Age of Empires IV‘s Raiders of the North expansion launches on October 29, 2026, for $19.99 (€19.99, £14.99), according to its Steam store listing, and pre-orders opened on September 29. The developers’ pre-order announcement fills in what the June reveal left out: two new civilizations, two new biomes, and a large update for the Crucible mode that adds co-op.
The Two New Civilizations
- Vikings: an aggressive infantry civilization built around raiding. The Longhouse anchors its economy, Northern Migration lets your population train for free, Heroic Sagas unlock bonuses as you pull off great deeds, and Sacred Groves hold key ground. Berserkers lead the charge early, while Knights and Militia Crossbowmen arrive later as the Viking Age gives way to Scandinavian kingdoms.
- Scots: a defensive infantry civilization with a food economy built on Highland Cattle and communal Fishponds, units that ambush from stealth forests, the Gallowglass on the front line and Border Reivers for deep raids. The Mustering Hall lets you lean toward Highland warriors or Lowland forces.
The expansion also adds two biomes (Scottish Heathland and Tundra Summer), 12 new taunts, new mastery unlocks, and seven new achievements.
The Crucible Gets Co-op
The Crucible gets what the developers call a “mammoth update” alongside the release, with new and updated content and a big balance pass. Missions, new and existing, can now be played with a second player, and the mode gains Conqueror and Custom modes plus talent tracks for each civilization. Raiders of the North owners also get four exclusive Crucible missions, including seaborne raids and a civil war among Scottish clans.
What This Means for Players
This is Age of Empires IV’s second paid DLC of the year, after Yue Fei’s Legacy in May. Ranked players will have two new civilizations to learn and play against from launch day, and Crucible players should note the split: the developers reserve only the four new missions for expansion owners, and present co-op and the balance pass as part of the mode’s update that ships alongside the release. PlayStation 5 players can’t pre-order; the expansion goes on sale in the PS5 store on launch day.
For more strategy, see Tempest Rising’s Veti’s Wrath expansion, Total War: Warhammer III’s Lords of the End Times, and our lists of the best Civilization 6 mods and best Bannerlord mods.
When and Where
- Release: October 29, 2026.
- Price: $19.99 / €19.99 / £14.99 on Steam.
- Pre-order: Steam, Microsoft Store and Xbox now; PlayStation 5 store on launch day.
- Requires: Age of Empires IV.
Source: Age of Empires team, pre-order announcement on ageofempires.com and Steam, September 29, 2026; Steam store listing.