Age of Empires IV
Fourth installment of the Age of Empires series, set in the Middle Ages.
Age of Empires IV is a real-time strategy title that launched in 2021, developed by Relic Entertainment alongside World's Edge and published by Xbox Game Studios. It marks the fourth main game in the Age of Empires series, the second to take place during the Middle Ages (following Age of Empires II), and the first not created by Ensemble Studios. The game came out on Windows on October 28, 2021, later arriving on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on August 22, 2023, and on PlayStation 5 on November 4, 2025.
The developers set the game from the Early Middle Ages through the early Renaissance, with the earliest civilization appearing around the year 750. Gameplay largely mirrors that of Age of Empires II. A total of 23 civilizations are available. The base game, called Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition, includes ten. The Sultans Ascend expansion adds six, four of which are "variant civilizations"—modified versions of previously released ones. Two variant civilizations came with the Knights of Cross and Rose expansion, and four more with Dynasties of the East. Yue Fei's Legacy expansion added one variant civilization. At launch, eight civilizations were playable; the Ottomans and Malians were added for free on October 25, 2022, a year after release.
The game features seven single-player campaigns, two of which require DLC. The Rise of a King, exclusive to console versions, serves as a tutorial covering the basics from 1047 to 1066. The Normans campaign follows the Norman conquest of England and later English kings (1066–1217). The Hundred Years War covers the conflict between England and France (1351–1450). The Rise of Moscow details the Grand Duchy of Moscow's rise among Rus' principalities, Lithuania, and the Tatars (1238–1552). The Mongol Empire campaign focuses on the expansion of that empire (1223–1273). The Sultans Ascend, a DLC campaign, presents the Crusades from a Muslim perspective (1111–1426). Yue Fei's Legacy, also DLC, covers the Jin–Song wars (1127–1140).
There are four Ages: Dark Age, Feudal Age, Castle Age, and Imperial Age, the same as in Age of Empires II. Advancing Ages is done by constructing Landmarks rather than at the Town Center, except for the Knights Templar.
- Developer
- Relic Entertainment in partnership with World's Edge
- Publisher
- Xbox Game Studios
- Release date
- October 28, 2021 (Windows); August 22, 2023 (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S); November 4, 2025 (PlayStation 5)
- Genre
- Real-time strategy
- Setting
- Early Middle Ages to early Renaissance
- Number of civilizations
- 23 (as of May 2026)
- Number of campaigns
- 7 (2 available with DLC)
Lore & Background
The game is set during the Early Middle Ages to the early Renaissance, with the earliest appearance of any civilization being in the year 750. Gameplay is mostly similar to that of Age of Empires II. There are 23 civilizations available, with ten in the base game (Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition), six in The Sultans Ascend expansion, and additional variant civilizations added in later expansions. Eight civilizations were available at original release; two (Ottomans and Malians) were added for free on October 25, 2022.
The game features four Ages (Dark, Feudal, Castle, Imperial), with advancement achieved by constructing Landmarks rather than at the Town Center (except for Knights Templar). Most civilizations share a common roster of economic, military, technology, defensive, and religious buildings, with unique replacements and landmarks. The Chinese and Zhu Xi's Legacy can build both landmarks to enable a Dynasty; the Abbasid Dynasty, Ayyubids, and Golden Horde advance through a single landmark; Knights Templar advance via their starting town center.
Development was announced on August 21, 2017, with gameplay footage shown at X019 on November 14, 2019. The game was released on October 28, 2021, using the Essence Engine. Voiceovers were recorded using historical pronunciation of each language. The soundtrack was composed by multiple Dynamedion composers.
Reader's Guide
Age of Empires IV received generally favorable reviews according to Metacritic, with OpenCritic reporting 82% critic recommendation. Reviewers praised the variety of civilizations and the historically educational campaigns, with IGN noting it 'is an enjoyable RTS throwback that often plays it too safe, but excels when it doesn't.' GamesRadar+ highlighted that each civilization was 'meticulously designed to offer different gameplay experiences.' The Washington Post enjoyed the campaign balancing, while VG247 felt the commitment to historical accuracy set it apart. PC Gamer praised the visual and strategic variety but criticized what it called a 'squeaky-clean presentation' that skirts around history's darker aspects. Polygon appreciated simplifications from Age of Empires II mechanics, saying complications come more from decision-making than mechanical details. GameSpot called the game 'satisfying' but criticized dated visuals and lack of innovation. The game's expansions added new civilizations, variant civilizations, campaigns, and game modes through 2026, with a sixth expansion announced for fall 2026.
Did You Know?
- Age of Empires IV is the first installment in the series not developed by Ensemble Studios.
- The game was released on PlayStation 5 on November 4, 2025.
More in Civilizations & Factions
Elsewhere in Age of Empires
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