Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition releases later this year

Age of Empires is one of the most popular RTS series of all time, and in recent years, we've been seeing a major revival for the franchise. Though 2005's Age of Empires 3 was the last mainline entry in the series, lately Microsoft has been working on remastering and upgrading all of the old games in the series and re-releasing Definitive Editions of each one.

That started in 2018 with Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, and continued last year with Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition. Naturally, the next step is to release Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition this year, which is precisely what Microsoft will be doing.

Microsoft announced at Gamescom that Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition will be arriving on PC on October 15th, 2020. As you'd expect, Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition features graphics and textures redone in 4K HD, but the announcement trailer for the game shows us all of the other additions we can expect. For instance, Microsoft says that the game will also feature enhanced audio and two new civilizations: The Inca and the Swedes.

We'll also get two new game modes in Historical Battles and The Art of War, with the latter being comprised of a series of challenge missions. Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition will run $19.99 when it releases on October 15th, and it'll be available through the Windows Store, Steam, and Xbox Game Pass for PC. Those who already own Age of Empires 3: Complete Collection or both Age of Empires: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition on Steam can get a 25% discount on Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition, bringing it down to $14.99.

Despite being the most recent game in the series, Age of Empires 3 also tends to be the most overlooked, with most Age of Empires fans opting for Age of Empires 2 instead. While this Definitive Edition probably won't do a whole lot to sway that favor, it's still nice to see Age of Empires 3 – a game that's very good in its own right – getting a remake along with its more popular predecessors.