Microsoft’s Age of Empires series will return “in a big way”, and the next entry is in development using Unreal Engine, according to a new rumor.
During the latest episode of The Xbox Two podcast, host Jez Corden addressed a listener’s question regarding rumors of a new Age of Empires title, confirming that, while details are limited, development on the next entry is underway using Unreal Engine.
Corden explained that one of the major challenges faced during the development of Age of Empires IV stemmed from the technology powering it. The game relied on the developer’s proprietary Essence engine, which allegedly proved difficult to adapt to the expectations and long-term needs of the series’ formula. As a result, Microsoft and Relic Entertainment are said to be moving away from that pipeline in favor of a more flexible and scalable Unreal Engine-based solution, albeit one that will still be heavily customized for real-time strategy systems.
While Corden clarified that he doesn’t know which external studio may ultimately handle full production, he noted that World’s Edge Studios is involved at a foundational level. The latter, which oversees the Age of Empires brand, is believed to be building the core framework of the project and will likely collaborate with another development team to bring the game to completion.
According to the insider, that Age of Empires remains one of Microsoft’s most valuable and strategically important IPs. Although the real-time strategy genre no longer commands the mainstream dominance it once did, Microsoft has effectively “cornered” the RTS niche, particularly as Xbox continues to expand its presence on PC.
Corden also suggested that fans should not expect concrete announcements just yet, as he has heard little about the game’s setting or timeframe. However, he believes the project is real and that its eventual reveal, potentially at a future Xbox Showcase, will bring a major resurgence for the series. According to him, Age of Empires is “still a big deal” for Microsoft, and when it does return, it will do so “in a big way.”
