Hello, adventurers! We know you’ve been waiting for all the news – and here it is. We’re excited to introduce Knights of the Mediterranean – the latest DLC for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition! It is available for pre-order now on the Microsoft Store and Steam and will release on May 26!

Get ready to control the Mediterranean with two exciting civilizations: the Italians and the Maltese, plus enjoy a whole slew of new maps, and some engaging game modes! Are you ready to jump in? Take a look at these incoming features:

• 2 new Civilizations
• 30 new Random Maps
• 9 new Minor Civilizations
• 8 Historical Maps
• Diplomacy Game mode
• Tycoon Game mode

Table of Contents:

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Italians

Fabulously wealthy merchant republics, kingdoms, duchies, and even the Papacy had driven the Renaissance and dominated the trade networks of the Mediterranean. However, when the Italian polities were not engaged in conflicts abroad, they fought each other nearly incessantly, until the Risorgimento gave rise to the new Kingdom of Italy.

Unite a wealthy but splintered Italy while new Settlers flock to your booming empire with every technological breakthrough, and Architects construct buildings for free!

Invest at the Lombard to optimize your economy and turn a quick profit, or construct a towering Basilica and send Papal soldiers to strengthen and complement your army!

Use shielded Pavisiers to lure opponents into an ambush of Bersaglieri, or let Elmetti lower their lances and carry the day with a thundering charge!

Home City Cards

The Italians have access to a variety of new cards that will aid you on your path to unity and victory!

• Around 50 unique cards tailored to the Italian civilization.
• “Company” Cards that send complementing combinations of Natives, Mercenaries, or other European allies.

We’ve picked a few noteworthy examples for cards with a variety of unique behaviors.

Italian Unique Cards

Company Cards

And many more…

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Maltese

One of the Mediterranean’s epitomes of a melting pot, Malta was strategically and financially important, and thus most of the surrounding powers coveted it, becoming a stronghold of the Knights Hospitaller.

Guard the Mediterranean against incursions with unique fortifications, don shining armor to fend off attacks, and shell opponents from afar with Fixed Guns.

Fire Throwers and greatswords win battles, but the superior logistics of your Commandery win wars. Luckily, you can have both!

Fighting at sea with Order Galleys may wet the gunpowder, but your Arbalesters won’t mind. You can always restock at a Gunpowder Depot, or blow it up when an enemy army marches past!

Home City Cards

The Maltese have access to a variety of new cards that will aid you on your path to unity and victory!

• Around 65 unique cards tailored to the Maltese civilization.
• “Tongue” Cards that send units from other European nations in support of your cause.

Maltese Unique Cards

Tongue Cards

And many more…

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Historical Maps

Historical Maps are a new variation of Random Maps. Randomly generated for endless replayability, but with unique objectives for each map, based on some of the most memorable conflicts on the European continent.

• The Italian Wars
• Eighty Years’ War
• The Deluge
• Great Turkish War
• Great Northern War
• Napoleonic Wars
• Russo-Turkish Wars
• The Thirty Years’ War (multiplayer only)

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European Royal Houses

With the Introduction of over 30 new European Maps, 9 new Minor Civilizations enter the game, adding an arsenal of unique new units, technologies, and abilities.

Representing larger entities whose influence transcended national borders rather than individual people-groups, European Royal Houses thematically blur the lines between major and minor civilizations in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition. Like Native American Settlements, Asian Holy Sites, and African Kingdoms, a Trading Post must be built on European Royal Houses’ Palaces to ally with them. Royal Houses provide a unique ability and more units and technologies on average than other minor civilizations, but these are staggered across multiple ages rather than being available in the Exploration Age. These assets are quite impactful and the units often utilize novel mechanics – such as unit promotions, charged actions, (dis)mounting, and damage deflection – but tend to come at a higher cost than their counterparts.

Royal Houses

• House of Bourbon
• House of Wittelsbach
• House of Oldenburg
• House of Hanover
• House of Phanar
• House of Jagiellon
• House of Vasa
• House of Habsburg
• House of Wettin

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New Game Modes

Diplomacy

A brand new way to experience Multiplayer with your friends. Allowing players to change their allegiance to other players during the course of the match. Negotiate with your friends over war & peace… and make them pay for it!

This new diplomacy mode is available for all existing random maps! Additionally, one map has been specially crafted around this game mode, the multi-player exclusive diplomacy map “Thirty Years’ War“.

Tycoon

Tycoon is a new Game Mode to accompany Supremacy, Deathmatch and Empire Wars.

Designed to focus on the economy-building of Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, this new Game Mode provides a setting where players concentrate on creating the strongest economies for their empires, without having to bolster armies or defend against full-scale sieges. 

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List of Achievements

Achievement Name	Achievement Condition	Score
Tongues of Europe	Send 3 different “Tongue” Home City cards as Malta.	10
Demolition Derby	Deal 2000 Damage with Depot explosions.	10
The Great Siege	Deal 10,000 Damage with Fixed Guns.	15
Heavy Metal Rain	Defeat 30 Units with Fixed Guns.	5
Knights Hospital	Heal 4000 Health points playing as the Maltese.	5
Business Trip	Deploy ‘Trip to Jerusalem’ from your Home City shipments as the Maltese.	5
Maltese Victory	Win a game as the Maltese.	5
Alone against the World	Win on the Eighty Years’ War Historical Map defending 1v7 against Humans or Hard AI.	15
Cossack Captain	Win on the Deluge Historical Map against Humans or Hard AI.	15
Defense of the Headquarters	Destroy the Headquarters in The Eighty Years’ War or Great Turkish War Historical Maps.	10
Scorched Earth	Raze 20 Village Houses in The Deluge or The Thirty Years’ War Historical Maps.	5
Uphill Battle	Capture five Strategic Points from an enemy in The Napoleonic Wars Historical Map.	10
Bring out the Big Guns	Deal 3000 Damage with captured Fixed Guns in the Great Turkish War or Russo-Turkish War maps.	5
International Supporters	Send 50 Units from the Basilica.	10
Technological Boom	Research 50 Technologies as the Italians.	10
Investment Banker	Transform 15,000 Resources using Lombards.	10
Free Real Estate	Construct 200 Buildings with Architects.	5
Bersaglieri Battalion	Deal 5000 Damage with Bersaglieri.	10
Italian Victory	Win a game as the Italians.	5
La Serenissima	Unlock 5 Italian Home City Customizations.	5
Economic Super Power	Achieve 1st place for 3 challenges in a Tycoon mode game.	5
Ok Boomer	Build 3 Town Centers in a Tycoon mode game.	5
Grand Exchange	Generate 10,000 Tycoon score from exchanging resources for Tycoon Packages.	5
Imperium	Meet the Economic Victory conditions in a Tycoon mode game and win.	15
Wealth of Empires	Complete a Tycoon mode game with 10 Different Civilizations.	10

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Pre-Order Now!

Ready to explore and battle it out with all the new things? Knights of the Mediterranean is available for pre-order from the Microsoft Store and Steam!