Ubisoft homesteads Settlers 7 for PC

It's been 15 years since Blue Byte's The Settlers first put down roots, and the city-building strategy series doesn't look to be packing up and going anywhere anytime soon. Ubisoft today announced the German studio known for the franchise is developing The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom for release on the PC next spring.

Set in early-Renaissance Europe, The Settlers 7 will give players three distinct avenues to domination. Players will be able to impose their will upon others by building up formidable military might, researching scientific breakthroughs, or amassing a fortune through trade routes.

The game will include campaign and skirmish maps for solo players, as well as cooperative and competitive multiplayer challenges with such features as leaderboards and user-generated content. Ubisoft has also confirmed plans to offer downloadable content.

The last original installment in the strategy series was 2007's The Settlers: Rise of an Empire. Various games have also been overhauled and released on PCs, with The Settlers II seeing a critically unsuccessful revamp on the DS.