Strategy · November 14, 2019

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (2019)

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (2019) scores 95% positive on Steam from 162.5k reviews, 84 Metacritic, developed by World's Edge, Forgotten Empires, CaptureAge, Tantalus Media, Wicked Witch.

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Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (2019) is a Strategy title from World's Edge, Forgotten Empires, CaptureAge, Tantalus Media, Wicked Witch available on Windows. The title carries a 95% Steam positive rating across 162.5k reviews, a 84/100 Metacritic score, and 13.5k peak concurrent players — making it a measurable reference point when comparing to peers in the Strategy category.

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition celebrates the 25th anniversary of one of the most popular strategy games ever, now with stunning 4K Ultra HD graphics, a fully remastered soundtrack, and now includes three expansions with the base game: “Lords of the West,” “Dynasties of India,” and “Dawn of the Dukes.” Frequent updates include events, additional content, new game modes, and enhanced features. Explore all the original Campaigns and the best-selling expansions like never before. With over 200 hours of gameplay and 1,000 years of human history, improved experiences await. Head online to challenge other players in your quest for world domination with more than 45 different Civilizations. Recent updates include ongoing support for the Scenario Editor, Quick Play for easy social games, enhancements to the game UI, and more! Choose your path to greatness with an eye-catching and engaging remaster to one of the most beloved strategy games of all time.

Release & Availability

Release date Nov 14, 2019
Developer World's Edge, Forgotten Empires, CaptureAge, Tantalus Media, Wicked Witch
Publisher Xbox Game Studios
Base price $12.24 -65%
DLC / Add-ons 14 released
Platforms Windows
Estimated owners 1M–10M
External links Official site · Metacritic page · Support

Release timeline

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition launched on Nov 14, 2019.

Studio and publishing

The title was developed by World's Edge, Forgotten Empires, CaptureAge, Tantalus Media, Wicked Witch and published by Xbox Game Studios.

Platform support

Playable natively on Windows.

Packages & editions

  • Buy Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

Reception & Reviews

Steam community score

Steam users rate Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition 95% positive across 162.5k reviews — categorised as Overwhelmingly Positive.

154.3k positive · 8.1k negative

Critic consensus (Metacritic)

Critics aggregated on Metacritic awarded a 84/100 score.

Read the critics →

User score

Metacritic user score stands at 8.8/10.

Curator & community recommendations

Steam curators and players have issued 149.7k recommendations for this title.

Peak concurrent players

Peak concurrent Steam players reached 13.5k — a measurement of how active the playerbase got at launch or during a surge.

Gameplay Profile

Genres

  • Strategy

Community tag consensus

  • Strategy · 947
  • RTS · 621
  • City Builder · 514
  • Multiplayer · 467
  • Base-Building · 431
  • Historical · 342
  • Singleplayer · 333
  • Medieval · 324
  • Resource Management · 274
  • Classic · 235
  • Tactical · 199
  • Real-Time · 179

Playtime profile

Community average playtime is 69 hours, with a median of 14 hours — a substantial (40–100 hours) commitment. Two-week average sits at 11 hours per active player.

Steam achievements

The title ships with 344 Steam achievements to unlock.

Languages supported

Interface / subtitles: English, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese – Brazil, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish – Latin America, Traditional Chinese, Turkish.

Full audio: English, French, Italian, German, Korean, Portuguese – Brazil, Simplified Chinese, Spanish – Latin America, Traditional Chinese, Spanish – Spain, Malay.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition released?

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition was released on Nov 14, 2019 by World's Edge, Forgotten Empires, CaptureAge, Tantalus Media, Wicked Witch.

Is Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition worth playing?

Based on 162.5k Steam reviews, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition holds a 95% positive rating (Overwhelmingly Positive) — suggesting the game resonates with most players who try it.

What platforms does Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition support?

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition runs natively on Windows.

How much does Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition cost?

Base price on Steam is $12.24 (before seasonal discounts).

What Metacritic score did Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition receive?

Critics rated Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition 84/100 on Metacritic.