Publisher Xbox Game Studios and Age of Empires developer Relic Entertainment have announced an anniversary stream that will include some surprises. The 25th anniversary of Age of Empires will be celebrated on a live stream with new announcements and interviews. The stream will be broadcast on October 25, following the anniversary on the 15th. Viewers will be able to partake in the celebration on Twitch as well as Age of Empires, Red Bull Gaming, and Xbox YouTube channels.
The legendary real-time strategy, Age of Empires, was introduced in October 1997 and has ever since been considered one of the most prominent games in its genre. After a long hiatus, Microsoft-owned Xbox Game Studios revived the revered franchise last year with Age of Empires 4. Its predecessor, Age of Empires 3, was originally developed by the now-closed Ensemble Studios and was released to the public in 2005. Even after a tremendous downtime, the game seemed to pick up where the franchise left off and was considered one of 2021's best multiplayer experiences.
While not all anniversary surprises have been spoiled by Xbox Game Studios, it has been revealed that the new Age of Empires 4: Anniversary Edition will be launching on the day of the stream via Steam and the Microsoft Store. The game comes with the new Anniversary Update which has the recently released Ottomans and Malians add-on, adding two new civilizations to the original eight of Age of Empires 4. Also, there are new mastery challenges, achievements, maps, and biomes. Xbox Game Studios hasn't forgotten the fans of previous titles either. The anniversary celebrations will add in-game challenges and exclusive rewards to both Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition.
Xbox Game Studios has also announced the sixth consecutive Red Bull's Wololo: Legacy tournament. The participants compete in three games from the franchise: Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome, Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition, and Age of Empires 4. In the biggest ever Red Bull's Wololo 1v1 tournament professionals and amateurs compete against each other in the historic Heidelberg Castle in Germany. Perhaps this amazing location is the secret location where the entire anniversary stream is broadcast from. The anniversary also kicks off Season Three on the Age of Empires 4 2022 roadmap.
When it comes to the secret announcement or surprises, there's a very low likelihood that Xbox Game Studios will announce a successor to Age of Empires 4. The shelf-life of strategy games tends to be longer than those in other genres, and the latest title will likely be going strong for a few more years. We could, however, see a proper expansion in the near future. Currently, Age of Empires 4 includes only four campaigns and ten civilizations. This means that an expansion like The Asian Dynasties for Age of Empires 3 could be in the works for Age of Empires 4.
Age Of Empires 4 is currently available on PC.