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Age of Empires IV: Raiders of the North Is Out Now, Bringing Vikings, Scots and a Rebuilt Crucible

Source: Age of Empires

Compiled by MetaPatchAI · Published , 7:11 AM ET

Age of Empires IV: Raiders of the North Is Out Now, Bringing Vikings, Scots and a Rebuilt Crucible

Oct 30, 2026: The longships have landed. Raiders of the North, the newest expansion for Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition, launched on Thursday, Oct. 29. It adds two new civilizations, the Vikings and the Scots, plus two new biomes and a big overhaul of the game's co-op-friendly Crucible mode. World's Edge announced the launch on the official Age of Empires site, and Xbox Wire ran its own "available now" post the same day.

Here's what's in the box, what it costs, where you can play it and what we still don't know.

The short version

  • What: a paid expansion (DLC) for Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition
  • Released: Oct. 29, 2026
  • Platforms: Steam, Microsoft Store, Xbox and PlayStation 5, according to the official Age of Empires launch post
  • Price: $19.99 on the US Xbox Store listing
  • Requires: the base game, sold separately
  • Developers: World's Edge, Relic Entertainment, Forgotten Empires and Climax Studios, with Xbox Game Studios publishing (per the Xbox Store and Steam listings)

Two new civilizations

The Vikings. The official store description pitches the Vikings as "a relentless power shaped by raids, mobile and adaptable infantry." Early on, their strength is "fast melee infantry, early naval dominance, and a resilient economy built around the Longhouse." The civ changes over the course of a match: the store copy says that "pagan traditions give way to emerging kingdoms," with armies that adapt "with knights and trained militias" and "heroic Sagas that grant lasting power." The Age of Empires launch post also names Völur seers and Berserkers as part of the roster.

The Scots. The Scots are the defensive counterweight. The store page says they rely on "disciplined infantry, fortified defenses, and a unique food economy driven by Highland cattle and fishponds." A building called the Mustering Hall "allows players to shape their forces between Highland and Lowland strengths." The launch post adds that Scots can ambush enemies "from stealth forests" and names two signature units: the Gallowglass and the Border Reivers.

Both civilizations come with their own architecture, masteries, music and what the developers call an "evolving language."

The Crucible, reforged

The other headline feature is Crucible mode. With Raiders of the North, Crucible can be played solo or in two-player co-op. Expansion owners get four new exclusive Crucible missions, which the developers describe as "fresh challenges like seaborne raiders and civil war among Scottish clans."

The launch post lists what else is new:

  • A new progression system with unlockable Boons, a civilization talent track and Boon Ascension
  • New Objectives, Perks and Mutators, with Conqueror Mode getting "25 new weekly mutators"
  • Co-op support for both new and existing missions

The post also says Crucible is getting "a mammoth update alongside the Raiders of the North release," including a "massive balance update." That suggests players who skip the DLC will still see changes to the mode. The four new missions, though, are for DLC owners only.

Two new biomes

The expansion adds two map biomes: Scottish Heathland and Tundra Summer. The official copy says they "shape the look and feel of the battlefield."

Patch 17.0 ships alongside

World's Edge says the launch-day update includes "additional fixes and changes that were not part of our 17.0 Preview," and it links to full 17.0 release notes on the Age of Empires site. We haven't gone through those notes for this story, so check the official post if you're after balance changes for existing civs.

How we got here

According to Gematsu's report from June, the expansion was first announced at the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 in June. The official Xbox YouTube channel's announce trailer is titled "Age of Empires IV: Raiders of the North Announce Trailer | XBOX Games Showcase 2026." Pre-orders opened on Sept. 29, according to an earlier post on the official Age of Empires site.

What's confirmed / not confirmed

Confirmed (official sources): - Released Oct. 29, 2026 (Age of Empires news post, Xbox Store and Steam listings) - Adds the Vikings and the Scots, four new Crucible missions, solo and two-player co-op Crucible, and the Scottish Heathland and Tundra Summer biomes - Available on Steam, Microsoft Store, Xbox and PS5 (Age of Empires news post) - $19.99 on the US Xbox Store; requires Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition - A 17.0 update shipped the same day

Not confirmed / not checked by us: - Pricing outside the US Xbox Store and on PS5 or Steam - The full 17.0 balance changes (we haven't read the release notes) - The full text of the Xbox Wire post (its body didn't load for us; only the headline, byline and date did) - Any player-count or sales figures (none have been published)

Sources

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