Age of Empires 4 strategy game artwork for the anniversary update featuring Malians and Ottomans

This October Age of Empires 4 will be turning one, while the series as a whole will be marking its 25-year anniversary. In order to celebrate this momentous occasion, the Age of Empires 4 will be releasing a chunky free update on October 25th for everyone to enjoy.

The star attractions will be the two new civilizations: Malians and Ottomans. Malians will have an extremely strong economy centered around mining and gold, while the Ottomans will focus more on military pursuits and siege warfare, with the standout unit being the largest gunpowder weapon - the Great Bombard.

What the Malians and Ottomans look like in action, as well as how big the Great Bombard truly is, that you can find out through the freshly posted trailer. Have a gander:

Besides the two new civilizations, the October 25th update will also bring with it new maps, achievements and masteries, along with the usual batch of balance changes and quality-of-life improvements. While the full patch notes have not been revealed just yet, you can read a bit more about the upcoming update over at the official website.

The final thing worth mentioning is that Age of Empires 4 will be free-to-play until August 29th, as well as on a 50% discount. So if you ever wanted to give it a try and see what all the fuss is about, this would be the perfect time to do so. Have fun!