ccording to a new job listing posted this week, World’s Edge is developing a new Age of Empires game. While not entirely unexpected—Microsoft’s iconic real-time strategy franchise has enjoyed a steady revival in recent years—the listing offers intriguing hints about what’s next. Between 2018 and 2024, every major entry in the series received a Definitive Edition or remaster, culminating most recently with Age of Mythology: Retold. Many of these updated releases, especially Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, continue to receive fresh DLC.
Unless the team is planning yet another remake of an already remastered title, this project is likely to be a brand-new installment. The most surprising detail from the listing is that the game will run on Unreal Engine 5.
The posting reads:
“At Xbox Game Studios, we are hard at work continuing the great legacy of Age of Empires, our beloved RTS franchise. We are a passionate group responsible for this amazing series and are expanding our team. We’re seeking a Principal Unreal Engineer to plan and build our future tech stack, with experience in all aspects of Unreal Engine development and leading external resources.”
Fans have uncovered more clues through LinkedIn, where the profile of World’s Edge Principal Build Lead Engineer notes the creation of “triple-A pipeline support for unannounced titles using Unreal Engine 5”—in the plural. This developer has been with World’s Edge since December 2023, suggesting that multiple projects could be in the works.
The most obvious candidate is Age of Empires V. The fourth mainline game enjoyed strong reviews and multiple awards in 2021, and continues to see support. Its fourth expansion, Dynasties of the East, is set to launch November 4—the same day Age of Empires IV arrives on PlayStation 5—introducing the Golden Horde, Macedonian Dynasty, Sengoku Daimyo, and Tughlaq Dynasty, along with a new roguelite single-player mode.
Age of Empires IV was developed by Relic Entertainment. Given World’s Edge’s relatively small size, it remains to be seen whether they will partner with Relic again for this new title. The Vancouver-based studio became independent from SEGA in March 2024, potentially opening new opportunities for collaboration.
