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Age of Empires IV: a Steam key for the RTS that revived the series
Age of Empires IV is a real-time strategy from Relic Entertainment and World's Edge, published by Xbox Game Studios and released on October 28, 2021. You build a medieval civilization from scratch: chop wood, mine gold and stone, grow an economy across four ages and clash armies in readable, grounded battles. After a major free update the base game on Steam is called the Anniversary Edition, so buying a key today gets you the game with all the accumulated balance fixes, the civilizations added through updates and a polished multiplayer.
What we sell here are Steam activation keys. The keys are global and activate worldwide with no region lock. No input fields are needed from you: once the order is placed you receive a code, enter it in Steam, and the game or expansion lands in your library on your account for good.
Why Age of Empires IV stands out
The fourth entry took the series back to its roots: eight launch civilizations — English, French, Holy Roman Empire, Rus, Mongols, Chinese, Delhi Sultanate and Abbasid Dynasty — each playing very differently. The Mongols pack up and relocate entire cities, the Rus earn from hunting, the Chinese cycle through dynasties. Campaigns are told as documentary "Hands on History" segments filmed at real locations, while ranked multiplayer and skirmish AI offer hundreds of hours beyond the story.
Digital Deluxe Edition — what's inside
The Digital Deluxe Edition contains the full base game plus a digital bonus pack: the official Age of Empires IV soundtrack, the Unit Counters Chart, an art compilation from digital painter Craig Mullins, and exclusive in-game content — a Coat of Arms, a Player Profile portrait and a Monument. The soundtrack and art sit in Steam's additional content and local game files, while the in-game items unlock once you launch the game. Note that the story expansions (DLC) are NOT part of Deluxe and are bought separately — see below.
Expansions: Knights of Cross and Rose and Dynasties of the East
Both expansions are DLC that require an installed copy of the base Age of Empires IV. They will not run on their own, so if you don't own the base game yet, grab the Deluxe Edition or a base copy first.
- Knights of Cross and Rose (released April 8, 2025) adds two variant civilizations — the Knights Templar (a French variant built around a unique Fortress unit roster) and the House of Lancaster (an English variant with a unique Manor building for a defensive playstyle) — a new Historical Battles mode with four real-history showdowns, 10 new maps and 15 achievements.
- Dynasties of the East (released November 4, 2025) brings four variant civilizations at once — the Golden Horde, the Macedonian Dynasty, the Sengoku Daimyo and the Tughlaq Dynasty — plus a new single-player roguelite mode called The Crucible.
How to activate the key on Steam
Launch the Steam client, in the bottom "Games" menu pick "Activate a Product on Steam", accept the agreement and enter your code. A base edition shows up as a full game; a DLC key binds the expansion to your account and pulls in automatically once the base game is installed. The game also runs on Steam Deck and Linux via Proton, so you're not limited to a Windows PC.
Region and account
Our Age of Empires IV keys are global and activate on a Steam account in any country, with no VPN required. The code is single-use and binds to whichever account you redeem it on, so activate it on your own personal Steam.
Base version or Deluxe — which to pick
If you don't own Age of Empires IV yet, the choice is simple. The base version (Anniversary Edition) gives you the whole game: the story campaigns, every civilization from the free updates, skirmish and ranked multiplayer — more than enough to fall for the series. Digital Deluxe is for those who also want the soundtrack, the Mullins art and a set of in-game cosmetics (Coat of Arms, portrait, monument); none of that affects gameplay, it's a nice extra for fans. The Knights of Cross and Rose and Dynasties of the East expansions, meanwhile, are add-ons on top of the base — new civilizations and modes for players who have already put in hours and want fresh tactics. You can pick them up later at any time, so it's perfectly fine to start with the base or Deluxe.
One account — yours for good
A Steam key is an outright purchase, not a subscription like Game Pass: redeem the code once and the game stays on your account with no monthly fee. Cloud saves, your rating and achievements live in Steam, so reinstalling your system or switching to a new PC won't wipe anything. That's the handy difference between owning a key and renting access through a subscription.
What to play next
If grand historical strategy from World's Edge is your thing, check out Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and the mythological spin-off Age of Mythology: Retold. Fans of tactics from the same Relic Entertainment should look at Company of Heroes 3.
🔗 From the same universe
Nearby in the catalog: Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition.