Recent layoffs at Microsoft may have resulted in the cancellation of a new entry in the venerable Age of Empires series. The reports stem from comments by former employees of World's Edge, the internal studio responsible for overseeing the production of recent Age of Empires remasters and Age of Mythology.
Idle Sloth on X compiled observations from former World's Edge staff, indicating that the studio had ambitious plans for its next project before the recent staff cuts. Adam Isgreen, formerly the Studio Creative Director at World's Edge, reportedly stated that the team had "some great plans for what's next." Additionally, Senior Software Engineer Andrew Martz noted that their "next project was cancelled."
While these statements do not explicitly name a new Age of Empires game, all indications point in that direction. World's Edge was established by Xbox not as a traditional development house, but as a franchise management studio, similar to Marvel Studios' approach, to oversee the Age of Empires IP. In its six-year tenure, World's Edge has overseen the remasters of Age of Empires II, III, and IV, along with Age of Mythology and the mobile Age of Empires game, coordinating efforts across multiple development studios.
There had been speculation that these remasters were paving the way for a new installment, potentially Age of Empires V. In early 2024, when questioned about the possibility of developing new content, World's Edge Executive Producer Earnest Yuen expressed enthusiasm, stating, "Yes. We do have a lot of people that are very interesting in building more Age." However, his responses were often met with reticence, redirecting the conversation towards upcoming releases like Mythology: Retold.
Following the layoffs, which reportedly affected at least half of World's Edge staff, the studio has been integrated into Activision's operations. Key personnel like Adam Isgreen are no longer with the company, raising concerns about the future of the franchise's development pipeline. Microsoft has been contacted for comment regarding these rumors.