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Age of Empires IV received two expansions in 2025: Knights of Cross and Rose on April 8 and Dynasties of the East on November 4. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition also released The Three Kingdoms in May, while a July update teased another expansion for later in the year without naming it. Here’s what the early roadmap promised—and what subsequent official updates confirmed.
What the February 2025 roadmap promised
World’s Edge’s February roadmap outlined two Age of Empires IV DLC releases for 2025, naming Knights of Cross and Rose as the first and initially targeting spring. The post put it plainly: “We’re not rolling out one DLC in 2025 – we’re actually rolling out two!” Read the February roadmap.
For Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, the roadmap said the game would come to PlayStation 5 in spring alongside a major DLC. Those were plans announced early in the year; later updates provide the confirmed release details below.
Age of Empires IV expansions released in 2025
| Expansion | Release date | What it adds | Campaign or mode details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of Cross and Rose | April 8, 2025 | Two variant civilizations—the Knights Templar and House of Lancaster—and ten maps for skirmish and multiplayer. | Historical Battles mode; no new single-player campaign missions. |
| Dynasties of the East | November 4, 2025 | Four variant civilizations, eight maps, and six biomes. | The Crucible, a single-player roguelite RTS mode. |
Knights of Cross and Rose
The expansion launched on April 8, according to the official support FAQ. It adds the Knights Templar and House of Lancaster as variant civilizations, plus ten maps and Historical Battles. The FAQ specifies that it does not include new single-player campaign missions. See the Knights of Cross and Rose FAQ. In its July update, World’s Edge called it “one of the best-selling expansions ever for the Age of Empires franchise”; that is the publisher’s description, not a numerical sales report or independently verified ranking. Read the July update.
#1 Best Overall
- 11 New Units: Including the Huns' Tarkan, the Korean War Wagon and Turtle Ship, plus the Aztecs' Plumed Archer 26 New Technologies: One for each civilization, including Chinese Rocketry and British Yeoman
- New Game Types: Experience new challenges with `Wonder Race', `Defend the Wonder' and `King of the Hill' Real World Maps: Based on geographical locations such as Britain, France, and Italy
- Command Allied Computer Players: Use chat commands to order allies to attack, tribute resources, and build an economy or military Smart Villagers: Villagers work smarter, build walls more intelligently, and gather resources automatically after constructing a drop-off building.
- Farms Automatically Replant: Queue farms so they replant after being harvested Battering Rams: Units can garrison inside Battering Rams for protection, or to increase the Ram's speed when attacking foes.
Dynasties of the East
Announced in August for a November 4 launch, Dynasties of the East arrived on Steam, Microsoft Store, Xbox, and PlayStation 5. Its four variant civilizations are the Golden Horde, Macedonian Dynasty, Sengoku Daimyo, and Tughlaq Dynasty. It also adds eight maps, six biomes, and The Crucible, which the official launch post describes as a single-player roguelite RTS experience featuring unpredictable enemy waves, randomized objectives, and unlockable upgrades. See the official launch details.
The same November 4 post announced that Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition became available on PlayStation 5. The PlayStation 5 Anniversary Premium Edition includes Dynasties of the East at no additional cost. Check the launch post for edition details.
Rank #2
![Age of Empires 3: Definitive – Windows 10 [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51SqHjjRHKL._SL160_.jpg)
- Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition completes the celebration of one of the most beloved real-time strategy franchises with remastered graphics and music
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition’s 2025 expansion news
World’s Edge’s July 30 update said The Three Kingdoms had launched in May and described it as the fastest-selling Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition expansion to date. That is the publisher’s characterization; the update supplied no sales total. It also teased another expansion for later in 2025 but did not name it. Read the July update.
The tease should not be treated as confirmation of a particular later release: the update did not identify the expansion. The official FAQ separately describes Chronicles: Battle for Greece and Chronicles: Alexander the Great as Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition expansions, but it does not establish that either was the unnamed project teased in July. See the Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition FAQ.
The Tool Desk
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![Age of Empires 2 – Definitive Edition – Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61WdZYRTJBL._SL160_.jpg)
- One of the most beloved strategy games ever made is now available on Xbox consoles, Game Pass, PC, and Cloud for Xbox.
- Optimized for playing with a controller plus new tutorials to get you into the fun quickly.
- Over 200 hours of gameplay across 1,000 years of human history.
- Play from the comfort of your living room with a controller or keyboard and mouse on the best screen in your house, or on your PC.
- Head online to challenge other players with 35 different civilizations in your quest for world domination throughout the ages.
How to read the 2025 roadmap now
The year’s clearest confirmed expansion schedule is Age of Empires IV’s two releases, both of which arrived. For Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, the available July update confirms The Three Kingdoms and an unnamed later-year tease, not the identity of the teased expansion. This is a retrospective of official announcements, not an independent sales analysis or review.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Stunning scenes
- Spectacular combat
- Industrial Age units like rifled infantry, cavalry and tall ships bristling with cannons
- New game-play elements
- Online play is not supported anymore. Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8
Rank #4
- IN DVD BOX GOLD 95/98/WME/NT
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