Didn’t get enough anniversary celebrations? Well, here you go! Part II of the Anniversary Event is here! Starting now, November 10 to November 28, jump into the challenge and earn profile icons, coat of arms for your banner, monuments, and more! Don’t miss out on your chance to unlock exclusive rewards and celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Age of Empires!

Didn’t see Part I? You can still earn those through November 28 too!

New Rewards!

We hope you enjoy the second part of the Anniversary Event and are looking forward to the rest of the Season!

Don’t forget to keep sharing your feedback on Seasons with us in the forums – we’d love to hear your feedback!

The Age of Empires team worked with Craig to encompass the best of 25 years into one stunning painting sprinkled with easter eggs and references to games from across our franchise. Let us take a more in depth look at the unique details of this masterpiece. 

• The painting is an homage to the classic cinematic from Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings depicting two kings playing chess. This version shows Jeanne d’Arc (the French) and Mansa Musa (the Malians) in a battle for the ages. 
• The painting includes easter eggs from Age of Empires and Age of Mythology. How many can you find? (Hint: start in the fireplace.) 
• All characters in the tableaux are also in the cover art for our games. Think you can spot them all? 
• The World’s Edge team is a huge fan of the franchise’s unofficial mascot—the scarf wearing Sheep! If you look closely, you can spot these cuddly friends on the stained-glass window. 

You can download the 4k version of this painting here and the desktop version here.

Once again, we thank you sincerely and cannot wait to see what the next 25 have in store!  

Cheers, 

Sage 

The Age of Empires 25th Anniversary Sale is here! Come join the party with us and pick up your copy today on the Microsoft Store or Steam, bring a friend (or two!) and enjoy some fun in-game anniversary events too. Grab your sheep, capybaras, or villagers – it’s time to celebrate Age style! This is only for a limited anniversary time, so don’t miss out – sale ends October 30!

Haven’t picked up Age of Empires IV yet? It’s time to make history your story!

Plus, yesterday we released Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition. This new version of the game includes everything from our monster Anniversary Update and is at a new price of $39.99! There’s never been a better time to jump in and begin your empire. And if you want even MORE Age of Empires IV, Age of Empires IV: Digital Deluxe Edition also has a new lower price of $59.99. Including the soundtrack, Unit Counters Chart, art compilation from digital painter Craig Mullins, and exclusive in-game content including a Coat of Arms, Player Profile portrait, and Monument.

We’re ageing up and heading into the console age. Age of Empires is coming to Xbox consoles in 2023! Our team has been listening to you when you’ve been asking us to bring these globally beloved RTS games to Xbox and we’ll be doing that next year. After launching and evolving these games, the time is right to bring them to both existing fans and new players on Xbox.  2023 will have two console launches to look forward to: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition arrives on Xbox on January 31^st 2023, with Age of Empires IV coming to consoles later in the year.

Age of Empires has grown and thrived over 25 years because of players all over the world who’ve conquered campaigns, succeeded in skirmish and mastered multiplayer. We keep our players at the heart of what we do and pay close attention to what they tell us. So, after hearing requests for Age of Empires to make its Xbox debut, we heard you and we agreed!

2022 has been an incredible year for Age of Empires with over 25 game updates, more than 15 in-game events (with excellent rewards) and over 14,000 mods created and published. The Age of Empires community continues to grow and thrive.

We knew that bringing the complexity of RTS to Xbox consoles was a massive task and one we had to approach carefully and thoughtfully. The team has been working hard to bring an experience that not only feels great using a controller, but also teaches players how to play on Xbox. A new tutorial designed specifically for controller input paired with a new user experience for console will help players get started. We’ve also added a new game AI which helps make resource management in a strategy game efficient and intuitive.

We’re so excited to bring one of the best and most beloved RTS games of all time to Xbox. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition has been growing since its release in 2019. After almost 40 updates, 3 DLC additions bringing new civilizations and campaigns, and a constant stream of improvements, the game is the best it’s ever been. Players can enjoy 83 maps, 42 multiplayer civilizations, 34 single player campaigns, 10 multiplayer modes and 7 co-op campaigns. And now, Xbox players will be able to enjoy all this phenomenal game has to offer!

For those players who are loyal to keyboard and mouse, we’ve ensured that those inputs are supported in the console version. We also considered the functionality Xbox players have come to expect from their games and so the game will include optional Crossplay between platforms, allowing you to play with your friends on Xbox and on PC. We’re also bringing the game to xCloud, allowing players to continue their empire building, even when away from PC or console.

2023 will be a big year for those of you who’ve been asking for an Xbox version of Age of Empires as we’ll also be releasing a console version of Age of Empires IV later in the year! The console teams have been working closely together to create a complementary experience that will bring the newest addition to the Age of Empires roster to Xbox players. We’ll have more to share next year so be sure to follow our official social channels to hear all the news as it comes.

Both titles will be available through the Microsoft Store,  Xbox Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate, bringing the trebuchet launching, castle destroying, and empire building action to players across the globe on the platforms they want to play on.

We can’t wait to begin this new age. Join us!

Emma Bridle, Director of Customer Voice at World’s Edge

It’s a great honor to work on Age of Empires, which is beloved by so many players all over the world. We know how much the games mean to you and we are so proud to be able to work with you to take this franchise forward. We’re constantly listening to your feedback and working hard to grow the games in the way you want. Our players are part of the development team and have been the beating heart of Age of Empires for 25 years.

Raise a glass to yourselves, to empires built, to castles fallen and to the many Wololos. We hope you enjoy the celebrations.
Start the game already!

Michael Mann, Studio Head at World’s Edge

A quarter of a century is a long time and a milestone worth celebrating! Thank you for joining us today for our Anniversary Broadcast, celebrating 25 years of strategy, history and – most importantly – you, our players. We’ve taken time to look back at what’s made this first chapter in Age of Empires‘ history great, as well as showed some sneak peeks of our future. Whether you want to relive everything we shared, or see what you missed, here’s our rundown of the show.

Pull Out Your Controllers – Age of Empires is Coming to Xbox Consoles

We’re ageing up and heading into the console age. Age of Empires is coming to Xbox consoles in 2023! Our team has been listening to you when you’ve been asking us to bring these globally beloved RTS games to Xbox and we’ll be doing that next year. After launching and evolving these games, the time is right to bring them to both existing fans and new players on Xbox.  2023 will have two console launches to look forward to: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition arrives on Xbox on January 31^st 2023, with Age of Empires IV coming to consoles later in the year.

Age of Empires – A Franchise History

Age of Empires games tell stories of human history. So with 25 years under our belt, we wanted to tell the story of our history. Join our warrior by the fireside as he takes a look at the games, cheats, campaigns, moments and victories that have formed this era for Age of Empires.

Wait, Did You Say Myth?

Gods will return. Heroes will rise. Legends will battle. Age of Mythology Retold is in production! We know that the Age of Mythology community has been waiting hopefully for a Definitive Edition, and we’ll be delivering. We’re working hard to bring you the glory of the original game with updated graphics, features and more. Stay tuned for more news.

Age of Empires is Heading to Mobile!

We shared a teaser trailer for a whole new way to play Age of Empires as it heads to mobile. This uniquely designed, visually stunning game will allow you to build your empire on the go. If the teaser has you excited, there’ll be more to share in the not too distant future. So stay tuned….

Age of Empires IV Anniversary Edition

Celebrating its first year of delighting millions of global players, the award-winning and best-selling strategy franchise continues with Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition, putting you at the center of even more epic historical battles that shaped the world.

The Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition and the Season Three: Anniversary Update are here and we’re excited to celebrate with you! With the update comes new civilizations, challenges, achievements, features and more. Whether you’re interested in creating new strategies with the Malians and Ottomans, building your skillset with challenges, competing in 1v1 Solo Ranked or competing with friends in the all-new Team Ranked, or earning a set of Age-themed rewards, there’s something for every play-style coming your way with the Season Three: Anniversary.   

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Getting Return of Rome DLC

We announced an upcoming Age of Empires II: Definitive DLC, Return of Rome. Thinking the key art looks familiar? You’d be right! We’re adding Age of Empires: Definitive Edition content, playable in the Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition client! We’ll be sharing more details in the not too distant future so stay tuned for more information.

Three Games, Three Events, and One Giant Anniversary Celebration!

The giant celebration for the Age of Empires Anniversary extravaganza is underway! Here’s your connection to all the in-game events with unique challenges and rewards starting TODAY, October 25th. Don’t miss out on all the fun in Age of Empires IV, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, and Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition with celebratory cakes, castles, capybaras, and more!

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Releases a Huge Update PLUS Cosmetic Packs!

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition recently had some exciting news! First, a giant update happened with some awesome new features, maps and more. Plus, fans now have the opportunity to access some new and unique cosmetic packs to enhance the in-game experience. These packs cover previously-released and brand-new heroes from across all of the civilizations in the game. Don’t forget to check it out!

Still Not Enough Age?

While you can always log into an Age of Empires game and participate in anniversary fun, we also have some friends who are pretty big fans of Age too!

In honor of Age of Empires‘ 25th birthday, the AoE II Ninja hoodie has been unlocked for everyone!

Log in to State of Decay 2 anytime before November 7th and snag a cool hoodie just in time for the party!

Plus, play Forza and download the Age of Empires custom livery for the Ford Ranger Raptor with the special code: 726 949 524!

Get Your Age Merch!

We’re very excited to also introduce the Age of Empires Insert Coin merch! From sheep pj’s, to an idle villager mug, to a wololo hoodie, you can find some pretty awesome stuff to complete your collection!

Want one of those gold 25th Anniversary t-shirts? Or maybe a deck of Age of Empires playing cards? Well, we’ve got you covered with a whole slew of new Age Anniversary swag available in the Xbox Gear Shop! Check out our new 25th anniversary items.