Age of Empires IV is Available Now with Xbox Game Pass on PC

Time to Make History Your Story

The day is upon us, the sun has risen on a new Age. The whole team is so proud to announce that Age of Empires IV is now available on Microsoft Store, Steam, and with Xbox Game Pass for PC and Ultimate members.

This is the first new numbered Age of Empires title in 16 years, and we’re honored to have added a chapter to this globally beloved franchise. Players all over the world have been engaging in fierce battles, building expansive empires, and wololo-ing for close to 25 years and it’s thrilling to give our players more to enjoy.

To celebrate the launch of Age of Empires IV, we are taking over Times Square in NYC by spanning multiple city blocks of large digital screens, a living diorama, and an AR experience. Please share your experiences if you happen to be in NYC. For those in London, heading to Piccadilly Circus from November 2 could be an experience for the ages.

Age of Empires IV has something for every strategy gaming fan. With eight diverse civilizations, four captivating campaigns, multiplayer, skirmish, maps, unlockable videos, Art of War challenges, masteries and more, we’re excited to see what you play first.

If you’re new to Age of Empires: first of all, welcome! Now that you’re with us, there’s plenty of ways for you to get started:

• Head to the “Learn” tab in the opening menu to find our Intro Tutorial. Our narrator will guide you through the game’s foundational skills, like building your economy and entering combat, whilst you help a group of displaced villagers start anew.
• Got the basics down? Our “Art of War” challenges, found in Single Player, will help you refine skills and earn medals as you improve on the expertise needed to be victorious in future battles.
• You can also play our campaigns via “Story Mode,” allowing you to enjoy the challenges of the game, but with reduced difficulty as you focus on the historical journey and gameplay.
• You could also face up against the AI in “Skirmish” mode. Choose your civ, your AI difficulty, your map and ready up!
• Looking to test your mettle against other players? Jump into multiplayer and select “Quick Match” or create a Custom Game. How you play is up to you! From maps to win conditions, no game will be the same.
• We’ve also provided a breakdown of the hotkeys here on Xbox Wire for easy reference.

If this isn’t your first voyage onto the battlefield, there’s plenty of new features for you to enjoy in Age of Empires IV. Try positioning your archers on top of walls to literally take your strategy to new heights. Place your units in stealth forests to ready the perfect ambush, your units will even whisper to evade discovery by your enemies. Move your entire civilization across the map whilst playing as the Mongols and choose your landmarks to age up and gain additional bonuses.

There’s so much to enjoy with Age of Empires IV and we can’t wait to hear from you as you get started. The team is ready and waiting to hear your feedback! Need support? Head to our dedicated Support Site to get you back to battle.

Wololo!

Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆ 19

★★★★★

Get it now

PC Game Pass

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. Featuring both familiar and innovative new ways to expand your empire in vast landscapes with stunning 4K visual fidelity, Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition brings an evolved real-time strategy game to the next level in this celebratory new version that includes a host of free new content such as brand-new civilizations, new maps, additional in-game updates and languages, and new masteries, challenges, taunts and cheats – all at an amazing value that packs in more history than ever before! Two New Civilizations, 8 New Maps – Lead the mighty Malians of West Africa as one of the richest trading nations of all-time as you focus on strong economic prowess in mining and investing in gold. Or assemble one of the longest lasting empires in history with the Ottoman civilization and its well-trained military force, which features the largest gunpowder siege weapons available – the Great Bombards – mighty cannons that can fell any opponents who stand in your way. Customize Your Game with Mods (Beta) – Chart your own course with powerful creator tools in the latest beta release of Mod Editor. Sculpt your own skirmish and multiplayer maps, craft unique mission scenarios, forge data driven tuning packs and envision new modes of play for Age of Empires IV. Return to History – The past is prologue as you are immersed in a rich historical setting of 10 diverse civilizations across the world from the English to the Chinese to the Delhi Sultanate in your quest for victory. Build cities, manage resources, and lead your troops to battle on land and at sea in 4 distinct campaigns with 35 missions that span across 500 years of history from the Dark Ages up to the Renaissance. An Age for All Players – Age of Empires IV is an inviting experience for new players with a tutorial system that teaches the essence of real-time strategy and a Campaign Story Mode designed for first time players to help achieve easy setup and success, yet is challenging enough for veteran players with new game mechanics, evolved strategies, and combat techniques. Challenge the World – Jump online to compete, cooperate or spectate with up to 7 of your friends in PVP and PVE multiplayer modes that include ranked seasons and much more! Choose Your Path to Greatness with Historical Figures – Live the adventures of Joan of Arc in her quest to defeat the English, or command mighty Mongol troops as Genghis Khan in his conquest across Asia. The choice is yours – and every decision you make will determine the outcome of history.