Developed by Ubisoft Mainz, it launches November 13, 2025 simultaneously on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Amazon Luna—marking the first cross-gen day-one release for the mainline series.
Core Gameplay
Players act as a Roman governor (choose male Marcus Naukratius or female Marcia Tertia) managing provinces like sunny Latium (Roman heartland) or misty Albion (Celtic Britain). Blend city-building, economic simulation, trade, diplomacy, land/naval combat, and 4X elements (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate).
- Building & Economy: Construct from roads/villas to aqueducts, lavender fields, garum factories. Modular needs (categorize citizen demands), production chains, shared warehouses, "relocate/copy" tools for QoL. Area effects (e.g., lavender +happiness, garum -happiness).
- Cultural Choices: Romanize or embrace local Celtic ways; affects architecture, needs, deity worship (island-specific bonuses), and NPC reactions (e.g., rebel Voada like Boudicca).
- Combat & Diplomacy: Land battles (infantry, cavalry, artillery), modular ships (oars/sails), rivals, rebellions, loyalist/rebel paths.
- Campaign: Story-driven with choices shaping legacy; politics, drama, quests. Sandbox, co-op/PvP multiplayer, active pause.
Stunning visuals (ray-tracing, 4K, detailed buildings/landscapes), atmospheric music; more accessible than Anno 1800 (no softlocks, better onboarding) but deep for vets.
Editions & Post-Launch
- Standard (~$60): Base game + Builder Pack cosmetics.
- Gold: + Year 1 Pass (3 DLCs: Provinces of Ash/volcano island; The Hippodrome/races; Dawn of the Delta/Egypt-inspired; +5 cosmetics).
- Governor's Edition: Physical collectibles (amphitheater puzzle, artbook, coins).
Preload live; early access for Gold/Ubisoft+. Mod support from day one.
Reception
Reviews praise it as a "gorgeous antique city-builder" (IGN), "spectacular" (Polygon), potentially the series' best—84 Metacritic, deep yet refined. Demo (Sept 2025) had strong playtime; demanding on GPU/CPU late-game. Twitch Drops ongoing.