Microsoft Studios has revealed that Age of Empires IV is finally in development. More than 10 years after its predecessor was released, the real-time strategy video game is officially moving forward with Relic Entertainment, who were also the creators behind the fan-favorite Company of Heroes game (along with other titles within the same gaming genre).

Other than the confirmation that work on the next game from the famed franchise is now in the works, not much has been revealed with regard to the specifics of the upcoming title. But if the animated concept art trailer is any indication, Age of Empires IV will be anything but similar to its predecessors. It seems that Relic is traveling down a different road for this new installment - one that will seemingly not be restricted to a single era. Instead, Age of Empires IV will meld different time periods, as evidenced by the presence of Native Americans, British Redcoats, Roman legionnaires, Japanese samurai and other groups that have been featured in previous Age of Empires games, in the preview footage for Part IV. However, it is not yet know if all of these militia units will be playable for gamers.

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Here is the official statement from Microsoft Studios regarding Age of Empires IV, as was posted to the official official website of the Age of  Empires franchise:

"Those led nicely into our announcement of Age of Empires IV. We are also excited to announce that we are working with the fantastic team from Relic Entertainment to make this the best Age game yet! Stay tuned for more details, we cannot wait to tell you more."

Age of Empires IV will be Relic's first game produced outside of their slew of titles under Sega. Relic echoed the sentiments of Microsoft Studios with a separate blog post on their official website, regarding the new Age of Empires game:

"[We] couldn’t be more proud to be a part of the legacy. We can’t wait to tap into our strengths as a studio to fuse historical context with deep strategic gameplay, and to bring this franchise back to the forefront of gaming and into the hands of its beloved community."

This Age of Empires IV announcement follows on the heels of the reveal that the original Age of Empire game is being remastered, as part of a project dubbed Age of Empires: Definitive Edition. Meanwhile, Age of Empires II and Age of Empires III are also already on the docket for remastering. Age of Empires IV will be published exclusively on Windows 10.

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Source: Microsoft Studios