Paradox Interactive has officially announced Archon Prophecy, the next major expansion for their acclaimed fantasy strategy game Age of Wonders 4. Scheduled for release on August 12, 2025, the expansion will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S for $24.99 / £20.99 / €24.99. For players who already own Expansion Pass 2, Archon Prophecy will be included at no extra cost.
Alongside the paid expansion, a free update titled the Griffon Update will roll out for all players. This includes key improvements such as extra faction data, new form traits like Flaws, and updated hero class systems making it one of the most ambitious content drops the game has seen yet.
New Culture: The Architects
At the heart of Archon Prophecy is the introduction of a brand-new Architects culture. This city-building-focused faction empowers players to construct vast magical monuments within their cities. These monuments are not just for show they can be aligned with different affinities to unlock economic bonuses and powerful global effects. This mechanic allows players to literally reshape their empire in line with their ideological vision.
New Forms and Story Realms
Players will also gain access to two new playable forms:
Elysian: Celestial beings with divine grace, offering visual and thematic links to the expansion’s prophecy theme.
Ancient: Sinister and withered, representing civilizations or beings that have endured or corrupted through ages past.
The expansion’s lore is delivered through two new story realms:
Rings of Emnora: Venture into the Archons’ secretive stronghold in a desperate bid to turn the tide in the war against Urrath.
Cliffs of Sordünn: A coast long consumed by the Umbral Abyss, now offering one last chance to restore balance by fulfilling an ancient prophecy.
Prophecy Traits and Fateful Decisions
The narrative centerpiece of Archon Prophecy lies in its Prophecy Traits, new society traits that emerge early in your campaign. Players are challenged to interpret a mysterious vision and define their ruler’s destiny. How you fulfill your prophecy can shift the course of your campaign, offering major narrative and gameplay rewards for those who rise to the challenge.
Four New Tomes, New Hero Class, and More
The expansion adds four new Tomes of Magic, each with unique themes and tactical implications:
Tome of Virtue: Enhance your army’s endurance and righteousness.
Tome of Prophecies: Bend fate itself through battlefield omens and foresight.
Tome of the Revenant: Command undead forces and exact vengeance.
Tome of the Archon: Summon celestial allies and evolve units into divine warriors.
Joining the ranks is a brand-new hero class: the Battlesaint. Whether used as a martyr-like tank or as a sacred support unit, the Battlesaint offers a divine answer to the chaos of war converting virtue into strength and sacrifice into strategic advantage.
Even More Content in the Archon Prophecy Launch
Beyond the core features, the expansion and free update together include:
7 new wildlife units
2 new mounts
5 original music tracks by Michiel van den Bos
Several map updates
New UI skin and other quality-of-life improvements
The Archon Prophecy is shaping up to be one of the most thematically rich and mechanically deep expansions Age of Wonders 4 has received to date. By fusing divine ambition, prophetic decision-making, and large-scale magical construction, it reinvents the fantasy 4X formula while reinforcing what made the base game a hit among strategy fans.
Whether you’re a returning emperor or a new ruler ready to forge your legend, August 12 marks a pivotal moment for the world of Age of Wonders 4. Will you be joining in?
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