The three expansions
| Expansion | Released | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Ashes of Malmouth | 11 October 2017 | Acts 5 and 6, the Necromancer and Inquisitor masteries, three friendly factions and one hostile |
| Forgotten Gods | 27 March 2019 | The Oathkeeper mastery, the Shattered Realm endgame, three cult factions and one hostile, plus 24 more devotion shrines |
| Fangs of Asterkarn | July 2026 | The Berserker mastery, a 6 km² zone with 60+ bosses, Ascendant mode, new Shattered Realm regions and 30 Crucible waves |
And the Crucible
The order that makes sense
Base game first, and finish an act
Grim Dawn's first act teaches the loop and costs nothing extra. If it does not hold you by Devil's Crossing, the expansions will not change that.
Ashes of Malmouth next
It is the one that extends the campaign rather than sitting beside it, and it raises the level cap. Two masteries come with it.
Forgotten Gods when you want an endgame
The Shattered Realm is the reason to own it, and it brings the shrine count up so the 55-point devotion cap becomes reachable.
Fangs of Asterkarn if you are coming back
It is aimed squarely at people who already finished the game once. A first-time player has 60 hours of content before it becomes relevant.
If you are buying today
Never buy them separately at full price
Grim Dawn has been on sale more or less permanently for a decade, and the bundles that include the base game with two or three expansions are the normal way to own it. Paying list price for four separate items is the one genuinely avoidable mistake here.
The base game alone is a real purchase
Four acts, six masteries and a complete story. Plenty of people finished Grim Dawn and never bought anything else. If you are unsure the game is for you, this is the honest answer — not a demo, not a cut-down version.
Ashes of Malmouth is the one that changes the shape
Two more acts, two masteries, and the level cap from 85 to 100. If you are going to own one expansion, own this one, and own it before the others.
Forgotten Gods is a purchase about the endgame
Its campaign act can be entered early, but what you are really buying is the Shattered Realm and the Merits that let a new character start on Elite or Ultimate. That matters more the second time through than the first.
Fangs of Asterkarn is a purchase about coming back
A tenth mastery, a new act, Ascendant mode. Aimed at people who already finished Grim Dawn once and want a reason to reinstall it in 2026.