Age of Empires II: DE is getting a campaign-focused expansion in March

Microsoft's "New Year, New Age" showcase focusing on its real-time strategy franchises kicked off today. Its first reveal was for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, announcing another brand-new expansion for the hugely popular title. Named Victors and Vanquished, this will be the first-ever expansion pack for the Definitive Edition version that will be focusing solely on campaign content.

Victors and Vanquished will ship with 19 story scenarios to jump into, and 15 of them were made by expansion creator Ramsey Abdulrahim during his community designer days. In the expansion's versions, though, the scenarios will ship with professional voice-acted sequences, original music, balance changes, and modernization updates. It will also have 5 brand-new scenarios exclusive to the expansion.

"We want to go beyond the familiar and give you something new, something that resparks the sense of wonder and possibility when you first played the campaigns many years ago," says Abdulrahim. "And for new players are those who haven't dabbled in campaigns before. These scenarios may just defy your expectations on what an Age of Empires scenario is."

Players will be taking the roles of Ragnar Lothbrok, Otto the Great, Oda Nobunaga, Charlemagne, and other historical figures in these campaign scenarios. Watch the video above to see them in action, and read the description of Ragnar Lothbrok's scenario below:

Unleash your inner Viking! Send your warbands across the sea on a massive map of Northern Europe. All big empires start from humble origins, and yours will be no different. Begin with raids to pay and recruit warriors. Then capture jarldoms in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden to grow your power. As you become king, more possibilities are at your fingertips: use your achievements to unlock technologies, find powerful heroes, raid wherever you want to, and even worship the gods for bonuses.

The Age of Empires II: Victors and Vanquished expansion is releasing on March 14, 2024, on PC and Xbox consoles. While pricing has not been revealed yet, pre-orders for the expansion should be going live soon, and Microsoft will be offering a 15% discount for those who pre-purchase.