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Wartales is the base game. The Mercenaries Edition is a larger package that combines Wartales with additional listed products, but its contents are not identical on every storefront. The Steam bundle reviewed for this guide includes the game, eight named add-ons, and the Official Soundtrack. The US Xbox listing includes the game and eight named add-ons, but does not list the soundtrack.
That difference matters more than the edition name. Before buying, open the listing for your platform and region, inspect its item list, and check whether you already own Wartales or any of the additions. Steam and Xbox describe the package as offering the “complete Wartales experience,” but that marketing sentence does not make the two storefront packages identical.
Wartales: base game or Mercenaries Edition?
Wartales is an open-world role-playing game in which you lead a group of mercenaries. The official Steam listing describes a loop built around exploring, recruiting companions, collecting bounties, and investigating ancient tombs. Steam lists the base game’s release date as April 12, 2023. You can read the current base-game description on the official Steam listing.
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The base game is the standalone product. You do not need the Mercenaries Edition name to identify the core game: if a store page sells “Wartales” by itself, that is the product that supplies the main game. The Mercenaries Edition is a package that adds separately named content or extras to that game.
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There is no single platform-neutral contents list that can safely be applied to every purchase. The Steam Mercenaries Edition bundle and the US Xbox Mercenaries Edition page show different item lists. Treat the listing you are about to buy as the authoritative checklist.
What the reviewed storefronts include
The table below records the products shown on the two official pages reviewed. “Yes” means the item is explicitly listed on that storefront page; it does not imply that an item is available in every country, edition, or future version of the package.
| Product or addition | Steam Mercenaries Edition bundle | US Xbox Mercenaries Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Wartales | Yes | Yes |
| The Skelmar Invasion | Yes | Yes |
| Pirates of Belerion | Yes | Yes |
| The Tavern Opens! | Yes | Yes |
| The Curse of Rigel | Yes | Yes |
| The Beast Hunt | Yes | Yes |
| The Pits | Yes | Yes |
| The Fief | Yes | Yes |
| Fires in the Capital | Yes | Yes |
| The Official Soundtrack | Yes | Not listed |
On Steam, the page labels the offer as a bundle and shows ten products in its items section: Wartales plus the nine additions in the table. On the US Xbox page, the package lists Wartales plus eight add-ons. The soundtrack is the visible difference between these two reviewed lists.
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Store pages can change their item names, availability, or presentation. The Steam and Xbox pages were checked on October 13, 2026, so use them as a point-in-time record rather than a promise that every regional listing will remain unchanged.
The base game: what you receive without the bundle
The core mercenary campaign
The standalone game gives you the central Wartales experience: command a company of mercenaries in an open world, decide where to explore, recruit companions, pursue bounties, and enter ancient tombs. Those are the activities highlighted by Steam’s base-game description. The base game is therefore the appropriate reference point when you want to understand the underlying game rather than the size of a package.
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What the base-game listing does not establish
The storefront description does not, by itself, establish a universal map size, a campaign-hour total, a particular multiplayer mode, or a complete technical specification for every platform. Do not use the Mercenaries Edition’s larger item count as evidence that the standalone game is incomplete or that every addition changes the main campaign in the same way. The reliable distinction is product scope: the base game is Wartales; the larger package adds the separately listed products.
Who should start with the base game
- First-time players who want to learn the core game: buying Wartales alone gives you the named base product without requiring you to evaluate a package list.
- Players uncertain about the extra content: the standalone listing avoids paying for additions you may not use immediately.
- People shopping on a storefront where the bundle is unavailable: the base game remains the clear product to search for, while the edition name may vary by platform or region.
What each Mercenaries Edition addition means at the purchase level
The official pages establish that the following names are included products. They do not, in the material reviewed here, provide a single cross-platform feature summary for each one. Read an individual product description on your storefront if you need to know its exact gameplay function, release availability, or technical requirements.
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|---|---|---|
| The Skelmar Invasion | Named as an included addition on both reviewed storefronts. | Count it as included only when your platform’s page lists it. |
| Pirates of Belerion | Named as an included addition on both reviewed storefronts. | It appears in both reviewed packages, but regional listings still require checking. |
| The Tavern Opens! | Named as an included addition on both reviewed storefronts. | It is listed in both reviewed packages. |
| The Curse of Rigel | Named as an included addition on both reviewed storefronts. | Verify the item on the exact edition page before purchase. |
| The Beast Hunt | Named as an included addition on both reviewed storefronts. | It is listed in both reviewed packages. |
| The Pits | Named as an included addition on both reviewed storefronts. | It is listed in both reviewed packages. |
| The Fief | Named as an included addition on both reviewed storefronts. | It is listed in both reviewed packages. |
| Fires in the Capital | Named as an included addition on both reviewed storefronts. | It is listed in both reviewed packages. |
| The Official Soundtrack | Listed in the Steam bundle; not listed in the reviewed US Xbox package. | Do not assume the soundtrack is included on Xbox or another region’s page. |
This table deliberately separates inclusion from feature claims. A title in a bundle’s item list proves that the product is part of that offer; it does not, without an item-specific description, prove how much new gameplay it contains or how it is delivered.
Why Steam and Xbox show different contents
Storefront and region are separate variables
The Steam page is a Steam bundle listing, while the second source is specifically the US Xbox Store page. They are not two views of one universal SKU. Digital publishers can present different package compositions, names, or extras according to platform agreements, regional catalogs, or how a store represents downloadable products.
The soundtrack is the practical warning sign
The Official Soundtrack appears in Steam’s item list but is absent from the reviewed US Xbox list. That single difference is enough to invalidate a common assumption: “Mercenaries Edition” does not automatically mean “the same ten products everywhere.” If the soundtrack matters to you, confirm that exact item on the platform where you will redeem the purchase.
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Do not infer missing items
An item not shown on a page should be treated as unconfirmed, not silently assumed to be included. Conversely, seeing an item on Steam is not evidence that an Xbox or regional listing contains it. The safest comparison is page-to-page, with platform and country held constant.
How to check an edition before paying
- Open the product page for your platform. Start with the listing that will process the purchase: Steam for a Steam purchase or the Xbox Store page for an Xbox purchase. Do not rely on a search-result title alone.
- Confirm the region. The Xbox reference used here is the US page. A different country may show different pricing, availability, or item presentation. Make sure the store region matches the account that will own the purchase.
- Find the item or included-content section. On Steam, the Mercenaries Edition page identifies itself as a bundle and lists its products. On Xbox, inspect the edition’s listed game and add-ons. Record every named item rather than relying on the edition headline.
- Separate the base game from additions. Confirm that Wartales itself is present. Then check each add-on you care about, including the soundtrack if it is important to you.
- Check your library first. If you already own Wartales or one of the listed additions, compare the package with what is already attached to your account. A bundle can be less useful when much of its contents are duplicates, and the available upgrade or bundle pricing depends on the storefront.
- Review the displayed price at checkout. Prices and discounts change, and Xbox may show regional pricing. No fixed price comparison can be made from the listings recorded here.
- Save the receipt and item list. Keep the order confirmation or a screenshot of the included products. This gives you a precise record if the store page later changes its presentation or you need to resolve an entitlement question.
Which option fits your situation?
You own no Wartales content
Compare the standalone game with the Mercenaries Edition on your platform. The edition is the broader purchase when you want the listed additions at once. On Steam, that broader package also includes the Official Soundtrack according to the reviewed bundle page. On the reviewed US Xbox page, the package includes the base game and eight add-ons, with no soundtrack listed.
You already own the base game
Do not assume that buying the full edition automatically provides the best value. First identify which add-ons, if any, are missing from your library. Then read the store’s current bundle or upgrade treatment. The storefront listings do not establish a universal discount formula, so the live price on your account is the only reliable figure.
You own some additions already
Make a checklist of the exact names you own and compare it with the edition’s item list. Pay particular attention to the soundtrack: it is present in the Steam list but not in the reviewed Xbox list. If the store does not clearly explain how previously owned products affect the price, pause before confirming the order and use the platform’s support or purchase-help process.
You are choosing between Steam and Xbox
Choose the platform on which you intend to play and verify that platform’s package. The two listings reviewed here are not interchangeable licenses, and their contents differ. The title “Mercenaries Edition” alone is not enough to determine what you will receive.
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You only want the core game
Select the standalone Wartales listing rather than paying for a larger package whose additions you do not need. Steam’s base-game page identifies the game separately and gives the April 12, 2023 release date. That is the cleanest way to buy the core experience.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Price, discounts, and availability
No fixed price comparison is stated because storefront prices, sales, taxes, currencies, and regional catalogs can change. The Xbox page may display pricing specific to the selected region, while Steam can apply its own bundle and sale rules. Check the amount shown while signed in to the account that will own the game.
A discount badge or promotional amount is also time-sensitive. Treat it as a live offer, not as a permanent property of the edition. If you are comparing the base game with the bundle, compare the final price after accounting for content already in your library, not just the headline price.
The sources document digital storefront products. They do not establish a physical edition, a universal retail package, or a cross-platform entitlement. Do not expect a Steam purchase to supply an Xbox license, or vice versa, unless the relevant store explicitly states that arrangement.
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Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Assuming every Mercenaries Edition is identical
Symptom: You see a list copied from another platform and assume your purchase contains the same items. Fix: Reopen your own platform-and-region page and use its item list as the checklist. The soundtrack difference between the reviewed Steam and Xbox pages demonstrates why this matters.
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Confusing the edition with the base game
Symptom: You cannot tell whether you are buying Wartales itself or only an add-on package. Fix: Confirm that Wartales appears as the base product in the offer. Both reviewed Mercenaries Edition pages list the game, but an individual add-on page may not.
Buying duplicate content
Symptom: You already own the game or several additions and purchase the full package without checking. Fix: Compare your library with every named item before checkout and inspect the store’s current bundle treatment.
Using an old price as a guarantee
Symptom: A guide or screenshot shows a price that is not visible now. Fix: Trust the current storefront total for your region and account. Prices and discounts are not established as fixed in this comparison.
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Symptom: You buy the Xbox edition expecting the Steam bundle’s soundtrack. Fix: The reviewed US Xbox listing does not list The Official Soundtrack. Confirm the soundtrack explicitly before purchasing if it is a deciding factor.
A compact decision checklist
- Is the listing for Steam, Xbox, or another platform you actually use?
- Does the country or region match your account?
- Is Wartales itself listed as included?
- Which of the eight named add-ons appear on your page?
- Is The Official Soundtrack explicitly listed, or not?
- Which items do you already own?
- What final price and discount does the store show now?
- Does the package provide the license or entitlement type you need?
If you can answer all eight questions from the live listing, you have enough information to distinguish the package you are buying from similarly named offers elsewhere.
Bottom line: what is actually included?
Wartales is the base game. The Mercenaries Edition adds the products named on the storefront page, not a guaranteed universal set. The reviewed Steam bundle contains Wartales, The Skelmar Invasion, Pirates of Belerion, The Tavern Opens!, The Curse of Rigel, The Beast Hunt, The Pits, The Fief, Fires in the Capital, and The Official Soundtrack. The reviewed US Xbox edition contains Wartales and the eight named add-ons but does not list the soundtrack. Check your platform, region, library, and current price immediately before purchase.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
