The sun has risen in a new era. Age of Empires has come to the console area! From today, Age of Empires II: Definitive EditionThe critically and globally acclaimed game is now available on Xbox consoles with Xbox Game Pass.
Built for controller play, this edition innovates and enhances gameplay for players more familiar with a controller than a keyboard. Rulers armed with Xbox controllers will now be able to demonstrate their power in over 200 hours of historical gameplay spanning over 1,000 years of human history across 35 civilizations. Live moments of world history from the comfort of your armchair!
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition has been growing since its launch in 2019 with nearly 40 updates, 3 DLC additions, and a steady stream of improvements, featuring 83 maps, 42 multiplayer civilizations, 34 single-player campaigns, 10 multiplayer modes, and 7 co-op campaigns Access all of this content on console with Age of Empires II: Deluxe Definitive Edition, available at launch. Our passionate community of Age players asked us to bring Age to console, and we listened. Knowing that bringing this bastion of strategy gaming to Xbox worldwide would require thought and care, we took the time to produce a version of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition with controller and console gamers at the center of the design. .
We are proud of the extensive work that the Age of Empires team put into this game to ensure the best possible control experience. Here are some of the ways we’re adapting Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition to work on Xbox:
We implemented a new UI/UX optimized for control input. By allowing you to manage your resources, units, and objectives on screens from cloud gaming-enabled mobile devices to large-scale UHD TVs, we ensured that the user interface is easy to read and understand, allowing you to fully focus on your game. your construction orders and strategies. Experience native control UI design through D-pad shortcuts, command wheels, and more. Gameplay innovations to elevate the Age of Empires experience for new and experienced players. Whether this is your first foray into empire building or you’re a seasoned ruler, we’ve added innovations to make your console experience smooth and productive. These include villager automation and site-based commands, balancing your time and focus so you can push your armies forward! New tutorials and learning resources developed specifically for intuitive control gameplay. All players will receive instructions on how to easily use a controller to build their empire. We’ll be supplementing the game’s features with a “Learn to Play” guide on AgeOfEmpires.com specifically for this edition. We’ve also included story difficulty campaign missions, allowing you to focus on historical moments and develop your skills as you progress through the difficulty level. If you’re loyal to your keyboard and mouse, you’ll easily be able to transition to the console version. We make sure those inputs are compatible, to give you options for how you want to play. We’re also bringing the game to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), allowing you to continue building your empire, even when you’re not on PC or console.
This is the start of the Age of Empires console era, and we’ll have more for you later this year. Build your mettle with Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, and add Age of Empires IV to your roster later in 2023. More news on that release coming soon!
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is now available at the Microsoft Store (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico) on Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. If you want to enjoy the additional campaigns and civilizations added through our DLC updates, check out the Deluxe Definitive Edition bundle, which contains the base game and Lords of the West, Dawn of the Dukes, and Dynasties of India. If you already have the base game in the Microsoft Store, enjoy free access to the new console version to play on both platforms.
As an extra thank you for playing, if you try Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on January 31 and February 14 you can enjoy a fun confetti mode to celebrate!
