Summary
Age of Empires 2: Definitive Editionis getting a new DLC calledThe Three Kingdoms. The game’s latest expansion is scheduled to arrive in May 2025, withAge of Empires 2: DEplayers currently being able to pre-order it at a decent discount.
The remaster of Ensemble Studios' iconic RTS game has received four major expansions since it hit the market in late 2019. Its most recent add-on was released in November 2024 in the form of thewordily titledAge of Empires 2: DE - Chronicles: Battle for Greece.
Five months later, publisher Xbox Game Studios has now revealed yet another expansion,The Three Kingdoms. As the name implies, the upcoming DLC is inspired by the much-romanticized period of third-century China. The expansion will introduce five newAge of Empires 2: DEcivilizations: Shu, Wei, Wu, Jurchens, and Khitans. Three additional campaigns and half a dozen new units will also be included.The Three Kingdomsis scheduled for release on May 6.
Age of Empires 2: DE - The Three Kingdoms Contents
The newAge of Empires 2: DEunitsarriving as part of the upcoming expansion include the heavily armored Hei Guang Cavalry and Traction Trebuchets, mobile engines that can rain death from afar. There’s also Lou Chuans, a so-called “floating fortress” that dominates pretty much anything in its way, boat or building. Dragon Ships are the second new naval unit inThe Three Kingdoms. The DLC will also introduce the self-explanatory Fire Lancers and Rocket Carts.
The three newAge of Empires 2: DEcampaignsare called Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and The Sun Clan. Each will be focused on a single civilization; Liu Bei will star Shu, whereas The Sun Clan and Cao Cao will focus on Wu and Wei, respectively. As is to be expected from anAge of Empires 2campaign, these new storylines will be full of war, betrayal, and all-around drama.
New Age of Empires 2: DE DLC Pre-Orders Launch with a Discount
The Three Kingdomswill be priced at $19.99 following its May 6 launch. In the meantime, the expansioncan be pre-orderedat a 15% discount via Steam and the Microsoft/Xbox Store. PlayStation users can also order the DLC in advance, but only if they purchase the $99.99 Premium Edition of theAge of Empires 2: DEPS5 port, which is also set to arrive on May 6. In the meantime, another big base game update is planned to roll out before the end of April 2025. The new patch will introduce improved castle visuals, technology tree UI updates, balancing changes, new maps, and support for random map scripting, among other novelties.
