Manor Lords' dev is experimenting with a new trading system that allows for 'deliberate economic strategies', including establishing monopolies on resources
"You could, for example, attempt to monopolise Iron Slabs by hiring all Merchants on routes that export them."
(Image credit: Slavic Magic)
Medieval city-builder Manor Lords had a quiet 2025, as its developer adjusted to the game's enormous success following its release into Steam early access in 2024. Things picked up speed toward the end of the year, however, with a major patch arriving in December that introduced a rework to core systems and an overhaul to castle construction.
It seems Slavic Magic and publisher Hooded Horse are keen to maintain that momentum in 2026. In a Steam update, Hooded Horse's CEO Tim Bender provided a detailed rundown of what's coming to the management sim this year.
The most immediate planned change is a new upgrade level for the Burgage Plot—Manor Lords' basic homestead that can be expanded and tailored to a variety of uses. Burgage plots currently have three upgrade levels, but Slavic Magic is adding a new level, which exists between 2 and 3. "Its goal is to more smoothly bridge the gap between early and late-game housing", Bender explains.
Manor Lords - Launch Trailer - YouTube 
According to Bender, this new system ties trade routes to specific locations, with said location using them to import and export specific items. "While a good like iron may appear on multiple routes, some cities will offer better prices than others, making certain routes more desirable…and more contested", Bender explains.
Each of these trade routes can support up to three merchants using it, while engaging in trade along any route requires you to hire at least one of them. If all merchants for a route are hired, lords can attempt a buyout of that merchant, increasing the hire fee and triggering a cooldown before they can be bought out again. "This turns profitable routes into contested economic territory rather than guaranteed income", Bender says.
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This, Bender reckons, enables players to apply specific economic strategies. "You could, for example, attempt to monopolise Iron Slabs by hiring all Merchants on routes that export them. This would be expensive, but could leave a rival Lord without access to Iron, forcing them to adapt by paying inflated prices, expanding into an Iron-rich region, or negotiating with you directly." It might even result in "diplomatic deals where a rival trades excess weapons or other goods in exchange for Iron Slabs, effectively paying you as a middleman."