Japan teased for Age of Empires IV as major new expansion announced

Japan teased for Age of Empires IV as major new expansion announced

Age of Empires IV, the latest entry in Microsoft's long-running real-time strategy series, is getting brand-new content soon in the form of fresh civilizations and possibly more. Announced today at the Gamescom Xbox stream by World's Edge's Christopher Rubyor, The Sultans Ascend is coming in soon as "it's largest expansion ever".

While no more details were shared regarding this expansion on stream by Rubyor during the stream, a Steam store page for the expansion has gone live with screenshots and a small description:

"Coming Soon: The Sultans Ascend - the biggest expansion for Age of Empires IV yet! Step into history as you explore new territories, lead powerful armies, and immerse yourself in the rich history of the Middle East."

Considering this has its own DLC page — unlike the previous expansion that turned out to be a free update carrying two new civilizations — it's pretty much guaranteed to be a paid expansion like we've seen recently for other entries in the franchise. We should be receiving both single-player campaign and multiplayer content here too. A price has not been set yet, but Steam wishlisting is available for fans.

While the description is only detailing an expansion focused on the Middle East, one of the screenshots in the store page, seen below, seems to be showcasing a new playable empire that looks a lot like Japan. Although not confirmed yet, the Sakura trees, the clothing and hair styles, as well as the structures, seem to be teasing a reveal of the much-requested civilization for Age of Empires IV.

Developers World's Edge and Relic Entertainment have not announced a release date for Age of Empires IV: The Sultans Ascend expansion yet, but more details should be coming soon. Don't forget that the real-time strategy game released for Xbox One and Series X|S consoles and Xbox Cloud Gaming users this week as well, offering a completely new gamepad-focused controller scheme.