Age of Empires 4 trailer reveals autumn release date

A new Age of Empires 4 trailer has been revealed at the Xbox and Bethesda showcase, and the game's release is confirmed for October 28, 2021.

The footage - images from which leaked earlier this week - announced the release date while showing off a handful of historical fights. A siege of a European city features, while we also got a look at what seemed to be the Mongolian faction. The new trailer, which you can watch below, is a pretty speedy rattle through a whole host of different civilisations and forms of combat. There's no specific focus on any one faction, but Joan of Arc and a Mongol leader do appear to get a little more attention in a trailer that's a mix of live-action, animated elements, and gameplay footage.

Much of the footage appeared to focus on the build-up to combat rather than the battles themselves, but that's not to say that there aren't any fights to check out. As well as what looks like some siege gameplay, we get to see camel riders take on war elephants in a desert map, an entire naval battle beyond the walls of an impressive city, and two huge cavalry divisions facing off in a pitched battle. Even with the whistlestop tour through the game, there should still be plenty for long term fans of the series to dig into, from dedicated combat sections to a brief look at some economical gameplay too, as villagers from what appears to be a desert-dwelling civilisation gather food and wood in a manner immediately familiar from other games.

Until today, there'd been little word of a release date for Age of Empires 4, but news that it'll be with us in just over four months is certainly welcome. Microsoft also confirmed that, much like many of the other games shown off in its showcase, the upcoming strategy title will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass, meaning subscribers will be able to check out the series' (hopefully) triumphant return at no extra cost.

While you wait, why not check out some of the best games like Age of Empires.

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