The Age of Empires games are some of the best-loved real-time strategy titles ever made, which is why Age of Empires: Definitive Edition was met with cries of joy when it was unveiled at E3 this year. But if people were excited about that remastered game, imagine how they felt when Age of Empires IV was announced.
At Gamescom yesterday, publisher Microsoft Studios revealed that a new entry in the long-running series was in the works. Taking over from the now defunct Ensemble Studios, which developed the games from 1997 to 2007, is Relic Entertainment.
Sega acquired Relic in 2013 as part of THQ's bankruptcy proceedings. Age of Empires IV will become the dev's first game produced for a publisher other than its parent company. Relic has a strong track record when it comes to RTS titles, with Homeworld, Company of Heroes, and the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series under its belt.
"[We] couldn't be more proud to be a part of the legacy," Relic wrote in an announcement on its website. "We can't wait to tap into our strengths as a studio to fuse historical context with deep strategic gameplay, and to bring this franchise back to the forefront of gaming and into the hands of its beloved community."
Even more good news for RTS fans: in addition to the Definitive Edition of the first game, which will be released on October 19, there will also be remastered versions of Age of Empires 2 and 3.
No word yet on when we can expect Age of Empires IV, but we do know it'll be a Windows 10 exclusive.