Age of Wonders 4: Eldritch Realms release date and content revealed

Explore a new map layer, choose a new ruler type, and much more

Marco Wutz | May 30, 2024

Triumph Studios / Paradox Interactive

The grand finale of the Age of Wonders 4 Expansion Pass 1 is upon us: The Eldritch Realms DLC will be released on June 18, 2024, adding a host of interesting content to the turn-based strategy game from Triumph Studios and Paradox Interactive – and yeah, there’ll be tentacles.

Eldritch Realms will add the Umbral Abyss, a new map layer featuring unique battle maps, locations, independent factions, and environmental conditions.

Fittingly, a new ruler type will be introduced as well to join Champions, Wizard Kings, and Ancient Dragons: Eldritch Sovereigns are beings corrupted by the Umbral Abyss and can dominate their foes with their unique Thrall spell casting mechanic. They can also choose between manipulating the flesh or focus on tampering with wild, chaotic magic.

Welcome to the Umbral Abyss. Enjoy your stay? / Triumph Studios / Paradox Interactive

Three Tomes of Magic will be newly introduced to flesh out this DLC’s theme: The Tome of the Tentacle and the Tome of Corruption embrace the Eldritch ways, while the Tome of Cleansing Flame is designed to combat them.

A brand-new event system with mini-crises spice up your campaigns in Eldritch Realms: The Cosmic Happenings will challenge all rulers at once, featuring unique tactical maps, units, and mechanics. Overcoming these challenges promises lucrative rewards, though.

Players will get to customize their factions with two additional physical forms: One is an Insect Swarm and the other is a returning species from Age of Wonders’ past, the Syrons.

Age of Wonders 4: Eldritch Realms screenshot of a battle.

Many new challenges and crises await. / Triumph Studios / Paradox Interactive

Rounding out the package are two additional Story Realms, two mounts, two new Realm templates, three new Realm Traits, five premade rulers, six new music tracks, and a UI skin straight from the Umbral Abyss itself.

Age of Wonders 4: Eldritch Realms is out on June 18, 2024, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S for a suggested price of $19.99 USD / £16.99 GBP / €19.99 EUR or as part of Expansion Pass 1.

The free Mystic Update will arrive alongside the DLC, adding more Pantheon content, new randomized realms with hidden traits, and a rework of the Mystic Culture.

Published May 30, 2024

MARCO WUTZ

Marco Wutz is a writer from Parkstetten, Germany. He has a degree in Ancient History and a particular love for real-time and turn-based strategy games like StarCraft, Age of Empires, Total War, Age of Wonders, Crusader Kings, and Civilization as well as a soft spot for Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. He began covering StarCraft 2 as a writer in 2011 for the largest German community around the game and hosted a live tournament on a stage at gamescom 2014 before he went on to work for Bonjwa, one of the country's biggest Twitch channels. He branched out to write in English in 2015 by joining tl.net, the global center of the StarCraft scene run by Team Liquid, which was nominated as the Best Coverage Website of the Year at the Esports Industry Awards in 2017. He worked as a translator on The Crusader Stands Watch, a biography in memory of Dennis "INTERNETHULK" Hawelka, and provided live coverage of many StarCraft 2 events on the social channels of tl.net as well as DreamHack, the world's largest gaming festival. From there, he transitioned into writing about the games industry in general after his graduation, joining GLHF, a content agency specializing in video games coverage for media partners across the globe, in 2021. He has also written for NGL.ONE, kicker, ComputerBild, USA Today's ForTheWin, The Sun, Men's Journal, and Parade. Email: marco.wutz@glhf.gg