Age of Empires II: DE - The Three Kingdoms

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Step into the legendary world of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms with the newest expansion for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, where myth and history intertwine in an explosive struggle for dominance! Fight across the vast lands of China through three brand-new campaigns, leading the armies of Shu, Wei, and Wu — each boasting distinct units, technologies, and heroes armed with powerful abilities.

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990 reviews
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Release date:
06 May 2025
Genre:
Recent Steam reviews:
Not specified
All Steam reviews:
Mixed (990)

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Description

Step into the legendary world of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms with the newest expansion for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, where myth and history intertwine in an explosive struggle for dominance! Fight across the vast lands of China through three brand-new campaigns, leading the armies of Shu, Wei, and Wu — each boasting distinct units, technologies, and heroes armed with powerful abilities. Beyond the Three Kingdoms, venture into the medieval borderlands of China with two additional civilizations: the Jurchens and the Khitans!

5 New Civilizations

Shu - Seize command of the Kingdom of Shu and carry out Liu Bei's noble ambition of reviving the Han dynasty. Shu's exclusive units include the White Feather Guard, a foot soldier capable of slowing any enemy it strikes, and the War Chariot, a vehicle unleashing devastating volleys from a massive repeating crossbow.

Wei - Assume the role of Cao Cao and conquer China through overwhelming cavalry forces and cunning political intrigue. Wei's exclusive units include the Tiger Cavalry, a horseman that grows stronger with every kill, and the Xianbei Raider, a mounted archer capable of unleashing torrents of arrows upon enemy formations.

Wu - Guide the Sun Clan toward greatness through mastery of infantry combat and naval warfare. Wu's exclusive units include the Fire Archer, a ranged combatant launching flaming projectiles, and the Jian Swordsman, a formidable heavy infantry unit whose shield provides exceptional protection — until it shatters under sustained assault.

Jurchens - Command the fierce warriors of the Great Jin dynasty across the rugged northeastern frontiers of China, wielding skilled hunters, heavily armored cavalry, and gunpowder-based weapons. The Jurchen exclusive units are the Iron Pagoda, a cavalryman with the ability to periodically deflect melee strikes, and the Grenadier, an infantry soldier who launches lethal incendiary bombs at opposing forces.

Khitans - Recapture the splendor of the Liao dynasty and Kara-Khitai, overwhelming enemies with swift-moving hordes and fearsome weaponry. The Khitan exclusive units are the Liao Dao, an infantryman wielding a deadly blade whose slashes inflict damage over time, and the Mounted Trebuchet, a formidable siege weapon transported by camels. Furthermore, rather than traditional farming, the Khitans harvest food from Pastures, which can be worked by two Villagers simultaneously instead of one.

The Three Kingdoms expansion also introduces several new units and unit lines to deepen immersion in Chinese history:

* Hei Guang Cavalry — heavily armored horsemen. Regular and Elite Hei Guang Cavalry replace Knights, Cavaliers, and Paladins for the Shu, Wei, and Wu.

* Traction Trebuchets — swift and deadly siege engines providing Shu, Wei, and Wu with a powerful late-game long-range land option.

* Lou Chuans — essentially floating fortresses that perform exceptionally against enemy warships and buildings alike. Available to the Chinese, Jurchens, Shu, Wei, and Wu.

* Fire Lancers — spear-carrying infantry who periodically deliver explosive ranged attacks. Available to the Chinese, Jurchens, Khitans, Koreans, and Vietnamese.

* Rocket Carts — a siege engine that replaces Mangonels, launching waves of incendiary rockets at enemy targets. Available to the Chinese, Jurchens, Khitans, and Koreans.

* Dragon Ships — the most devastating Fire Ship in the entire game, exclusively available to the Chinese!

3 New Campaigns

Relive the Romance of the Three Kingdoms through a captivating story told from the perspectives of all three kingdoms and their legendary founders!

Shu:

* Liu Bei — Amid the chaos of a brutal civil war, the humble sandal maker Liu Bei and his sworn brothers take up arms to restore the crumbling Han dynasty. Can this virtuous man of the people rescue the empire from collapse, or will it crumble into the iron grip of the ruthless warlord Cao Cao?

Wei:

* Cao Cao — The most formidable warlord of his era, Cao Cao ascends from a simple cavalry commander to become the true force controlling China's throne. Will his masterful scheming and battlefield brilliance be enough to establish his own dynasty as rulers of the Middle Kingdom?

Wu:

* The Sun Clan — Following the murder of their father, the sons of the Sun Clan pursue revenge while forging themselves into the undisputed rulers of southern China. Will their relentless struggle prove them worthy of the Mandate of Heaven, or will they fade into the margins of history?

Throughout these campaigns, players will:

* Relive iconic moments such as the Oath of the Peach Tree Garden, the Battle of Guandu, and the legendary Battle of Red Cliffs.

* Cross paths with unforgettable figures including the infamous Lü Bu, the brilliant strategist Zhuge Liang, and the revered Guan Yu.

* Unleash their heroes' devastating signature abilities, including Green Dragon Strike, Superhuman Aim, and Exploding Bolt.

* Recruit beloved heroes from the Three Kingdoms era through the newly introduced Hall of Heroes building.

* Enjoy an unprecedented blend of gameplay depth and storytelling as an interactive decision-making system allows players to shape the direction of each campaign.

* Select from two newly added difficulty settings: Easiest provides a relaxed journey through the story, while Legendary presents a challenge fierce enough to humble Cao Cao himself!

* Immerse yourself in a richly detailed world brought to life by stunning new plants, wildlife, and atmospheric visuals that transport players directly into China's Three Kingdoms era.

Recommended system requirements

minimum*

OS:
Windows 10 64bit
Processor:
Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon 64x2 5600+
Memory:
4 GB RAM
Graphics:
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 420 or ATI™ Radeon™ HD 6850 or Intel® HD Graphics 4000 or better with 2 GB VRAM
DirectX:
Version 11
Storage:
150 MB available space
Additional Notes:
2GB of video memory + 4GB of system memory required

recommended*

OS:
Windows 10 64bit
Processor:
2.4 Ghz i5 or greater or AMD equivalent
Memory:
8 GB RAM
Graphics:
Nvidia® GTX 650 or AMD HD 5850 or better
DirectX:
Version 12
Storage:
150 MB available space

User reviews

PurpleGirafe
Not recommended | 17 Feb 2026

This DLC is a mistake... the three kingdom civs where meant for chronicle just like the romans. They are not OP or anything, their mecanics are just too different from the other civs, their time frame is also much

Helpful: 23
AuroraDelta
Not recommended | 03 Mar 2026

They did something that I took for granted until now. They removed the narrative style of the campaigns. Having played some of the campaign, I never knew how much I enjoyed the storytelling of AOE2 until now. There is

Helpful: 141
soul7833
Not recommended | 19 Mar 2026

This DLC feels more like a poor attempt by microsoft to pander to the chinese government rather than an a DLC worthy of age II. The civilizations added use the same heroes in random map games as those used in each

Helpful: 46
Agent Black
Not recommended | 09 Jan 2026

DLC has crazy power creep and is ruining the game. ranked ladder is a joke right now. will revise review if they nerf the new civs. in general though i don't agree with the direction of this DLC. new civs do not need 5

Helpful: 43
Legata-Quaestora Svania Invicta
Not recommended | 19 Feb 2026

Three Kingdoms, more like ... A Kingdom Divided: A DLC That Fails to Unify. The "Three Kingdoms" DLC feels like a case of mistaken identity. Its centerpiece, the "Three Kingdoms" campaign, was a prime candidate for the

Helpful: 31
sufer.istvan
Not recommended | 14 Mar 2026

To be honest if this had came out as expansion of Chronicles than it might have not been so bad. I have wished that this DLC would be at least interesting but no. The only way I can recommend this is that if you get it

Helpful: 18