Microsoft has told fans to expect some “exciting” news regarding Age of Empires as part of its Inside Xbox Gamescom showcase today. While we’re not sure exactly what we’ll be getting, there are a few possibilities.
The most likely scenario is that Microsoft will finally be giving us a proper look at the in-development Age of Empires 4, which was announced a few years back but remains something of a mystery. Xbox boss Phil Spencer previously said the new game is making “good progress”, which makes Gamescom the perfect time to deliver a big update for fans.
If Age of Empires 4 isn’t quite ready to face the world yet, there’s also a chance that we’ll be getting a new look at Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition. Announced in 2017 along with a remaster of AoE 3, the Definitive Edition of AoE2 will come with a number of improvements, enhancements, and even new content.
We know the upcoming remaster is scheduled to release some time this Autumn, which would make today’s announcement a good time to drop an exact release date. Both AoE 2 and 3 are being worked on by an internal team at Microsoft dedicated to Age of Empires, with help from indie studio Forgotten Empires, who previously worked on a few AoE remasters – including 2014’s Age of Mythology: Extended Edition.
Speaking of Age of Mythology, it’s incredibly unlikely, but we could be seeing the announcement of a remaster or new entry in the mythology-based spinoff. Age of Empires Creative Director Adam Isgreen told Eurogamer at E3 that he’d love to return to Age of Mythology at some point.
Realistically though, Isgreen did say that a new Age of Mythology would be a fair way off, as Microsoft is busy juggling Age of Empires 4 and the two aforementioned remasters. Personally then, I’m expecting an Age of Empires 4 trailer, an Age of Empires 2 release date, or both.
We don’t have long to wait to find out for sure, of course. Microsoft’s Inside Xbox showcase kicks off at 4pm UK time, and you’ll be able to stream it right here.
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Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.