Microsoft forms Age of Empires studio

Microsoft has established a new studio dedicated to the Age of Empires series.

Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, confirmed the news in a blog post primarily focused on Microsoft’s acquisition of Double Fine Productions, which was announced during the Xbox E3 conference.

“With the addition of Double Fine, there will be a total of 15 unique, standalone studios that comprise Xbox Game Studios, including our newly-created Age of Empires studio headed by Shannon Loftis and our Publishing group headed by Peter Wyse,” he said.

“We are committing more resources and dedicated leadership to the Age of Empires franchise to ensure that its legacy on PC continues in service of the passionate community of faithful fans.”

During the Xbox E3 briefing, Microsoft announced that Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition will launch this fall to coincide with the strategy game’s 20th anniversary.

Featuring 4K graphics, remastered audio and a new campaign, The Last Khans, the Xbox Game Pass title will be available on Windows 10 and Steam. You can sign up for a beta here.