Summary
Publisher Ubisoft has officially unveiledAnno 117: Pax Romana, a new city-building game based on the Ancient Roman period and destined for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Amazon’s Luna service. Set for release in 2025,Anno 117is the next game in the long-runningAnnoseries, which combines city-building gameplay with historical simulation.
TheAnnoseries is a long-standing stalwart of the Ubisoft stable, dating back to 1998’sAnno 1602. Just as the original game evoked the period of the age of exploration and colonization, theAnnoseries has consistently focused on enabling exploration through the establishment of settlements across a large map. The games also used history for their visuals and themes. Of the seven games released so far, just two -Anno 2070andAnno 2205- have dabbled in speculative history by being set in the future and incorporating concepts like climate change and space colonization. 2019’sAnno 1800took inspiration from the Industrial Revolution, bringing a sense of modernity while returning to the series' roots in historical inspiration.Anno 1800also brought the series to consoles for the first time.
NowAnno 117: Pax Romanapromises a look back further into the past than anyAnnotitle before it. In the venerable tradition ofstrategy games focused on Ancient Rome,Anno 117takes its thematic cues from the Roman Empire period, placing players in control of one of history’s defining civilizations.At Ubisoft Forward 2024, the company gave players a glimpse of the game’s mood using a live-action teaser trailer.
Anno 117: Pax Romana Reveal Challenges Players to Build Rome From Nothing
The live-action trailer, titled “Governors Wanted,” doesn’t show any gameplay or graphical assets from the game itself. Instead, it uses an actor dressed in a Roman costume to lay out the general premise of the game. Players will step into the toga of a new Roman governor in either the province of Latium (the region of Italy that first gave rise to Rome), or the far-flung land of Albion, a Celtic-inspired land based on the northern frontiers of the Roman Empire in the 1st century A.D. As with the opening phases ofAnno 1800,though, it looks like players will also start their fledgling colonies from untamed wilderness, judging by the fact that the Roman character speaks to a largely empty wildland through the trailer.
Ubisoft says thatAnno 117: Pax Romanawill be the largest and “most detailed” simulation of Rome yet upon its release in 2025. Like otherAnnogames,Anno 117will be focused on construction rather than warfare and conquest, likemost other Roman grand strategy titles. Players will also have a choice between two play styles to help shape their budding empire, by choosing between spreading the culture of Rome or adopting Celtic traditions.
Anno 117: Pax Romana
Anno 117: Pax Romana is the next game in Ubisoft’s long-running city-builder series. Set during the Roman Empire period, players will take control of a province of Latium or the Celtic-inspired land of Albion as they build up their own empire.
