Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition is readying to reach even further into the series’ past with the announcement of its Return of Rome DLC, a “new form” of the original Age of Empires’ Rise of Rome expansion that’s coming to PC and consoles on 16th May.
There’s quite a lot going on in Rise of Rome – which purchasers will need to switch to from the main screen in order to access its new stuff – but the most notable addition for series fans is arguably the return of all 16 civilisations from the original Age of Empires and Rise of Rome.
That means the Assyrians, Babylonians, Carthaginians, Choson, Egyptians, Greeks, Hittites, Macedonians, Minoans, Palmyrans, Persians, Phoenicians, Romans, Shang, Sumerians, and Yamato will all be playable in Rise of Rome, with the Romans being unique in that they’ll also be available to play in Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition’s base game.
On top of that, Return of Rome introduces one brand-new civilisation, the Lac Viet, which Microsoft says is in honour and recognition of Rise of Rome’s popularity in Vietnam.
Elsewhere, there are three new campaigns – Sargon of Akkad (Sumerians), Pyrrhus of Epirus (Macedonians) and Trajan (Romans) – all with their own missions and stories, plus the new D3 Game Mode. This “homage to a fan favourite rule set” bans walls and towers, reduces rush tactics, and only allows players to fight with a single unit until they enter the Bronze Age.
Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition’s Return of Rome DLC is set to cost £8.49 when it launches for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC on 16th May.