Age of Empires 3's Cancelled Baltic Powers DLC Is Back, Launches in September
In a rare piece of good news amid a turbulent period for Xbox, Microsoft has effectively uncancelled the Baltic Powers expansion for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition. The DLC was originally cancelled in early 2025, but it has now been re-announced and given a concrete release window of September 2026. For fans who had already mourned its loss, the surprise return is a welcome reversal.
To sweeten the news further, an open beta for Baltic Powers is available right now for all Definitive Edition players, giving the community an early taste of the content before its full launch. The re-emergence of the expansion stands out as an unusually positive development for Microsoft at a time when Xbox has been making headlines for far less encouraging reasons, including layoffs and cancellations across its gaming division.
Key Insights
- 1The Baltic Powers DLC for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition was originally cancelled in early 2025 before being revived.
- 2Microsoft has re-announced the expansion with a September 2026 release window.
- 3An open beta for Baltic Powers is available now for all Definitive Edition players.
- 4The uncancellation is notable given the broader wave of Xbox cancellations and layoffs happening around the same time.
- 5This is a rare case of a cancelled game expansion being brought back to life and given a firm release date.
Sources
Amid the recent Xbox devastation, Microsoft is seemingly uncancelling something, which is good news for Age of Empires 3 fans at least
Eurogamer · Jul 24, 2026
Surprise, Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition's Baltic Powers expansion has re-emerged from the annals of cancelled DLC history, will come out in September
Rock Paper Shotgun · Jul 24, 2026
Previously cancelled Age of Empires 3 DLC expansion has been re-announced and releases in September
VGC · Jul 24, 2026
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