This underrated Viking-themed strategy game is getting a definitive edition — and there's a free upgrade for existing owners

Developer Shiro Games is bringing one last major update to its Viking-themed real-time strategy (RTS) game, Northgard, with Northgard: Definitive Edition slated to arrive on Dec. 4, 2025, for Windows PC via Steam.

This final upgrade brings a host of new features to the game, with the first three Clan DLC packs (the Snake, Horse, and Dragon clans) being integrated into the base experience, as well as bundling in the Cross of Vidar expansion.

There are also new areas to play in, with a Valhalla biome shaking up the known territory. Meanwhile, the Bifrost biomes are being expanded and will now be available in new modes.

If you're a fan of in-game artwork, you'll also be happy to know that the developers are also adding a digital art book that includes all the art the team worked on during the game's development. You can check out the reveal trailer for Northgard: Definitive Edition below:

Northgard Definitive Edition | REVEAL TRAILER - YouTube

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With Northgard having sold over 5 million copies since it launched back in 2018, the developers aren't leaving existing owners out. Anyone who has already purchased the game is getting a free upgrade to the definitive edition.

That means if you own Northgard but haven't bought the expansion or those three clan DLCs before, you'll get them at no extra cost. Northgard: Definitive Edition is set to launch at $35 on Steam on Dec. 4, 2025.

The team has also confirmed that players can look forward to a number of bug fixes coming alongside this upgrade, though there aren't any patch notes at this time.

A cool way to send a great game out

While this being the final update is a bit bittersweet, I'm glad to see the developers giving Northgard a bit more attention with this definitive edition. It's a fantastic game, unlike many other RTS titles.

For the unfamiliar, Northgard tasks players with overseeing a clan of Vikings in a hostile land, growing and expanding over time through trade and conquest. Scarce resources are a serious problem, and it can be challenging to keep a village alive through winter and attacks by creatures out of Norse mythology.

The learning curve can be a bit rough, but it's a lot of fun once you understand what you're doing. It's different compared to something like Xbox Game Studios and World Edge's Age of Empires, and if you're into the setting, it's definitely a game I'd recommend checking out.

Northgard supports single-player and multiplayer, so you can start leading a clan by yourself or team up with some friends.

Shiro Games also developed Dune: Spice Wars, a similarly underrated RTS title that I quite enjoyed playing and highly recommend checking out if you find yourself craving sand instead of snow. It's another more unconventional title, with subterfuge and spice harvesting given precedent over all-out warfare...at least for a while. That game draws on a lot of the ideas the team first explored with Northgard.

Northgard: $3.39 at Loaded.com

Northgard is being upgraded into a definitive edition with one last major update. Existing owners get a free upgrade, but if you don't have the game already, you can snag it for just $5 via Loaded (formerly CDKeys).

See at: Loaded (Steam)

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