14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has revealed that it's working with Relic Entertainment on Age of Empires IV, reviving the franchise after a long hiatus.
The previous title in the series, Age of Empires III, was launched all the way back in 2006. It took Microsoft more than a decade to bring it back, and it seems that they might have big plans for it.
Relic Entertainment is the studio working on the new game, but it shouldn’t come as a big surprise. Come to think about it, they have a solid background in building real-time strategy games, with franchises such as Company of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War under their belt. Come to think of it, Relic is pretty much the perfect choice, now that the original Ensemble Studios is no more.
What do we know about Age of Empires IV?
Not much is known about Age of Empires IV, besides the fact that Relic is the studio working on it. From the looks of it, the game will not focus on a particular civilization or era. Most likely, it will retain the elements that made the series famous, while bringing new features to the table. Or at least this is what we can deduce from the short announcement trailer.
Another piece of information that will most likely get some players riled up is the fact that it’s going to be a Windows 10 exclusive. That doesn’t mean just that it’s going to work on Windows 10, but that it’s going to be exclusive to the Windows 10 Store.
With the help of Bill Gates, apparently
Even if it’s highly unlikely, it’s possible that Bill Gates might have given a helping hand. A Reddit user asked Bill Gates in an AMA to bring back Age of Empires, and he even got a positive answer, simply stating “I’ll look into this. How many empires do you need?”
It’s nice to think that the founder of Microsoft would get himself involved in such a decision, but he’s a technical advisor nowadays. Granted, he has a lot of pull with Microsoft, but it’s still a stretch.
There is no information about a launch date, and until more details about going to be released the trailer below is the only source of melancholy.
As a side note, if you get tired of waiting for Age of Empires IV, you might want to give Age of Empires: Definitive Edition a try. It’s a 4K upgrade for the old game, and it’s launching on October 14th.
