When a newly purchased DLC (such as The Mongol Empire, Rise of the Shogun, or The Warrior Queen) does not immediately appear in Stronghold: Warlords, it is typically because the Steam client has registered the license but has not yet triggered the mini-download required to unlock the assets, or the content is being looked for in the wrong menu layout.

Please try the following steps to force Steam to recognize your purchase and locate your new content:

1. Ensure the DLC is Enabled in Steam

Sometimes Steam purchases are added to your account but remain unticked in your local installation settings.

  • Open your Steam Client and navigate to your Library.

  • Right-click on Stronghold: Warlords and select Properties.

  • Navigate to the DLC tab on the left-hand side of the window.

  • Ensure that the checkbox next to your newly purchased DLC is explicitly checked/enabled. If it was already checked, uncheck it, wait a moment, and check it again to kickstart the launcher.

2. Restart Steam to Force the Download Queue

Steam occasionally requires a complete application refresh to push newly acquired licensing data to your active downloads.

  • Completely close the game.

  • In the top-left corner of your Steam window, click Steam and select Exit.

  • Relaunch Steam and check your Downloads page to see if a brief update has been triggered for Stronghold: Warlords.

3. Verify Integrity of Game Files

If the data files are stuck in limbo, forcing a quick file validation will compel Steam to scan your directory and download the missing DLC components.

  • Back in the Properties menu for Stronghold: Warlords, select the Installed Files tab.

  • Click the Verify integrity of game files button.

  • Allow the process to reach 100% completion, which will automatically install any missing content blocks.

4. Locating the DLC Campaigns In-Game

Once installed, the DLC historical campaigns do not appear on the main front page. They are tucked into the core campaign matrix.

  • Launch the game and select Single Player from the main menu.

  • Click on Campaign.

  • Scroll through the campaign selection screen using the arrow keys or your mouse—the custom DLC campaigns (marked with their specific historical titles) will be unlocked and selectable right alongside the base game military campaigns.