Age of Empires

Age of Empires is Microsoft’s historical real-time strategy franchise, launched by Ensemble Studios in October 1997 and now managed by World’s Edge under Xbox Game Studios. Spanning five mainline entries and multiple spin-offs across nearly three decades, the franchise covers historical periods from the Stone Age through the colonial era, tasking players with building civilizations, gathering resources, advancing through technological ages, and defeating rival empires through military and economic strategy. The franchise has grown to over 70 million players worldwide as of 2025, its most content-rich year in history.

I was introduced to Age of Empires in my US History class in high school when we would play Age of Empires 2. I played thousands of hours of the game throughout high school and college.

Age of Empires (1997) and the Ensemble Studios Era

The original Age of Empires developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft released on October 15, 1997, covering historical periods from the Stone Age to the Iron Age across twelve playable civilizations. GameSpot described it at the time as a combination of Civilization and Warcraft, capturing both its strategic depth and its accessible real-time structure. Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings in 1999 is widely considered the franchise’s foundational entry, a medieval strategy game featuring thirteen civilizations, a robust campaign mode, and a competitive multiplayer scene that has remained active for over two decades. The Conquerors expansion in 2000 added three civilizations and campaign content that expanded what was already the franchise’s most beloved game.

Age of Empires III in 2005 moved the setting to the Age of Colonization, covering the 14th through 19th centuries and introducing home city mechanics that added a persistent progression layer to the core strategy loop. Age of Mythology, a spin-off departing from the historical framework to cover ancient mythology across Greek, Egyptian, and Norse pantheons, released in 2002 and built its own dedicated playerbase. Ensemble Studios was closed by Microsoft in January 2009 following the completion of Halo Wars, ending the founding studio’s run on the franchise.

Age of Empires IV (2021) and Relic Entertainment

Age of Empires IV, developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios, released on October 28, 2021, for Windows and Xbox Game Pass. The fourth mainline entry returned to the medieval period while introducing mechanics that distinguished it from the Definitive Edition of Age of Empires II running in parallel, including civilization-specific unique mechanics, a documentary-style historical presentation embedded in the campaigns, and a visual approach that prioritized readability over realism. The game received strong reviews and built an active competitive community, with World’s Edge supporting it through multiple expansions including Knights of Cross and Rose and Dynasties of the East in 2025, the latter becoming the franchise’s fastest-selling expansion pre-order at the time of its release.

The Definitive Editions

World’s Edge, a Microsoft studio dedicated to the Age of Empires franchise, oversaw remastered Definitive Editions of the original trilogy and ongoing expansion support for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, released November 14, 2019. The Definitive Editions updated visuals and audio while maintaining the original gameplay that defined each entry, and Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition in particular became a living game through a continuous expansion pipeline adding new civilizations, campaigns, and the Chronicles series of historical content packs. Chronicles: Battle for Greece in November 2024 and Chronicles: Alexander the Great in October 2025 established a sub-series within the Definitive Edition focused on specific historical campaigns with distinct civilization rosters.

Age of Mythology: Retold (2024)

Age of Mythology: Retold, a full remake of the 2002 original developed by World’s Edge and Forgotten Empires, released September 4, 2024, for Windows and Xbox, with a PlayStation 5 version releasing March 4, 2025. The remake rebuilt the game with updated visuals while preserving the mythology-based gameplay of the original, and received two major expansions in 2025: Immortal Pillars, adding a Chinese pantheon, and Heavenly Spear, adding a Japanese pantheon. Both expansions introduced new myth units, campaigns, and maps alongside their new civilizations.

The Franchise in 2025 and Beyond

2025 was the most content-rich year in the franchise’s history by World’s Edge’s own account, with six expansions releasing across three games, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and Age of Mythology: Retold launching on PlayStation 5, and the franchise becoming the first gaming partner of the Louvre Museum through a collaboration tied to the Mamluks civilization expansion. Age of Empires Mobile, developed by TiMi Studio Group in partnership with Xbox Game Studios, entered development for mobile platforms with a PC Edition announced for release following Gamescom 2025 previews. The franchise’s cumulative player count crossed 70 million during 2025.