Big news from gamescom 2020!
SUMMARY
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition will release on October 15th 2020
Pre-order the game today to explore familiar frontiers on launch day
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition will be available on Steam, Windows 10 PC and Xbox Game Pass for PC (beta)
The countdown to the launch of Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition starts today! Tonight, at gamescom: Opening Night Live, our team was excited to reveal the official trailer for Age III: DE , as well as kick off pre-orders for the game as it nears its release on October 15th .
It’s been years since we kicked off the idea of bringing back the Age of Empires series in definitive form, and through each game we’ve listened to our fans, learned, and refined our process to make the best possible true “Age” experience of each game that we can. In just a few months, long-time Age fans will be able to complete their collection, and those yet to try Age III: DE will be able to experience this groundbreaking game in the best version possible—continuing our mission of setting the standard of what it means to create “definitive” editions of classic games.
What is Age III: DE?
In Age III: DE , players can expect 4K graphics, rebuilt 3D assets, a modernized UI, cross-play multiplayer, and fully enhanced soundtrack and audio. In addition to all previously released content, Age III: DE also features two new game modes and two new civilizations exclusive to the Definitive Edition.
For game modes, we’ve added a series of Historical Battles set within the time period the game covers, as well as several new fan favorite Art of War challenges—which were added after the overwhelmingly positive community feedback about their appearance in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition ! These challenges are specifically tailored to not only teach you the in’s and out’s of real-time strategy games, but the unique nuances of Age III: DE’s gameplay and meta strategies that have evolved over years of play.
When it comes to civilizations, Age of Empires III and its expansions featured 14 civilizations from across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, and we’re adding two brand-new civilizations exclusively to the Definitive Edition: The Swedes and The Incas!
- The Swedes are a brand new addition to the franchise and cover one of history’s most unlikely great powers: a small European nation which eclipsed all military convention and became a powerhouse on the European battlefields thanks to their innovative military tactics.
- The Incas are a more traditional Age of Empires civilization, covering one of the largest empires in South America, where they constructed mighty stone cities, citadels and palaces.
Whether you’re more of a city builder or aiming for military domination, we think all players will have a lot of fun exploring each both civ’s unique play styles!
New and Improved
Speaking on civilizations, a key focus of our work at World’s Edge is to authentically represent the cultures and peoples that we depict in our games. While developing Age III: DE , we realized that we weren’t upholding that value as well as we could regarding our Native American cultures; so we set out to fix that: working directly with tribal consultants to respectfully and accurately capture the uniqueness of their peoples, history, and cultures. Returning players will find there’s been some fundamental changes to the Native American civilizations, and we hope you find them as compelling as we do!
We’ll have more to share as we get closer to launch.
A Game for Everyone!
If you can’t wait until launch to get your hands on Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition , you’re in luck! There’ll be opportunities for Age of Empires Insiders to help us test the game between now and launch.
- Not an Insider yet? Head to www.ageofempires.com/insiders to join the program! If you’re already an Age Insider, make sure your profile and dxDiag are up to date.
Pre-orders are available now through Steam and the Windows Store , or you can pre-install the game on Xbox Game Pass for PC (beta). There are multiple ways to score the best deal—whether you’re an existing Definitive Edition owner or are looking to give Age of Empires a try for the very first time!
- Owners of Age of Empires III: Complete Collection on Steam can pre-order/buy the Definitive Edition at a 25% discount, reducing the price to $14.99 USD / £11.25 GBP / €14.99 EUR.
- Already own Age of Empires: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on Steam? Complete your collection with the same 25% discount!
- Xbox Game Pass for PC (beta) and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will receive the same discount on the Windows Store!
- We’re also introducing the Age of Empires: Definitive Collection — a bundle of all three Definitive Editions priced at $44.99 (a $60 value).
You can also play the first two Age of Empires Definitive Editions right now through Xbox Game Pass for PC (beta) and Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition will join the roster on October 15th!
See you in October!
However you choose to pre-order and play, we’re excited to have you join us in this truly spectacular game. Keep an eye on the official Age of Empires social channels and website on the lead-up to launch, and take the time to join our amazing community!
On behalf of our family of developers from around the globe that have worked hard to make Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition a worthy entry in the “definitive” line, thank you for your patience; we can’t wait to engage with you now and into the future!
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