Age of Wonders 4 announced by Paradox Interactive

Paradox Interactive and Triumph Studios have revealed the long awaited Age of Wonders 4 via a special presentation, and it’s coming on May 2nd.

The title will be coming to PC, of course, but also PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X, which is a bit of a (nice) surprise, to be frank. This is the first sequel in the strategy series for nine years, and the announcement is out of nowhere.

Age of Wonders 4 invites players to rule a fantasy realm of their own design, in a blend of strategy, role-playing, and turn-based combat. Powerful Wizard Kings have returned to the realms to reign as gods among mortals, and players will rise to challenge their rule using Tomes of Magic to unleash arcane destruction and evolve their armies, gaining new abilities and forms. For the first time in the series, players can create their own custom factions, and leave their mark on countless worlds through each choice they make.

“For 25 years now, Triumph has been exploring new places to take our original fantasy strategy series, and the fans who have taken the journey with us have made it a rewarding endeavour,” said Lennart Sas, Co-founder of Triumph Studios and Director of Age of Wonders 4. “Even after all this time, we’re still adding amazing new ideas to Age of Wonders, and whether you’ve been playing since the beginning or ready to visit our worlds for the first time, you’re about to experience something special.”

Here’s the official list of features, from Paradox Interactive:

• Create the Empire of Your Wildest Fantasies: Craft your followers by combining bodily forms, societal traits, and arcane powers. Build anything from a clan of cannibal halflings to mystic moon elves, or recreate your favourite fantasy tropes. Seek powerful tomes of magic to enchant your armies and see your people physically change as they morph into angelic beings or scions of chaos to face their enemies.
• Strategy Meets Role-Playing Like Never Before: Every choice opens up new possibilities and tactical advantages; deep, multilayered strategy allows you to try new tactics or explore new powers at every turn. Tactical turn-based battles bring your armies to life, from skirmishes with roaming monsters to vast sieges with many units on each side!
• Write Your Own Legend: A new event system provides unexpected levels of storytelling for 4X games. See your decisions shape the world around you as you seek glory through brutal domination, cunning alliances, or ultimate arcane knowledge. Your own creations may even appear as potential rivals or allies in subsequent games, as you experience the next chapter in your own story!
• Make Your Mark on a Vast, Reactive World: Explore a new realm in each session – or create your own! Challenge new variations and combinations of locations and features, from frozen wastelands ruled by ice queens to desolated ruins where dragons roam. With a tremendous variety of empires, units, and environments to keep the game endlessly replayable, Age of Wonders is more open-ended – and mod-friendly – than ever before in the series’ history.

Age of Wonders 4 is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S|X on May 2nd.