Manor Lords 2026: Trade Wars & Merchant Monopolies in Medieval Markets
Manor Lords is turning castles into corporate battlegrounds as its 2026 trade war strategy drops.
The 2026 roadmap introduces a new Burgage Plot upgrade level between tiers 2 and 3, aiming to "more smoothly bridge the gap between early and late-game housing." Workshop progressions for baker and cobbler workshops may also shift to later stages, altering resource management dynamics.
The new trade system ties routes to specific locations, enabling economic warfare through Merchant buyouts.
Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender described the mechanic: "You could... monopolise Iron Slabs by hiring all Merchants on routes that export them." This creates competitive trade scenarios where players can disrupt opponents' economies by controlling critical resources.
Bender explicitly requested player feedback: "We're interested in how this kind of competitive trade feels to you."
The update follows the 2024 Steam early access release and 2025 stabilization period. Notably, Hooded Horse banned AI assets in publishing contracts, with Bender calling generative tools "cancerous."
