We’re getting older and heading into the console age. Age of Empires is coming to Xbox consoles in 2023! Our team listened to you when you asked us to bring these world-renowned RTS titles to Xbox, and we’ll be doing that next year. With these games launching and evolving, it’s time to bring them to both existing fans and new players on Xbox. There will be two console launches to look forward to in 2023: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition arrives on Xbox on January 31, 2023 Age of Empires IV coming to consoles later in the year.
Age of Empires has grown and thrived over 25 years thanks to players around the world conquering campaigns, thriving in skirmishes and mastering multiplayer. We put our players at the center of everything we do and pay close attention to what they tell us. After hearing requests for Age of Empires to make its Xbox console debut, we heard you, and we agreed!
2022 was an incredible year for Age of Empires with 25+ game updates, 15+ in-game events (with excellent rewards) and 14,000+ mods created and released. The Age of Empires community continues to grow and thrive.
We knew that bringing the complexity of RTS to Xbox consoles was a daunting task, and one that we needed to approach carefully and deliberately. The team worked hard to create an experience that not only feels great with a controller, but also teaches players how to play on Xbox. A new tutorial designed specifically for controller input, coupled with a new console user experience, will help players get started. We also added a new game AI that helps make resource management in a strategy game efficient and intuitive.
We are very excited to bring one of the best and most popular RTS games of all time to Xbox. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition has grown since its release in 2019. After almost 40 updates, 3 DLC supplements with new civilizations and campaigns and a constant stream of improvements, the game is the best ever. Players can enjoy 83 maps, 42 multiplayer civilizations, 34 single player campaigns, 10 multiplayer modes and 7 co-op campaigns. And now Xbox players can enjoy everything this phenomenal game has to offer!
For those gamers who are loyal to keyboard and mouse, we’ve made sure these inputs are supported in the console version. We’ve also considered the functionality Xbox players expect from their games, so the game will include optional crossplay between platforms, so you can play with your friends on Xbox and PC. We’re also bringing the game to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) so players can keep building their empires even when they’re not on PC or console.
2023 is going to be a big year for those of you who have asked for an Xbox version of Age of Empires as we will also be releasing a console version of it Age of Empires IV later in the year! The console teams have worked closely to create a complementary experience that will bring Xbox players the latest addition to the Age of Empires roster. We’ll have more to share next year, so be sure to follow our official social channels for all the news as it’s coming.
Both console versions of the games will be available through the Microsoft Store, Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, offering trebuchet launching, castle smashing and empire building action to gamers around the world on the platforms they choose to play on.
We can’t wait to start this new age. Join us!
