World's Edge studio and TiMi Studio Group today revealed they are working together to bring Age of Empires to mobile devices, with a planned release later this year.
Age of Empires Mobile will be a free-to-play strategy game with in-game purchases, which will include items to speed up progression and obtain resources. Like the PC games, Age of Empires mobile will feature base building, empire building, combat, and RTS elements. But it's not strictly an RTS game - rather, it's a mix of different strategy mechanics, and will also see certain elements of customization for mobile devices. Available characters will span a number of historical eras including the Chinese, Roman, Frank, and Byzantium empires, and will include King Arthur, Joan of Arc, Julius Caesar, Leonidas I, Alexander I, Khalid, Durgavati, and the Queen of Shiba. Players will also be able to compete both alongside and against one another in both 1v1 play and larger siege battles. More content is planned to be added to the game as time goes on.
While mainline Age of Empires games have been developed by World's Edge, Age of Empires Mobile is being made by Tencent subsidiary TiMi Studio, the same studio that developed Call of Duty Mobile, Honor of Kings, and Pokemon Unite. We spoke with producer Robin Xin and TiMi Studio Group general manager Brayden Fan via email ahead of the announcement to learn a bit more about the partnership, and how it came to be.
So why did TiMi choose the Age of Empires franchise specifically as its next major mobile partnership project? One reason might be that a number of the developers there are big fans of the series. Xin is, certainly, saying it was his introduction to the RTS genre and calling the series "iconic."
"The original title was how I learned to use a mouse and keyboard," Xin says. "So when you grow up playing Age of Empires, you learn the different aspects of the game. First off I was always trying to build my base to be more powerful. Then, I got into the combat. And even still, I’m hooked. I’ll watch Age of Empires 4 content creators on BiliBili – although I must admit, I am personally more interested in videos sharing different tactical approaches rather than watching the game’s competitive scene. But just the fact that this series can offer different ways to engage with it, shows why it’s such a great title to work on."
Age of Empires Mobile differs from TiMi's previous partnerships in that with Call of Duty Mobile and Pokemon Unite, publishing rights stayed with the IP holder. But for Age of Empires Mobile, TiMi will be the publisher. Fan explains that this is due to TiMi's "considerable" experience in mobile game publishing, and that both World's Edge and TiMi have "maintained a strong, deep cooperation" throughout the project.
But that doesn't mean this will be the exact Age of Empires PC-fans are used to. Xin tells me that this should be considered a "brand-new" take on the series, tailored for mobile users. He explains that some of the differences will include reductions in the number of combat units controlled by players as well as the frequency of operations, and adds "smart assists" to help with controls during troop battles, as well as a simpler UI throughout the game. The goal, he says, is to make the game easier to play so that players can focus more on strategic planning rather than fumbling with the UI.
And there are some new gameplay elements as well, Xin adds:
"Age of Empires Mobile introduces a variety of single-player gameplay modes - some are based on RTS gameplay - but more distinctive is the multiplayer experience. The core aspect being the alliance gameplay. This offers players a chance to team up in massive alliances and take part in epic siege wars, building strength through cooperation and competing against players worldwide."
Age of Empires Mobile is planned to enter early testing in select regions soon, and pre-registration is expected to be available today.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
