Age of Empires 2 was launched in 1999 and that means this year it will celebrate its 25th anniversary. It’s a seminal strategy game played by millions that has been overhauled several times in its long life and received many expansions.
To celebrate the 25 long years as one of the best, Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition will be getting a brand new expansion called ‘Victors and Vanquished’, featuring 19 single-player campaigns, 14 of which are based on fan-made scenarios.
The franchise recently expanded into a fourth entry which captures the brillinace of past games
This will be the eleventh overall expansion to Age of Empires 2 and the sixth for the Definitive Edition. The following scenarios will feature in ‘Victors and Vanquished’ and will be available on 14 March 2024:
- Gaisceric, king of the Vandals (406 CE)
- The British ruler Vortigern (440 CE)
- Charlemagne (768 CE)
- Legendary Viking King Ragnar Lothbrok (850 CE)
- Ragnar's son, Bjorn Ironside (859)
- King Harald Finehair (870 CE)
- Robert (921 CE)
- Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great (936 CE)
- Seljuk (985)
- Viking explorer Thorfinn Karlsefni (1000)
- Byzantine Empire Alexios I Komnenos (1081)
- King Stephen of England (1135)
- Temujin (1185)
- Mstislav (1203)
- Constantine XI (1453)
- Fetih (meaning conquest) (1453)
- Shimazu (1545)
- Oda Nobunaga (1551)
- Sir Francis Drake (1572)
This announcement came alongside discussion around other games in the ‘Age of’ franchise as the development team, Forgotten Realms, also shared an update for Age of Empires Mobile, due for release this year. The game will attempt to bring the core of the franchise to mobile platforms in a more streamlined version.
The studio also showed a small look at Age of Mythology Remastered, which keeps the same strategy gameplay based on world mythology and legends which quickly became a fan favourite upon original release. It’s going to be a busy year for the series as they move through a huge anniversary.