Total War opens Immortal Empires for $8.99 without buying any of the three base games

One character pack now gets you into the campaign

Lords of the End Times launched on September 24 with a substantial change for newcomers to Total War: Warhammer. Buying one of its four $8.99 character packs unlocks Immortal Empires without owning Warhammer I, II or III. A separate base-game purchase is no longer a prerequisite for this route into the campaign.

The US Steam bundle page lists Nagash, the Glottkin, Boris Todbringer and Thanquol individually. All four cost $30.56 as a bundle, a 15% reduction from their combined $35.96 individual price. Buying the full bundle is optional, not the requirement for entry.

A complete world is not a complete playable collection

Immortal Empires combines the trilogy’s world into one enormous strategy campaign. Empire management and army movement happen in turns, while battles put you in real-time command. Entering through End Times gives you the same full campaign map as existing players rather than a restricted region.

Ownership still determines whom you can play as. Unpurchased factions remain in the world as computer-controlled rivals or allies. Encountering a character in a campaign therefore does not mean that character is available when starting your own.

Creative Assembly also says each purchase includes the Warhammer III Prologue tutorial campaign and Bretonnia with its four Legendary Lords. Other free additions depend on owning their associated races. This is a specific exception to the usual relationship between DLC and a base game, not a promise that any older character pack independently provides the same entry route.

Pick a campaign before buying four of them

Nagash builds necropolises and gathers power for his undead armies. Thanquol revolves around high-risk Skaven schemes. The Glottkin bring Nurgle’s grinding war of attrition, while Boris Todbringer defends the Empire and develops the cult of Ulric. Each purchase supplies its character’s units and campaign mechanics as well as the leader.

The developer recommends Boris to beginners because his Empire army combines infantry, cavalry, artillery and magic. That is Creative Assembly’s recommendation, not a verdict from our own playthrough. It offers a clearer starting distinction than an inventory of new units: a broadly familiar human army versus campaigns built around plagues, undead forces or Skaven plotting.

Keep future purchases on the same platform

The official newcomer FAQ says content must be owned on the same platform to combine. Buying one part on Steam and another on a different storefront should not be treated as building one collection. Friends can play multiplayer campaigns with different DLC collections, using the factions each person owns. Entering through DLC does not lower the game’s system requirements, so check whether your PC can run it before buying.

End Times also arrives alongside a free update with Vampire Counts and Archaon changes and new endgame scenarios. Those wider improvements are separate from purchasing the new characters. For newcomers, the decisive change is the first purchase: one $8.99 pack is enough to start exploring Warhammer’s full campaign map without buying the trilogy first.