You Might Want to Check Your Steam Library For a Free Game

The Immortal Empires campaign from Total War: Warhammer 3 is now free for Steam users who own either of the first two games. This means fans who didn’t have Total War: Warhammer 3, but got one of its predecessors, will now see the final entry of the trilogy in their Steam libraries, even if they have never bought it.

Total War: Warhammer is a trilogy of grand strategy 4X games made by Total War series maker Creative Assembly set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. On its own, each game plays independently of the others, featuring a unique map, races, lords, factions, and other mechanics. However, during its 2.0 update, Total War: Warhammer 3 introduced Immortal Empires, a massive campaign that combined the maps and content of all three games together.

Every Total War Game, Ranked

The Total War franchise’s legacy is studded with iconic strategy games. Here’s how they stack up.

Total War: Warhammer 3 Immortal Empires Map Free With WH1 & 2

Recently, Creative Assembly rolled out an amazing update that benefits people who only own the first two games. As of December 4, all Steam users who own Total War: Warhammer 1 or 2 will gain free access to Total War: Warhammer 3‘s Immortal Empires campaign. As this map can only be accessed through Total War: Warhammer 3, that means the third game will have been added to the Steam libraries of qualifying players, where they can install and enjoy it without having to purchase the final entry directly.

total war warhammer 3 khorne loading screen

Fans who gain access to Total War: Warhammer 3 in this way will be able to play co-op multiplayer on the Immortal Empires map with up to seven friends, and can choose from any of the races, lords, and factions that were introduced in the first two games and their accompanying DLC they already own. Additionally, they will be able to enjoy The Lost God prologue campaign.

total war warhammer 3 kislev loading screen

Players who already own Total War: Warhammer 3 shouldn’t experience any changes with their game.

However, this doesn’t mean the entire game is completely free for these fans. Though they can play on the Immortal Empires campaign, they won’t be able to use any races or lords introduced in Total War: Warhammer 3, or any DLCs or other products they don’t yet own. Additionally, they won’t be able to access the Warhammer 3-specific Realm of Chaos narrative campaign, multiplayer campaigns, or Mirrors of Madness game modes. To unlock this capability, alongside 10 Legendary Lords and 8 factions, players must purchase the Total War: Warhammer 3 Upgrade Pack. Purchasing the base games or DLC for the first two titles will also unlock additional features in this game mode.

Total War: Warhammer Races By Game

total war warhammer 3 immortal empires races

Warhammer 1	Warhammer 2	Warhammer 3
Empire	High Elves	Kislev
Dwarfs	Dark Elves	Grand Cathay
Greenskins	Lizardmen	Khorne
Vampire Counts	Skaven	Tzeentch
Warriors of Chaos	Tomb Kings (DLC)	Nurgle
Beastmen	Vampire Coast (DLC)	Slaanesh
Wood Elves (DLC)	–	Daemons of Chaos
Bretonnia (DLC)	–	Ogre Kingdoms (DLC)
Norsca (DLC)	–	Chaos Dwarfs (DLC)

This update was done in part to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Total War series. What’s more, 2026 is the 10th anniversary of Total War: Warhammer, so fans shouldn’t be surprised if even more cool stuff is announced for the game soon.

Is It Still Worth Playing Total War: Warhammer 1 or 2 Now?

Immortal Empires is referred to as the “definitive” way to play the Total War: Warhammer series. The massive campaign combines nearly all the content from the first two games into a singular sandbox campaign, featuring over 550 settlements, nearly 300 starting factions, and close to 100 Legendary Lords. With improved graphical fidelity as a cherry on top, most gamers can safely uninstall Total War: Warhammer 1 or 2 now that Immortal Empires is free for them.

That said, there are still a few reasons why one might consider playing the old games instead. Narrative campaigns and smaller maps from the first two games cannot be accessed in Immortal Empires, and achievements can still only be unlocked in their respective titles. Additionally, the higher graphical fidelity of the sequel might preclude lower-performance systems from running it, or the combat and faction balance changes in Total War: Warhammer 3 from the last few years might not be to one’s taste. Regardless, with Immortal Empires now free for everyone who owns any entry in the trilogy, players now have more options for how they wish to enjoy the popular epic strategy game series.