Age of Empires IV Raiders of the North is out now on Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PC, and it adds two civilizations, the Vikings and the Scots, plus four new Crucible missions you can play solo or with a friend. It’s $19.99 on Steam and needs Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition. If Crusader Kings III’s Silk & Silver was your slow-burn medieval DLC this fall, this is the loud, real-time one.
The Vikings and the Scots
The Vikings start fast. They get quick melee infantry, early naval strength and the Longhouse, which anchors their economy. As the ages pass they turn from raiders into a kingdom with knights and trained militia, and their Sagas track what you’ve done and pay out lasting bonuses. Berserkers are the unit everyone will rush to try.
The Scots play the long game. Their food comes from Highland cattle and fishponds, their infantry is disciplined, and they can ambush from stealth forests. The Mustering Hall lets you tilt your army toward Highland or Lowland units, so you can change the plan to fit the match. Gallowglass hold the front while Border Reivers raid deep behind it.
Crucible goes co-op
Crucible, the challenge mode that came with the Dynasties of the East expansion, gets four new missions that only Raiders of the North owners can play, built around seaborne raiders and a civil war between Scottish clans. The rest of the overhaul is free with update 17.0 if you own Dynasties of the East. Every Crucible mission now works solo or in two-player co-op, there are more Boons and Perks, each civilization gets its own talent track, and Conqueror Mode picks up 25 new weekly mutators.
The expansion also adds two biomes, Scottish Heathland and Tundra Summer, and it shipped alongside Age of Empires IV update 17.0. The 17.0 release notes are linked from World’s Edge’s launch post if you want the full change list.
Where to buy it
| Platform | Store | US price |
|---|---|---|
| PC | Steam | $19.99 (needs Anniversary Edition, $39.99) |
| PC | Microsoft Store | Check store |
| Xbox Series X|S | Xbox Store | Check store |
| PS5 | PlayStation Store | Check store |
Age of Empires IV isn’t sold on GOG, so on PC your choices are Steam and the Microsoft Store. If you don’t own the base game yet, the Anniversary Edition is $39.99 on Steam, which puts the whole package at about $60.
Pick the Vikings if you like to hit early, the Scots if you’d rather wall up and wait, and grab a friend for the new Crucible.