Rumor: Microsoft Prepping New Age of Empires on UE5, Next StarCraft to Channel Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Vibes

Microsoft plans to seriously bolster its real-time strategy lineup. Insider Jez Corden revealed this on the latest Xbox Two podcast, confirming recent Age of Empires buzz and dropping surprising details on StarCraft ambitions.

Corden says the next Age of Empires is in development on Unreal Engine. The switch stems from headaches with Relic Entertainment's proprietary Essence Engine, used in Age of Empires 4. This engine and its production pipeline proved too cumbersome to meet series fans' expectations. World's Edge, the franchise overseers, is handling core development, but full production will likely involve partnering with another studio. It's not off-the-shelf Unreal Engine — rather a customized solution tailored for RTS gameplay.

Corden emphasizes Age of Empires as one of Microsoft's key IPs. Though real-time strategy games aren't as dominant as they once were, Xbox is betting big on the genre while deepening its PC ecosystem push. Strategy titles like Age of Empires will play a major role in Xbox's future landscape.

Corden also touched on StarCraft. Microsoft wants to revive the series as an RTS, but the next project appears to be a third-person shooter. He claims to have seen gameplay and came away deeply impressed — visually and mechanically, it channels Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine.

He previously suggested a new StarCraft title could be revealed at BlizzCon 2026 this year.