Age of Empires V Reportedly in Early Development, Perhaps Utilizing Unreal Engine
A fifth installment in the Age of Empires franchise is rumored to be in early production at World’s Edge, the microsoft studio behind Age of Empires IV. This potential new title marks a notable shift for the historically strategy series, as it may be the first main Age of Empires game not built on an internally developed engine.
For over a decade, the Age of Empires series hadn’t seen a new main entry until the release of Age of Empires IV in 2021. Now, job postings from Microsoft suggest the team is already looking ahead. A recent listing for a Principal Unreal Engine – Gameplay Engineer specifically mentions work on “flagship titles,” and links directly to World’s Edge.
Traditionally, Age of Empires games have relied on engines developed in-house.A move to Unreal Engine would likely facilitate significant visual upgrades and potentially streamline development for cross-platform compatibility. While the job postings don’t explicitly confirm a new Age of Empires title, the connection to World’s Edge has fueled speculation about Age of Empires V. It remains possible the engine work coudl be allocated to a remaster or remake of an existing game in the series.
