Return to your throne and reign over your empire! Microsoft revealed that Age of Empires will return in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Enjoy the bestselling real-time strategy game with remastered audio and stunning 4k HD visuals, and explore The Last Khans a completely new campaign. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iconic game and take a peek at the trailer below!
Age of Empires II is an icon in the real-time strategy genre. First released in 1999, it was a hit with both critics and gamers alike. It also had an excellent expansion, Conquerers, which released in 2000. It won multiple awards and vastly improved on aspects from its predecessor. It got an HD re-release in 2013 which included updated visuals, widescreen support, and new multiplayer options.
It's not the first in its series to get a modern makeover, either. The original Age of Empires saw a 4K HD and audio upgrade back in 2017, and Microsoft threw in online multiplayer and a new storyline to boot.
With several Age of Empires remakes under Microsoft's massive belt, the Definitive Edition and the new The Last Khans campaign will likely live up to the well-deserved hype the series gets. The exact launch date is yet to be determined, but we know to expect streaming support and 35 different civilizations with which to dominate the world. All four expansions will be included, adding up to over 200 hours of gameplay. This is how a game deserves to celebrate it's 20th birthday.
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition comes out this fall and will be available through Xbox Game Pass for PC. Beta signups are now open, so get in while you can!
If you want to know more about this and other announcements happening at E3 then be sure to check out our E3 2019 Coverage Hub.