DLC timeline

Set in ancient China during 190 CE, blending turn-based empire management with large-scale real-time battles. You play as one of several legendary warlords, using diplomacy, warfare, and politics to unite a fractured land and found a lasting dynasty. The game emphasizes heroic characters and their relationships through the Guanxi system, where alliances, rivalries, and betrayals shape the campaign. With stylized visuals and cinematic combat inspired by Chinese history and legend, it reimagines the Total War series in an age of heroes.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/779340/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS/

Released at the same time as the main game, the Yellow Turban Rebellion adds a new playable sub-culture with three new playable warlords. The Yellow Turban factions have different hero classes, units, technologies, character skills and ancillaries.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/853360/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS__Yellow_Turban_Rebellion/

Reign of Blood introduces a number of new gory and mature-rated effects, animations and kill-moves to the game in both Campaign and Battle.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/874310/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS__Reign_of_Blood/

The Eight Princes pack introduces a new campaign that is set 100 years after the main game, and includes eight new playable princes. The new princes come with unique buildings, assignments, court options, and new elite units.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1102310/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS__Eight_Princes/

Mandate of Heaven provides a campaign that starts in 182 CE before the start of the Yellow Turban rebellion. The pack includes new characters, six new playable warlords, and comes with unique new campaign mechanics, events, and objectives.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1154760/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS__Mandate_of_Heaven/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1180600/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS__Tao_Qian/

Released at the same time as Mandate of Heaven, Tao Qian is a new playable character with a unique resource called 'displaced population', which provides him with a bonus when other factions conquer settlements!

A World Betrayed adds the 194 CE start-date, two new factions that are specific to that start-date (Lu Bu and Sun Ce), 17 new characters, a complete revamp of the bandit factions, new units, a new title system to replace the promotion system, expansions to espionage, and population changes.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1209110/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS__A_World_Betrayed/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1244640/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS__White_Tiger_Yan/

Released alongside A World Betrayed, Yan Baihu is a bandit character south of the Yangtze in Xindu Commandery in the 190 CE and 194 CE start-dates. He has a faction resource focusing on coalition building, unique Yue and White Tiger units, and his brother Yan Yu as a starting unique general.

The Furious Wild expands the map in the southwest and adds the Nanman culture group. The map expansion includes new commanderies, a new jungle campaign terrain type, and the addition of fortified gate passes in several mountainous areas. The Nanman culture comes with a new unit roster, four factions, six unique characters, and their own campaign mechanics and objectives.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1299591/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS__The_Furious_Wild/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1299590/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS__Shi_Xie/

Released alongside The Furious Wild, Shi Xie is a Han governor character that starts in the extreme south of the map in Jiaozhi Commandery in the 190 CE and 194 CE start-dates. His unique faction mechanic revolves around putting his family into powerful positions in his faction and others in order to generate a currency he can use to create unique tribute chests with powerful effects.

Fates Divided adds the 200 CE start-date, the multigenerational Liu Yan/Liu Zhang faction, 10 new characters, a revamp of faction progression and the faction council system, the new imperial intrigue system, new units, and the Northern Army.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1493250/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS__Fates_Divided/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1637330/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS__The_Furious_Wild_Original_Soundtrack/

24 evocative and stylised compositions from the expanded THREE KINGDOMS series. This music in this content pack explores a more rustic delivery, fitting for the Southern tribes.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1970200/Total_War_THREE_KINGDOMS__Original_Soundtrack/

47 tracks of beautifully crafted and recorded music that transports you on a journey to the time of great dynasties, depicting the epic conflict and events following the collapse of the Han Dynasty 220-280 AD China.

For your first playthrough, you don’t need any DLC - the base game is great on its own!

If you’ve played vanilla THREE KINGDOMS and liked it, Mandate of Heaven and Furious Wild are the best DLCs. They add major new factions with unique units, mechanics, and campaigns that feel genuinely different from the core game. World Betrayed and Fates Divided are decent but optional. They mostly remix existing factions; worth it, but not essential. Think new toppings, not a new flavour. Eight Princes is fine but skippable ... it’s less interesting than the main campaign, with fewer characters and less depth.