Do You Need to Install Total War: PHARAOH to Play DYNASTIES?

DYNASTIES makes PHARAOH worth revisiting!

Total War: PHARAOH DYNASTIES Screenshot
Image via Creative Assembly

Total War: PHARAOH DYNASTIES is a free massive overhaul for Total War: PHARAOH from Creative Assembly that introduces tons of new content including over 168 new settlements, new factions, new historical landmarks, new victory objectives, and a lot more. This is a separate edition of the game which also has its dedicated Steam store page as well. However, do you need to install Total War: PHARAOH to Play DYNASTIES? Here is what you need to know.

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Does Total War: PHARAOH Need to Be Installed for DYNASTIES?

No, you do not need to install Total War: PHARAOH to play DYNASTIES. You still need to own the base game, but DYNASTIES is a separate download that is automatically added to your library for free if you own Total War: PHARAOH.

Here are a few more things to know about this overhaul edition.

  • Save files will not carry over from the base game, and you will start DYNASTIES from scratch.
  • DYNASTIES has dedicated achievements, and the base game achievements will remain the same
  • The installation size for Total War: PHARAOH DYNASTIES is 80 GB, which is separate from the base game
  • A new version of the Assembly Kit is required to create mods for DYNASTIES
  • Avatar of the Gods Cosmetic Pack and Heart of the Shardana Cosmetic Pack are available for free for all owners of PHARAOH
  • Blood & Sand DLC will also work with DYNASTIES, and you don’t need to purchase it again
  • This is the final major content update for PHARAOH, but the team will continue to support the title with bug fixes

DYNASTIES has been received positively by fans as well, with a Very Positive score on Steam compared to the lukewarm reception of PHARAOH.

This is an excellent expansion, and it’s what Total War: PHARAOH should have been at launch. We’re glad to see Creative Assembly continue to support their historical entries in the Total War franchise despite the success of their Warhammer releases.

Ali Hashmi

Ali Hashmi is a games journalist, reviewer, and guides writer with over eight years of experience covering the gaming industry across news, reviews, features, walkthroughs, and technical guides. He currently writes for Prima Games and GTA 6 Bible, and has previously contributed to Dot Esports, WhatIfGaming, GameTyrant, and The OuterHaven. With a background in Computer Science and years spent covering PC gaming, Ali has developed a strong focus on performance analysis, optimization, troubleshooting, and in-depth game coverage alongside traditional reviews and features. A longtime fan of action games, Ali spends most of his time obsessing over stylish combat systems, difficult boss fights, immersive sims, and retro shooters that feel like they were pulled straight out of the late ‘90s. When he isn’t replaying Dark Souls for the hundredth time or climbing Ascension levels in Slay the Spire, he’s usually hunting for the next indie game to recommend to everyone around him. His coverage regularly includes AAA releases, indie games, Soulslikes, survival titles, live service games, and technical PC focused guides.

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