# The next DLC should be Middle Eastern **URL:** \ **Category:** II - Discussion\ **Created:** [August 23, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007 "2026-08-23T20:06:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![attilakan123](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/attilakan123/32/146888_2.png) [@attilakan123](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/attilakan123)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/1 "2026-08-23T20:06:22Z")
The next DLC should be Middle Eastern ---
**Author:** ![MatM1996](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/matm1996/32/29566_2.png) [@MatM1996](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/MatM1996)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 9:03pm UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/3 "2026-08-23T21:03:11Z")
> [@attilakan123](#): > > The next DLC should be Middle Eastern Yes, or at least in AoE 3… ---
**Author:** ![Velk413](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/velk413/32/157894_2.png) [@Velk413](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/Velk413)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 9:08pm UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/4 "2026-08-23T21:08:11Z")
> [@attilakan123](#): > > The next DLC should be Middle Eastern Do you have a specific idea for civs in it? I feel like there’s two ways to do it, either Saracen split but that would include Andalusians out of Spain, or you could do…I guess something that included Oghuz Turks for earlier era Turks with the current Turks civ being moreso Ottomans. > [@MatM1996](#): > > AoE 3 At the very least they gotta get Persians in AOE3. ---
**Author:** ![MatM1996](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/matm1996/32/29566_2.png) [@MatM1996](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/MatM1996)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2026, 9:11pm UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/5 "2026-08-23T21:11:01Z")
Yes, with Central Asian architecture on top (or at least Indian architecture)…😅 ---
**Author:** ![RatcicleFan](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/ratciclefan/32/115119_2.png) [@RatcicleFan](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/RatcicleFan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 2:26am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/6 "2026-08-24T02:26:06Z")
> [@Velk413](#): > > I feel like there’s two ways to do it, either Saracen split but that would include Andalusians out of Spain, or you could do…I guess something that included Oghuz Turks for earlier era Turks with the current Turks civ being moreso Ottomans. They could at least rework the three current Turkic civs (Turks, Tatars and Cumans) to be more consistent and not overlap so much. I actually discussed this with Soully on the official discord a while ago: ![image](https://forums.ageofempires.com/uploads/default/original/3X/f/7/f77167aeb5aa69f7c1dfca6808f88b8be0178bfc.png) ---
**Author:** ![SMUM15236](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/smum15236/32/29763_2.png) [@SMUM15236](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/SMUM15236)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 2:35am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/7 "2026-08-24T02:35:43Z")
The next DLC should be African. ---
**Author:** ![AbuzzJam4677680](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/abuzzjam4677680/32/55419_2.png) [@AbuzzJam4677680](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/AbuzzJam4677680)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 4:19am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/8 "2026-08-24T04:19:40Z")
Just non Euro DLC will be ok for most people tbh. I care more about the quality rather than the region. ---
**Author:** ![WhiteMagick4](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/whitemagick4/32/29597_2.png) [@WhiteMagick4](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/WhiteMagick4)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 4:21am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/9 "2026-08-24T04:21:46Z")
What should be included in this Middle Eastern DLC? I see only a couple of viable civs: Kurds and Afghans. ---
**Author:** ![smiki5five](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/smiki5five/32/217730_2.png) [@smiki5five](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/smiki5five)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 4:38am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/10 "2026-08-24T04:38:46Z")
Sogdians are also a decent pick, another Savar civ to the collection. ---
**Author:** ![smiki5five](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/smiki5five/32/217730_2.png) [@smiki5five](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/smiki5five)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 4:41am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/11 "2026-08-24T04:41:42Z")
If Saracen split is going to happen, the must-haves for me would be Andalusians (obviously) and either Yemenis (a Muslim civ with a female campaign protagonist, who could expect that?) or Iraqis (naphtha / Greek Fire and Savars). > **[Saracen split](https://docs.google.com/document/d/14mj7BruacvQfrh83b7Mk9W98LrRBdQqYbgzqP0L3GjQ/edit)** > > AoE2: Middle East & North Africa, or More Than One Way to Skin a Camel Table of contents Table of contents Intro Shared stuff Regional units Regional buildings Campaign-only units Civ details Andalusians Bedouins / Arabs (OG Saracens) Berbers /... ---
**Author:** ![SMUM15236](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/smum15236/32/29763_2.png) [@SMUM15236](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/SMUM15236)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:28am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/12 "2026-08-24T05:28:21Z")
> [@WhiteMagick4](#): > > Afghans > [@smiki5five](#): > > Sogdians Are they middle eastern or central asian? ---
**Author:** ![MatM1996](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/matm1996/32/29566_2.png) [@MatM1996](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/MatM1996)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:30am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/13 "2026-08-24T05:30:44Z")
Central Asia, since the Sogdians were in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and well, the Afghans are more from Central Asia than from southern Asia like Pakistan and India… ---
**Author:** ![WhiteMagick4](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/whitemagick4/32/29597_2.png) [@WhiteMagick4](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/WhiteMagick4)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:48am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/14 "2026-08-24T05:48:20Z")
> [@SMUM15236](#): > > Are they middle eastern or central asian? It depends on one’s interpretation of the middle east. The Ghurids held lands in modern day Iran which is considered a part of the middle east for example. ---
**Author:** ![Siegelad4112](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/siegelad4112/32/217608_2.png) [@Siegelad4112](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/Siegelad4112)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 6:29am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/15 "2026-08-24T06:29:48Z")
Plus no more AoK/AoC civ splits, there are better civs to add than scraping the barrel with another split. ---
**Author:** ![VNDISPVTED](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/vndispvted/32/214674_2.png) [@VNDISPVTED](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/VNDISPVTED)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 7:47am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/16 "2026-08-24T07:47:34Z")
Alongside a Balkan DLC, this is the DLC which I would like to see next. For the Saracens, I propose three more historically focused civs - ideally as a split/rework, or simply added alongside the existing Saracens if the original civ is retained: Arabians/Arabs - c. 500-1100: Arabia-centered, from pre-Islamic Arabia through the rise of Islam and early Arab expansion - mobility, raiding, Bedouin/tribal traditions and desert warfare. Mashriqis - c. 800-1400: Levant and Mesopotamia-centered, representing the mature eastern Arab-Islamic world - urban economies, trade, fortifications and siege warfare. Egyptians - c. 950-1500: Egypt-centered, particularly the Fatimid - Ayyubid - Mamluk periods, with a strong Mamluk/military identity. I would also like Kurds as a resilient, skirmishing-focused civ, perhaps in another Middle Eastern DLC that could split/rework the current Turks - Turks representing earlier Turkic peoples such as the Göktürks, Oghuz Turks, Seljuks, Azeris, setc., and Ottomans representing the Ottoman state from roughly 1300 onward. Finally, Andalusians would fit perfectly into an Iberian/western Mediterranean DLC alongside the Aragonese. ---
**Author:** ![Blast9867](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/blast9867/32/50724_2.png) [@Blast9867](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/Blast9867)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 8:15am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/17 "2026-08-24T08:15:19Z")
The Kurds can definitely be added so there’s a civ that focuses on the Kurdish ethnic group and plus, it helps add another civ to the Middle Eastern roster. ---
**Author:** ![SMUM15236](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/smum15236/32/29763_2.png) [@SMUM15236](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/SMUM15236)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 8:38am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/18 "2026-08-24T08:38:42Z")
Romans and Byzantines had a lot of area in Africa and Asia. So I don’t think we can call Ghorids middle eastern if we want to be consistent. I do agree that “it depends”. ---
**Author:** ![ÖmerBey](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/%C3%B6merbey/32/146888_2.png) [@ÖmerBey](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/%C3%96merBey)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 12:17pm UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/19 "2026-08-24T12:17:04Z")
> [@RatcicleFan](#): > > They could at least rework the three current Turkic civs (Turks, Tatars and Cumans) to be more consistent and not overlap so much. > > I actually discussed this with Soully on the official discord a while ago: > > ![image](https://forums.ageofempires.com/uploads/default/original/3X/f/7/f77167aeb5aa69f7c1dfca6808f88b8be0178bfc.png) It seems as bad as 3K DLC. This time victim isn’t Chinese but Turkic civs. ---
**Author:** ![DynasticPlanet5](https://forums.ageofempires.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/e495f1/32.png) [@DynasticPlanet5](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/DynasticPlanet5)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 12:18pm UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/20 "2026-08-24T12:18:56Z")
You talk about the Kurd civ but I never seen ya post more than just the civs. I wouldn’t be opposed since it feels like more Steppe Lances to inject me veins with but what would they have more than that So let me try. Kurds: An infantry and Cavalry civ - Pasture animals have 20% more food - Heavy Cavalry Archer free - Arson, Gambeson and thumb Ring techs available 1 age sooner (non unit upgrades) - Steppe Lancers +1/2 damage Team Bonus: generates 1 gold every 12 seconds UU: Kilijeer - The Curved saber hits the target and either the second closest or lowest health target within 2 range of the original target for full damage. Cannot bounce to or from buildings. That’s all I got so far really. I did read about some good use of infantry with sabers alongside light Cav so there’s that. Very thrown together ---
**Author:** ![ÖmerBey](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/%C3%B6merbey/32/146888_2.png) [@ÖmerBey](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/%C3%96merBey)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 12:36pm UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007/21 "2026-08-24T12:36:21Z")
I prefer to see an African DLC firstly. However; Middle East (Egypt, Arabian Peninsula, Anatolia and Iran) is represent by three major civs. Turks, Saracens, Persians. I would count Byzantines, Georgians and Armenians but they are called Western Asian or European more than Middle Eastern because of cultural reasons. Saracens can be split as Egyptians, Masriqis and Yemenis. Turks can be split as Turcomans and Azerbaijanians. Persians can be split as Kurds, Daylamites, Khwarazmians Bonus: Assyrians If I picked there civs among them I would pick Egyptians, Turcomans and Daylamites. [Next page](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-next-dlc-should-be-middle-eastern/289007.md?page=2)