The Silver Seas vs Manta: what is free in Age of Wonders 4?

Free update or paid expansion?

The Silver Seas and Manta arrived together on November 3, 2026. You can use Manta’s base-game systems without owning the expansion.

Content	Free Manta update	The Silver Seas DLC
Trade-route system	Included	Uses and expands on the system
Water-gameplay improvements	Included	Adds further ocean content
Mercantile culture: Barony and Cartel	—	Included
Aqualon and Sharkkin physical forms	—	Included
Four Silver Seas tomes	—	Included
Pirate dwelling and additional ocean encounters	—	Included
General bug fixes and balance updates	Included	DLC-related fixes apply to its content
Silver Seas interface skin and music	—	Included

Do you need the DLC for trade routes?

No. The trade-route system belongs to Manta. You can connect cities to outposts, Free Cities and eligible foreign cities without buying The Silver Seas.

Mercantile is the expansion’s culture designed around trade. Its Barony and Cartel subcultures add different economic and combat tools, including the ability to found cities from Water Outposts. The free trade system does not automatically unlock that culture.

Why did the new tomes disappear after updating?

Manta 1.1 fixes an issue that allowed players without The Silver Seas to select its tomes. The same update fixes access to the Silver Seas interface skin for accounts that do not own it.

If those choices were available before the fix and are now gone, check DLC ownership. Their brief availability was not a permanent addition to the free update.

Is The Silver Seas part of Expansion Pass 4?

Yes. It is included in Expansion Pass 4 and is also sold as an individual expansion. It is available for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Start with trade routes and outpost income if you are returning to the base game, or compare Cartel and Barony before creating a Mercantile faction.