Game news · AI
Age of Wonders 4 expansion The Silver Seas adds floating pirate cities, new seafaring peoples, and sea-based magic
The Silver Seas, the latest Age of Wonders 4 expansion, is out now with pirate-themed empires, seafaring peoples, and new water-based content. Its central addition is the Mercantile Culture, which lets players place cities at sea and transform them into floating fortresses, continuing the series’ long-running support with features shaped by community suggestions.
Community ideas shape the expansion
Triumph Studios says player feedback has influenced both The Silver Seas and future additions. Requests for more seabound play since launch led the team to build around the fantasy of establishing pirate powers rather than simply extending land and water without a distinct nautical identity.
That feedback also shaped individual content choices. Aqualon began as concept art shared with the community during work on Eldritch Realms, and the strong response to its design prompted the team to explore the concept as a playable people. Sharkkin came from a more direct recurring request: when asked what new people to add, players repeatedly answered “Sharks!”
Pirates take to the sea
The expansion’s key strategic change is the Mercantile Culture. It allows cities to be placed at sea and then converted into floating fortresses, giving empires a new way to project power across the water. Two forms of piracy support that approach: the Cartel grows through smuggling and secrecy, while the Barony spends its wealth on enemy bounties and imports whatever its empire needs.
Magic, stories, and a sea shanty
The broader maritime theme extends to a new Magic Tome using water magic, with ice magic presented as a natural progression. No vapor magic is included this time. The expansion also adds Pirate Dwellings, pirate-themed stories, and new sea creatures to fight.
Triumph Studios also wrote a Sea Shanty for the expansion, giving the buccaneer theme a musical accompaniment as players sail through The Silver Seas.
At a glance
- New seafaring empires
- The expansion introduces two forms of piracy: the Cartel, which grows through smuggling and secrecy, and the Barony, which uses its fortunes to place bounties on enemies and import resources for its empire.
- Player-suggested peoples
- Sharkkin and Aqualon are two new seafaring peoples. Aqualon originated as concept art shared during the Eldritch Realms expansion, while recurring requests for “Sharks!” inspired Sharkkin.
- Magic and pirate content
- The expansion adds a Magic Tome based on water magic, with ice magic described as a natural progression. It also includes Pirate Dwellings, pirate-themed stories, and sea creatures to battle.
- Fourth expansion and longest support
- Age of Wonders 4 is entering its fourth year and beginning its fourth set of expansions, making it the franchise’s longest-running title in terms of ongoing support.
Sources and language information
Official information · Source language: English
Source region / storefront: Not specified by the source; language does not imply availability.