Will Age of Empires 4 Add More Factions?
Yes, Age of Empires 4 will definitely be expanding with more civilizations added over time. According to an official Gamescom announcement, developer Relic Entertainment is releasing 2 new factions this October, with likely even more to come down the road.
Deep Dive on Upcoming New Factions
The Ottomans and Malians represent exciting additions that will bring fresh strategic depth when they launch as free content on October 25, 2022 alongside the big Anniversary Edition update for Aoe4‘s one year milestone.
Let‘s analyze what makes these two emerging civilizations unique:
The Mighty Ottoman Empire
This powerful gunpowder empire excels at ranged combat with masterful sites like the expert Janissary unit. With mighty cannons and the strongest docks/ships in-game, the Ottomans dominate water and land warfare.
"Controlling match pace and battle momentum will be key pillars when designing and building towards an Ottoman Empire victory." – Adam Isgreen, Creative Director
The Ottomans‘ mighty Great Bombard gives them immense late-game siege potential:
| Range | 20 (!) |
| Attack | 170 siege damage |
Paired with the new Exalted Falconet gunpowder support, the Ottomans have flexibility to counter units via ranged combat across ages. Their unique mechanics around scholar treatments and infrastructure bonuses also make for exciting expansion planning.
The Adaptive Malians
The Africans Malians thrive with flexible tribal and cavalry attacks suited for early aggression or defensive booming into late-game strength:
| Unique Units | Farimba Cavalry and Gbeto |
| Team Bonus | Units gain +3 pierce armor per Age |
Mali‘s mobile Battle Elephant mounted units can overwhelm opponents with raw power and unique upgrades. Combined with Farimba horsemen raids harassing enemy workers early, the Malians have great matchup versatility.
Their high early wood and gold gains enable quick Imperial Age development for population or economy advantages against turtling foes. With special scholar technological breakthroughs, their adaptive bonuses lend themselves well to reactive playstyles.
Who Will Be Next to Receive the Aoe4 Treatment?
Looking ahead, AgeCommunity manager Triton notes ongoing plans to "release civilizations on a regular cadence over 2023 and beyond."
Popular speculation includes trade experts Portugal, formidable cavalry leaders the Poles, or more ancient options like Babylon. Relic may also reimagine previous Aoe2 favorites to suit the new generation.
Personally, I‘d love to see Renaissance rulers the Venetians leveraging early-game economic and naval power, frontline artillery masters like Sweden, or guerilla jungle warriors from civilizations like the Aztecs. The rich history of possible factions provides countless options to build on Aoe4‘s eight diverse launch cultures.
No matter the future picks, ongoing batch releases of new content aligned to seasonal roadmaps will likely be integral for maintaining player investment and viewership. The 2 confirmed upcoming civs this October alongside the big anniversary edition patch shows Relic‘s long-term commitment to growing the Age franchise.
Why Aoe4 Has a Bright Future Ahead
Since its inaugural launch, Aoe4 continues receiving high review praise and strong concurrent player counts demonstrating its position as an RTS leader carrying forward the series‘ legacy.
Upcoming expansion via civilizations like the militant Ottomans and adaptable Malians shows the developer‘s emphasis on continually welcoming newcomers rather than just appeasing veteran IP fans.
With ever-growing depth and added nuance infusing the base game, I believe Age of Empires 4 has laid the perfect foundation for another 10+ years of ongoing support and meta evolution that defined its older sibling Aoe2‘s reign.
The future looks bright for Aoe4‘s trajectory towards becoming a mainstay RTS esport commanding tournament viewership and continuous content drops enhancing already-stellar asymmetrical matchups.
As both a passionate fan since 2005 and games journalist closely tracking the genre, I eagerly await seeing how creators Relic will continue expanding this glorious next chapter for the legendary Age franchise we know and love!
Let me know which civilizations you hope get added next. Perhaps I‘ll revisit my speculation if Relic decides to embrace the Aztecs or Venusians down the road!
