Age of Empires 3: DE's latest expansion is back from the dead — Here's what you can expect from the revived content

A knight in ornate armor rides a horse in a dramatic battlefield scene from "Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition," with soldiers lined up behind him and a sunset in the background. — I bet you weren't expecting this, were you? (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

As part of Microsoft's Age of Empires revival, the third installment received a Definitive Edition treatment in 2020. Although not nearly as popular as Age of Empires 2 (which also received a glorious remake), Age of Empires 3 has a loyal following amongst real-time strategy (RTS) fans.

I have good news for those PC gamers. Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition is currently testing a new "The Baltic Powers" expansion in open beta. The test runs from July 23 until August 6, after which the expansion will officially launch on September 10, 2026.

This is the first expansion of Age 3 since 2022's Knights of the Mediterranean, which added Italian and Maltese civilizations, as well as plenty of new maps, new minor civs, new game modes, and new achievements.

Age of Empires 3: DE's new DLC adds two new civilizations

A vibrant winter village with traditional red Scandinavian-style houses, a large windmill, and mist, complete with people and flags, set against a snowy landscape. — A screenshot from the new Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition "The Baltic Powers" DLC. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

The biggest addition to the game is undoubtedly the two new civilizations: Poles and Danes.

In the former case, you'll take control of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with a focus on economic perks and cavalry armies.

For the latter, you're looking at taking control of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway to foist naval control and strong defenses on your enemies.

A medieval battle scene with soldiers in yellow uniforms preparing for combat outside a burning fortified gate. — A look at the new Havana Heat challenge scenario. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

The DLC comes with new challenge scenarios as set pieces to test your skills, as well as Regicide and Independence game modes. Regicide, as most Age veterans know, is a race to kill the enemy's king. Independence is a new one for me, and it involves a lack of Home City support.

And finally, if you're feeling burned out on the current map selection, The Baltic Powers is adding 20 new maps to the pool.

Can I still join the open beta test on Steam?

The open beta testing period for the new Age 3 expansion runs until August 6. To get in on the advance fun, just make sure you have the game downloaded on Steam.

Right-click Age of Empires 3: DE in your Steam library, click Properties, click the Game Versions & Betas tab, then click open_beta. An update with the open beta files should begin automatically.

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Cale Hunt brings to Windows Central more than nine years of experience writing about PC gaming, Windows laptops, accessories, and beyond. If it runs Windows or in some way complements the hardware, there’s a good chance he knows about it, has written about it, or is already busy testing it.