Age of Empires IV: Release date, platforms, new features, and more

After the first announcement in Gamescom 2017, finally, Microsoft Xbox Studios showcased some solid information about the upcoming Age of Empires IV. It will include one of the four new campaigns, civilization reveals, fan reactions, and the most important part, release date.

With more than 25 years under its name, it's been almost 16 years since the last game in the franchise arrived. Naturally, when the announcement was made back in 2017 about a new game in the series, fans were so thrilled. Sadly, Microsoft Xbox Studios went silent until today’s massive information bulletin about what the fans could expect from the upcoming Age of Empires IV. 

Age of Empires IV - New civilizations

Developed by the makers of the Company of Heroes series, Relic Entertainment’s main goal was recreating history. And with the first campaign reveal it is pretty much evident they're on their way to nailing it.

The Norman Conquest campaign will take the players back to the year 1066 to experience the great war between the Duke of Normandy and Harold, the king of the Anglo-Saxons.

Delhi Sultanates, Mongols, and Chinese civilizations are making their way

Age of Empires fan preview revealed three civilizations for now. With a strong focus on research and defense, Delhi Sultanates are at the forefront of technological advancements. The core of the army, the War Elephants are capable of dealing massive damage to the opponents. Delhi Sultanates also bring in scholars as their unique unit with the ability to speed up research and technology upgrades. 

Mongols are a Nomadic civilization that is known for their speed and discipline. The unique unit is called ‘The Khan’, a horse archer with Signal Arrow special ability. Due to the high mobility and early access to barracks, Mongols can become a terror in the early game.

• Read more: Is Game Pass coming to Steam?

The last civilization that was revealed today was the Chinese. However, not much information was provided except the showcase of their Great Wall and the unit movements.

(Picture: Relic Entertainment)

Age of Empires IV - Release date and platforms

Age of Empires IV will release globally on 28th October 2021 on Steam, Windows Store, and Xbox Game Pass for PC. However, there will be a closed beta starting in few weeks. 

Interested fans can head over to the official Age of Empires website and sign up to become an Age Insider.