Both Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition are set to receive brand new content through DLCs and updates this year. Xbox Games Studios, the publisher of both real-time strategy games, announced the news during the Age of Empires fan event on April 10.
Squeezed between new information regarding the upcoming Age of Empires 4 and never-before-seen AoE 4 gameplay, XGS said that the second Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition DLC, Dawn of the Dukes, is scheduled to launch sometime in summer 2021. The expansion focuses on Eastern Europe, though that’s about all we know at this point. The presentation only said there would be “new campaigns and much more, though new units and civilizations are expected.
Following that, XGS said Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition will be receiving co op multiplayer on a select few missions. “We’ve hand-picked a specific set of campaign missions and historical battles to play with friends and work together toward victory” No particulars were shared, but more will be coming “in the months ahead.”
The United States civilization will make its way to Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition on April 13, 2021. It includes a “unique new explorer, a brand home city, nine new units, and a new age-up mechanic.” The announcement did not include a price-point for the DLC, which will be available for purchase on Steam and the Windows Store, but XGS said it will be free for an unspecified amount of time for those who complete a 50-state challenge.
Additionally, the developers aren’t done with AoE 3: DE this year, saying they plan to release another, much larger DLC expansion focusing on African civilizations. Though, from the sound of it, that DLC may not be ready this year, but we’ll have to wait and see. Stay tuned.
