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

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.

The Baltic Powers was actually a previously planned DLC that got canceled. It's not clear exactly why it was canceled, but I guess the game has proved resilient enough in terms of player count to warrant new content. For reference, SteamDB lists the game as having a 24-hour player peak of 5,470. Not bad at all.

Here's what you can expect from the latest Age of Empires 3 expansion content.

Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition's latest DLC is "The Baltic Powers," and it's expected to launch on September 10, 2026. You can pick it up ahead of time at the Microsoft Store or on Steam.

👉 See at Microsoft

👉 See at Steam

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

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 look at the new Havana Heat challenge scenario. (Image cre…