Age of Empires IV: Raiders of the North will be released on October 30, launching on PC, Xbox, and PS5 platforms. It adds Vikings, Scots, four new Forge Arena missions, co-op mode, and two new biomes.
The Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition expansion "Raiders of the North" is set to release at the end of this month (October 30). The expansion was officially announced at the Xbox Games Showcase this June. It will launch on PC (Steam and Microsoft Store), Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, as well as PS5, priced at $19.99 (CNY 118 in China), and requires ownership of the base Anniversary Edition game on the same platform.
Vikings and Scots join the roster
Age of Empires IV: Raiders of the North adds two civilizations, each with unique buildings, specializations, music, and voiceovers. The Viking civilization focuses on raiding, fast melee infantry, and early naval strength, with an economy centered around communal longhouses. As the civilization evolves, they transform from pagan raiders into a medieval kingdom with knights and trained militia, while heroic sagas grant them lasting dominance.
The Scots represent a resilient, defense-oriented civilization. Their food economy relies on Highland cattle grazing on berry bushes near towers, as well as fish ponds. The Muster Hall allows players to allocate troops based on highland and lowland strengths. Scottish infantry can see through stealth forests, while spearmen, pikemen, and Lochaber axemen can form schiltrons to block cavalry charges.
New missions and biomes added to the Forge, enriching the content
The "Forge Arena" mode was initially launched with The Sultans Ascend expansion, requiring players to defend a Wonder against waves of enemies. Age of Empires IV: Raiders of the North adds four new missions to this mode, including naval raiding and civil war between Scottish clans. The mode now supports single-player and two-player co-op, and introduces new objectives, boons, specialties, mutators, and civilization-specific talent trees. Two entirely new terrains—Scottish Highlands and Tundra Summer—also change the look of the battlefield.
Game Pass
The Microsoft Store page lists Age of Empires IV: Raiders of the North as paid DLC, without mentioning whether it is included in Game Pass. The Xbox page only notes that online multiplayer on consoles requires a Game Pass Essential, Premium, or Ultimate membership. The Anniversary Edition is now available on all supported platforms.
