The interesting thing about the Return of Rome expansion is that it largely revolves around bringing content from the original Age of Empires into Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition. 16 of the 17 new factions coming to the game are returning from the original Age of Empires.

The Return of Rome expansion, rather than being more content for Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition, acts as a separate entity that has its own set of rules and factions. Players will be able to switch between the core Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition and the Return of Rome expansion.

The expansion also brings with it the new D3 game mode, which is essentially an in-game implementation of an unofficial ruleset that was originally created by Vietnamese Age of Empires players. The ruleset revolves around players only having access to a single military unit until the bronze age, preventing rushing tactics.

The Return of Rome expansion for Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition is available on PC and Xbox Series X/S.