Age of Empires IV: Raiders of the North

Age of Empires IV: Raiders of the North was released on Oct 29, 2026 as a paid expansion for Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition. Vikings and Scots add to the playable civilizations. Each has its own economic systems, military focuses and progression options.

Four additional Crucible missions, two landscape biomes and new masteries expand the content. The Crucible now also supports shared runs for two players. Some improvements to this mode are part of the general game update and do not require buying Raiders of the North.

Released Oct 29, 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The expansion is available via Steam and the Xbox store, among others. For PlayStation 5, sales were announced from launch day.

Raiders of the North is additional content: playing it requires Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition on the same platform.

Raiders of the North is available for PC, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. On PC, the expansion can be bought via Steam. The Xbox versions are available for the respective console generations.

The expansion requires the matching Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition. It is not a standalone strategy game.

The Vikings reward high attack tempo, mobile infantry and raids on enemy economic buildings. Longhouses support their economy, hero sagas unlock bonuses and sacred groves help control key map areas.

The Scots rely on sturdy infantry and fortified positions. Highland cattle and fish ponds supply their economy. In the Recruitment Hall, players set the focus between Highland and Lowland forces. Both civilizations add to the familiar mechanics of economy, Age advancement and territorial control.

Raiders of the North includes two playable civilizations, four additional Crucible missions and the Scottish Heathland and Summer Tundra biomes. Vikings and Scots each have their own masteries, music and tactical systems. Playing requires Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition.

The Crucible expansion is split: four new challenges belong exclusively to Raiders of the North. The two-player co-op for existing Crucible missions and basic mode improvements are also available to owners of Dynasties of the East. Both expansions are standalone add-on packs.

The PC version requires Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), a processor with AVX support such as Intel Core i5-6300U or AMD Ryzen 5 2400G, 8 GB RAM, DirectX 12 and 50 GB free storage. Steam lists Intel HD 520 or Radeon RX Vega 11 as minimum graphics.

The recommended settings call for 16 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon RX 570 with 4 GB video memory. The expansion uses the base game Age of Empires IV.

Vikings play offensively and rely early on mobile melee units and raids. Their longhouse supports the economy, while fast attacks on enemy supplies advance their own development.

Over the course of a match, knights and other organized troops gain importance. Hero sagas grant bonuses for special achievements. Sacred groves secure important positions and strengthen nearby units. The civilization combines early aggression with an economy that grows through successful advances.

The Scots use resilient infantry, fortresses and their own food economy. Highland cattle and fish ponds help supply. Tower houses and castles help hold important areas.

The Recruitment Hall lets you choose between Highland and Lowland troops. Gallowglass warriors strengthen melee combat, Border Reivers enable fast raids. Scottish troops can also set ambushes from camouflaged forests. This puts more emphasis on defense, positioning and controlled counterattacks.

The Crucible can now also be played with two players. Both the existing challenges from Dynasties of the East and the four additional missions from Raiders of the North support single player and two-player co-op. The new scenarios Sea Raiders, Scottish Isthmus, Lost Desert and Thunder & Trumpets require the new expansion.

The mode includes 25 additional boons and 25 new mutators. Each civilization has a talent path with 15 levels. Boons can be upgraded or excluded from your own selection. In Conqueror mode, players compete under fixed progression conditions, while Custom mode allows your own challenges. The basic Crucible improvements are also available to owners of Dynasties of the East.

Scottish Heathland and Summer Tundra add to the landscape selection in Age of Empires IV. Heathland features purple-flowering moorland and lakes, while Summer Tundra is a northern landscape with grassland, shrubs and bodies of water.

Both biomes change the backdrop of battles. New campaigns or new resource types are not added with them.

World's Edge, Relic Entertainment, Forgotten Empires and Climax Studios developed Raiders of the North. Publisher is Xbox Game Studios. The Vikings and Scots have their own economic models, military focuses and architecture based on the historical societies of Northern Europe.

The two civilizations were first shown at the Xbox Games Showcase 2026. On Oct 29, 2026, the expansion was released for Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition.