The Baltic Powers
The Baltic Powers is a 2026 Definitive Edition expansion adding the Danes and Poles, alongside new maps and modes. It introduces new civilization economies and military options that belong to this expansion’s roster.
Included content
Danish features include the Round Church, Watch House and Snaphane; Polish features include the Folwark and Sejm. The expansion also adds Independence and Regicide modes and new challenge scenarios, each with rules that can change ordinary openings.
Version boundary
Check the mode and civilization before borrowing a build order. Independence removes standard Home City shipments, while Regicide makes the Regent an objective; neither should be read as a rule for a standard random-map match.
Expansion content and where it changes play
The Baltic Powers is an expansion for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition released September 10, 2026 alongside update 19.18309. It adds the Poles, representing the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Danes, representing Denmark-Norway. Their economies and armies take different approaches: Danish play emphasizes economic intelligence, naval control and the Customs House, while Polish play centers on the Folwark economy, Sejm choices and mounted forces led by the Hetman. The expansion’s new civilizations should be read through their own pages for exact unit, technology and federal-state details. The package also adds challenge scenarios, modes, maps, natives and other content. Commonwealth Charge asks the player to secure villages and resources and time Winged Hussar strikes against sustained pressure. Havana Heat is a Spanish defense with a 1,000-casualty requirement, Town Center protection and contested beaches before enemy artillery arrives. Regicide makes Regents the decisive targets and removes the option of sheltering them in buildings; Independence removes the normal Home City safety net and adjusts civilization bonuses for that mode. These rules change army priorities and should not be confused with standard Supremacy matches. The expansion introduces more than 25 thematic maps from the Baltic Sea through the North American Arctic. The list includes the Arctic, Bering Strait, Faroe Islands, Gotland, Greenland, Hudson Bay, Iceland, Labrador, North Sea, Northwest Passage, Quebec, Sápmi, Svalbard and Swedish Lakes, alongside other additions. Several maps from Knights of the Mediterranean can also be unlocked, including Baltic, Danish Straits, Pomerania, Vistula Basin and Lithuania. Terrain, trade routes, water access and native settlements make these maps changeable strategic environments, so consult each map entry before treating it as a generic European land map. New native and neutral content includes Inuit, Sámi and House of Stuart settlements, along with additional treasure guardians, Outlaws and mercenaries. Gallowglass, Fortified Wagon and Cranequinier expand the mercenary choices. Neutral capturable structures include Timber Importers, Lighthouses and Fixed Guns on supported random maps. The Companion is a House of Vasa native warrior that replaces the Winged Hussar for that palace. Settlers can fish from Fishing Ponds, while Walruses and Seals can be hunted and Pigs can be herded. These are map and content rules, not universal mechanics on every map. The expansion also changes existing civilizations and systems. New revolutions include Prussia for Germans, German Confederation for Prussia, Livonia for several European civilizations, and Cossack Hetmanate and Duchy of Warsaw for Poles. Some revolutions can be accessed by older civilizations without owning the expansion. Meiji Restoration receives an overhaul; Fish Traps provide an infinite aquatic Food source; and some European civilizations gain Fortress Age revolutions. New maps redistribute the House of Stuart, Inuit and Sámi settlements and the new Outlaws. The release followed a long development history. Polish and Danish assets appeared in a 2023 Public Update Preview before the expansion was formally announced in 2024. It was later delayed and publicly canceled in January 2025, but The Baltic Powers was subsequently completed and released in September 2026. Earlier speculation and cut assets should be kept in a historical development section rather than described as current playable features. The current release and update 19.18309 define the live content described here. When using this expansion, verify whether a feature belongs to the base Definitive Edition or requires The Baltic Powers or Knights of the Mediterranean. Some maps and changes are packaged through earlier downloadable content, and some revolutions do not require the new expansion. This distinction matters for matchmaking, map selection and deck construction. Use the dedicated entries for the Danes, Poles, game modes, historical maps and individual units for rules beyond this overview.
Separate current features from development history
For current play, the expansion’s release build and present map lists are the relevant content. Preview remnants from 2023—such as unused Polish unit assets or possible Danish concepts—describe development history only and are not evidence that those cut units can be trained. The expansion instead supplies the published Danes and Poles, the listed modes and maps, and the shipped mercenaries and natives. Its integration with Knights of the Mediterranean also explains why some thematic maps are unlocked through that earlier expansion. Confirm the required downloadable content in the dedicated map or civilization entry before setting up a match, especially when sharing a custom map pool with players who may not own the same packs.
Definitive Edition expansion content
The Baltic Powers is downloadable content for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition that adds Denmark and Poland as playable civilizations. Each faction has its own Home City, units, age-up choices and economic mechanics, so the expansion changes the match roster rather than only adding cosmetic content. Its historical battles and maps provide separate scenario content; mission forces and objectives should not be assumed to match the standard skirmish civilizations.
Use the correct version when comparing factions
The Baltic Powers belongs to Definitive Edition and is separate from the original Age of Empires III expansions. When following a strategy, confirm that the game includes this DLC and the relevant updates. Denmark and Poland each have distinct units, cards and production systems; consult their individual pages for exact costs and counters instead of generalizing from other European civilizations.