settlers: New Allies is coming on February 17th, and it looks like a good’un. In his preview, Liam said New Allies “is a slick and modern take on the classic Settlers formula,” adding that “hardcore mode is an exciting addition I can see myself losing a lot of time within.”

We’ll see which one reigns supreme and, ahem, settles in with the fanbase. For now, you can wishlist Pioneers Of Pagonia on Steam, in preparation for its early access release this fall.