Hey everyone, long-time AoE2 player and history nerd here. I’ve been cooking up a full African DLC series in my head for a while now, and I finally decided to write it all down and share it here. English isn’t my first language, so I used some AI help to polish the text, but the ideas are all my own. This is purely a fan wishlist, not any kind of leak or official news. I’ve got two DLCs fairly well mapped out with civs and campaigns, but for the third one I’ve only nailed down the civilizations — I haven’t come up with any specific campaign stories for it yet. That part is still an open canvas, and I’d honestly love to hear your suggestions. I’ll try to keep all the detail in, so bear with me if it gets a bit wordy.
I. West African DLC – “Gold of the Sahel”
This expansion focuses on the lands along the southern edge of the Sahara, nourished by the Niger River and the Sahelian grasslands, where mighty empires flourished long before European matchlocks appeared on the coast. I imagine three distinct, lesser-known West African civilizations:
The Songhai – A vast Niger Valley empire built on a professional standing army, thunderous cavalry, a proper river navy, and the scholarly golden age of Timbuktu. Masters of the trans-Saharan trade and guardians of Islamic learning.
The Hausa – A league of city-states sitting right at the trade crossroads of the Sahel. Their hallmarks are swift light cavalry, nearly impregnable earthen walls, and a commercial network that spanned the Sahara. The seven cities each had their own specialty, creating a unique blend of merchant and military power squeezed between larger empires.
The Bornu – Iron-clad lions of Lake Chad. Think fully armored heavy cavalry, the first Sahelian power to adopt firearms in a big way, and camel-mounted troops that dominate the open desert. Heirs of the Sayfawa dynasty and determined reconquerors of their Kanem homeland.
Here are the three campaign stories I’ve imagined:
“Askia the Great” (Songhai)
You play as Askia Muhammad, the founder of the Songhai Empire. Start as a decorated general of the imperial guard, seize the throne through a military coup, and then transform into the father of a unified West African super-state. March north against the Tuareg, push south to the edge of the rainforest, raid west toward the Atlantic, and pressure Bornu in the east, forging an empire from Senegal to Lake Chad. Along the way, build schools in Timbuktu and invite scholars from across the world to kick off the golden age of Sahelian learning. A saga of power, faith, and glory.
“Kanta Kotal” (Hausa)
Embody Kanta Kotal, the legendary warlord who began as a Songhai provincial governor and commander of the imperial guard. After a bitter dispute over war spoils, he rebels and becomes the King of Kebbi. Smash the Songhai emperor’s personal army on the wastes of Wantaramsa, then turn east and repel a Bornu invasion force said to number a hundred thousand. Stand alone against two great powers and forge the strongest military state in the Hausa lands. An epic of rebellion, dignity, and legend.
“Alooma” (Bornu)
Follow Idris Alooma, the greatest ruler of Bornu, through the first military revolution the Sahel had ever seen. Import muskets and Turkish military advisors from the Ottoman Empire to create the region’s first real firearm corps. Launch five expeditions to reclaim the Kanem heartland and recapture the old capital, Njimi. Subdue the Hausa city-states and drive off Tuareg and Tubu raiders, pushing the Bornu Empire to unchallenged dominance. A story of reform, conquest, and imperial zenith.
Visually, this DLC would share a West African Sahelian architecture set with a reworked Mali — mud-brick mosques of Timbuktu, earthen walls of Kano, thatched villages around Lake Chad, and fortified outposts on the desert fringe. New maps would highlight deserts, savannas, and river deltas. In multiplayer, Songhai would lean into navy and eco, Hausa into trade bonuses and light cavalry mobility, and Bornu into firearms and heavy cavalry, all bringing fresh tactical options.
II. East African DLC – “Gold of the Indian Ocean”
This pack stretches the map to the upper Nile and the western Indian Ocean coast, honoring civilizations that thrived long before Portuguese carracks sailed into those waters. Again, three civilizations:
The Nubians – An ancient Christian kingdom nestled between the Nile cataracts. Feared for their dead-eye archers, an unbreakable chain of river fortresses, and the astonishing six-hundred-year Baqt peace treaty. They were a lonely Christian bastion holding out against the tide of Islamic expansion, and they built one of history’s most enduring orders of peace.
The Somalis – A jihadist empire from the Horn of Africa, famous for fierce cavalry, the earliest firearm units in East Africa, and a trade network that spanned the Indian Ocean. In the 16th century they nearly wiped the thousand-year-old Christian kingdom of Ethiopia off the map, charging across the highlands under the banner of holy war.
The Swahili – A league of city-states strung along the golden coast, defined by their ocean-ranging dhow fleets, coral-stone port cities, and a gold trade network that connected Africa to Asia. As the merchant kings of the Indian Ocean, they were among the first African civilizations to stare down the cannons of Europe.
And the three campaigns:
“Moses Georgios” (Nubia)
You are King Moses Georgios of Makuria, fighting to preserve Christian Nubia’s last independence in the time of Saladin’s rising Ayyubid dynasty. It begins with the bitter loss of the northern fortress of Qasr Ibrim and the burning of its church. Then comes the turning-point battle on the banks of the Adindan, where you use the “Eye-Piercer” Nubian archers and the natural fortress of the Nile to smash the invading army of Saladin’s brother, Turanshah. A legend of faith, endurance, and a desperate counter-punch.
“Ahmad Gragn” (Somalia)
Become Imam Ahmad Gragn, “the Left-Handed,” unify the Somali clans, and launch the great jihad against Ethiopia. From an outnumbered victory at Shimbra Kure to conquering two-thirds of the Ethiopian highlands, you’ll even kill the Portuguese commander da Gama at the Battle of Wofla. Finally, at the decisive clash of Wayna Daga, face the Portuguese musketeers’ fatal volley in the most epic conquest story the Horn of Africa has ever seen. A tale of faith, conquest, and downfall.
“Emir Ibrahim” (Swahili)
You’re Ibrahim, son of a powerful minister in Kilwa. Start as the loyal sword that helps the sultan crush a rebellion, then become the usurper who murders him and seizes the throne as the last great overlord of the city. Hold the sultanate together through bitter internal divisions, and finally square off against the Portuguese carracks and cannon. At the crossroads of civilization, will you turn the tide and bring new glory to the Swahili world, or will the golden coast sink with you into the depths of the Indian Ocean?
Architecture would share an East African set with Ethiopia — stone church-fortresses of Nubia, white-walled minarets of Somalia, coral-stone ports of the Swahili, and fortified highland towns. New maps feature Nile gorges, savannas, coastal sandbars, and Indian Ocean islands. Multiplayer would see Nubia focus on archers and fortress defense, Somalia on cavalry and early firearms, and the Swahili on trade bonuses and navy.
III. DLC – “Lost Kingdoms of Africa”
This one is designed as the final chapter of the African series, shining a light on kingdoms that flourished south of the Sahara but are often overlooked. I’ve settled on four civilizations, but I haven’t worked out the campaigns at all yet. I’ll lay out the civ concepts here, and I’m genuinely hoping you folks can help me brainstorm some epic storylines for them.
The Wolof – A confederate empire of the Senegambian savanna, led by an elected Burba ruler and structured by a rigid caste system. Their cavalry ranges far and wide, and they are the voices of the griot epic tradition, dominating the lands between the Senegal and Gambia rivers.
The Ife – The Yoruba holy city deep in the forests of the Gulf of Guinea. Renowned for breathtaking bronze and terracotta art, a highly developed city-state culture, and the creation myth of Oduduwa. From the terracotta heads of Ife to the bronze plaques of Benin, they authored the most brilliant artistic chapter in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Kongo – A centralized kingdom on the lower Congo River. Defined by a powerful Manikongo kingship, advanced ironworking, and an intricate shell-currency system. As a high point of Bantu civilization, they were also among the first in sub-Saharan Africa to engage deeply with Europe, leading to dramatic transformations in the age of sail.
The Zimbabwe – A stone kingdom on the southern African plateau. Famous for massive dry-stone granite structures, a gold-trade empire that reached the Indian Ocean, and the military might of the Mutapa state. From the mysterious walls of Great Zimbabwe to the golden realm of Mutapa, they are the Shona people’s unique wonder.
Maps would range from Senegambian savanna to Yoruba forested hills, from the dense Congo rainforest to the highland grasslands of Zimbabwe. For gameplay, the Wolof would emphasize savanna cavalry and caste mechanics, Ife could bring in bronze artistry and city-state alliances, Kongo would highlight ironworking and possibly Christian-influenced elements, and Zimbabwe would revolve around gold trade and stone-wall defenses.
Again, this is all just a personal wishlist and a set of suggestions for the devs and the community to consider. Whether any of this ever becomes reality is entirely up to the official team. Let me know what you think, and please throw any campaign ideas for the Lost Kingdoms civs my way! Cheers.