Age of Empires 4 revealed with Relic at the helm
Original game's remake due in October, Definitive Editions of AoE 2 and 3 announced.
Age of Empires 4 has been officially announced with Homeworld and Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment making it, while IP-owner Microsoft Studios will publish.
This will be Relic's first stab at the series, as the franchise's developer, Ensemble Studios, shut down in 2009 as its senior staff disbanded to start up a handful of different companies. As a result, there hasn't been a brand new Age of Empires game since 2005.
"We can't wait to tap into our strengths as a studio to fuse historical context with deep strategic gameplay, and to bring this franchise back to the forefront of gaming and into the hands of its beloved community," Relic said in its announcement.
Beyond this brand new entry, the remake of the series' initial game, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, now has an official release date of 19th October. A closed beta goes into effect tomorrow.
Revealed at the E3 PC Gaming Show as a way to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary, this remake is fully remastered in 4K with an increased population limit, enhanced pathfinding, updated UI, the ability to zoom in and out, an orchestral soundtrack and more.
But wait, there's more! Microsoft is also publishing Definitive Editions of both Age of Empire 2 and 3, with all three remakes being developer by Forgotten Empires.