Something to look forward to: The fact that Age of Empires 2 continues to receive official expansion packs as it celebrates its 25th anniversary demonstrates its enduring popularity. Fan-made content has been essential to the game’s longevity, as evidenced by its newest expansion, which adds over a dozen campaigns next month.
A new DLC pack for Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition, called Victors and Vanquished, is now available for pre-order. The expansion, the sixth for Definitive Edition and the 11th overall, promises new campaigns, scenarios, music, and game mechanics. It is set for release on March 14 for $12.99.
Of the 19 single-player campaigns that Victors and Vanquished includes, 14 are based on fan-made scenarios but have received numerous improvements. These include professional voice acting, new music, bug fixes, achievements, quality-of-life improvements, and rebalanced gameplay. The remaining five campaigns are entirely new.
The full list includes scenarios starring:
- 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)
Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings was originally launched in 1999 to critical acclaim. It received one expansion – The Conquerors – the following year. Microsoft began publishing additional DLC packs over a decade later, after launching Age of Empires 2 HD Edition in 2013. A more extensive remaster, Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition, shipped in 2019 and has received continuous support since.
Developer Forgotten Realms also recently shared updates on other upcoming Age of Empires titles. A new trailer and dev diary offer a close look at Age of Empires Mobile, planned for release sometime in 2024. The game attempts to translate the main franchise’s single-player and multiplayer gameplay to a mobile format with fast-paced gameplay and simplified controls.
The studio also offered a brief look at the updated character designs for its upcoming remaster of Age of Mythology – a less historically-based spin-off originally released in 2002. The new version is planned for a 2024 release on Xbox and PC.
Additionally, Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition receives a new expansion this year with two new civilizations. Meanwhile, Forgotten Empires will release a major update for Age of Empires 4 in early Spring, which starts season seven by adding multiple new gameplay features. Moreover, the company included an update on the Age of Empires esports scene.
