I didn’t see Microsoft release branch on SteamDB for a long time but now there is one:
Do you think it means anything? Are they preparing for releasing something?
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I only watched updates. What do new branches usually mean? Any previous examples?
Could be a new DLC. 20 characters.
Or it could be AoM getting meged into Aoe3.
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If we see a ‘9’ soon we’ll know for sure we’re in for something good. 
Like Rise of Rome with AOEII? My dream is to launch British Rockets against the Egyptian Gods. 
(Joking, obviously)
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They’re creating a Covenant-based standalone expansion, to finally merge Age of Empires with the HALO universe, just like Sandy Petersen always envisioned.
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I HOPE THIS NEVER HAPPENS !!!
Just adding AoE 1 to AoE 2 is a controversial topic, but adding AoM to AoE 3 would be just plain stupid.
While adding ancient periods content to a medieval periods game is tolerable, but adding mythological content to an early modern periods game is totally sick.
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I believe it will be released as a separate game.
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I only look here:
This is where unannounced DLCs come in that are added to Steam but are blocked from view for Steam customers (until officially announced).
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Without any official hints about expansion in the works, the first and most reasonable assumption is something in the form of Hero Cosmetic Pack – Vol. 2, or maybe a map-challenge pack for the score mode that sits there unutilized.
Or it’s Romans.
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Single civ DLCs tend to come out of nowhere so there’s that.
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I hope that in May we will finally get something concrete (around the premiere of RoR DLC). Maybe it would be a solo civ DLC (Brazilians civ most likely) and a preview of the next big DLC on holidays.
The spring update was supposed to be huge (the developers themselves said that it could be even bigger than the October update). So May is the deadline for this update - because there hasn’t been an update as big as that one since October.
Still better than Malta.
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It could also be a “Return of Greece” DLC, a port of AOM, along with Byzantines added to the base game with a unique unit called “hoplites” (but with a late medieval Byzantine spearman appearance). And it cannot be used on ranked.
In fact, Rome in AoE 3 is very much represented by Italians civ - with the Basilica (in this building there are as many as 3 unique papal units + one Venetian).
Generally, Italians civ focus only on Northern Italy, they have no reference to Southern Italy… It’s a pity because that area was really interesting: Kingdom of Sicily, Kingdom of Naples, Kingdom of Two Sicilies.
For me, always adding Maltese instead of Sicilians will be a huge mistake. The Maltese could easily fit all their unique content (not counting copy-paste from the campaign) into Minor Civilization.
Unfortunately, this has already happened and we have to live with it, so I’m counting on at least a Sicily option of revolution for Italians civ and Maltese civ.
I don’t care about the Byzantines civ because they fell at the very beginning of the AoE 3 timeframe, but since the Romans became civ in AoE 2, they would probably add the Byzantines to AoE 3 as well.
Byzantines civ in AoE 3 would be bizarre, if couldn’t also represent later Greek history.
Yes I see Maltese more fitting as a sub-Italian (either a revolution or an ally). But it seems to be more like an additional bonus to what is already a very content-rich DLC (“we spent too many efforts on the new maps and new natives, so let’s reuse what we already have and fill in the second civ slot in the simplest way”).
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It’s a joke based on how Return of Rome is done in AOE2 and the drama around it.
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It would make more sense to add Minoans and do an AoM crossover. Byzantium was completely gone by 1479, and Hoplites are ancient, not Byzantine.