Twenty years after the franchise's debut, Microsoft has unveiled a fourth major installment to Age of Empires. Reviving the iconic real-time strategy (RTS) series for the modern day, the game follows an over decade-long hiatus since 2005's Age of Empires III.
Announced to round off the Age of Empires Gamescom 2017 live show, Age of Empires IV will be releasing on Windows 10, developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Microsoft Studios. Although little else is currently known, a brief animated trailer has been released, establishing the themes expected from the title.
Today's event also provided an October release date for the upcoming remaster of Age of Empires, in the form of a "Definitive Edition" for Windows 10. Delivering refinements across the board, the game offers improved textures, support for 4K resolution, reworked animations, and new audio. Changes to gameplay have also been made, including an increased population limit, better pathfinding, and new zoom levels. Age of Empires II and Age of Empires III will also be getting the remaster treatment in the future.
