A new Total War: Warhammer trailer introduces the barbaric Norscans

Creative Assembly announced today that the barbaric Norscans are coming to Total War: Warhammer as a playable race. The Norsca Race Pack is scheduled to go live on August 10, and will be given free to anyone who preorders the upcoming sequel, Total War: Warhammer 2, or purchases it within the first week of release.   

The description of the Norscans on Steam paints quite a vivid picture. "In the far north, between the Chaos Wastes and the Sea of Claws, lies Norsca. A barren, inhospitable peninsula in the far north of the Old World, it is home to ferocious tribes of warriors, hardened by the relentless blizzards, the barren icy tundra and the monstrous denizens of this accursed land. Fanatical servants of the dark gods, they will stop at nothing to prove their primal might, in a relentless hunt for worthy foes and fresh raiding grounds." 

Norscan armies are "swift and vicious," and their campaigns are built on "relentless pillage and ruination." To reflect that happy fact, Norscan armies have their own post-battle option that will enable them to raze enemy settlements and raise monuments to their dark gods, trading occupation and looting for increased favor in battle. 

The DLC will include two new playable factions led by unique Legendary Lords, new Lords and Hero types, specialized combat abilities, and a "massive new roster with unique monstrous units including War Mammoths and Frost-Wyrms." Creative Assembly also said that Norsca will be added to the combined campaign map that will "enable players to conquer both the Old World and the New as any Race from both base games and any owned DLC Races." 

Total War: Warhammer 2 is set for release on September 28. The Norsca DLC, for those who opt not to preorder or buy the game right away, will sell for $10. 

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.