Ubisoft's Anno 117: Pax Romana Launches November 13

Ubisoft Mainz takes the Anno series to its earliest era yet, with the studio operating under the Ubisoft Blue Byte umbrella with Anno 117: Pax Romana, landing on November 13, 2025. Players step into the role of a Roman governor in 117 CE, right at the height of the empire's stable era. Provinces spread across islands, each demanding careful balance of trade, building, and expansion. The studio draws on deep historical input, including team members with archaeology backgrounds, to shape authentic details in food production, buildings, and daily life.

Core gameplay sticks to what fans know: linking resources through production chains and growing settlements. Combat plays a supporting role, with options for land or sea battles to claim new lands. Two starting areas shake things up. Latium gives open fields ideal for mastering basics, while Albion forces clever placement amid swamps and limited space.

Lessons from Anno 1800 drive changes here. Players earn Knowledge Points from structures or experts, then spend them on research that runs in the background. No more pausing to fiddle with menus constantly. Objectives let you complete tasks halfway or fully, depending on your style, which keeps things moving without strict gates that caused dropouts before.

Interfaces consolidate needs into clear graphs for supply and demand. Pick Marcus or Marcia as your leader, each opening different story paths and cultural choices, like leaning Roman or Celtic in certain areas. These tweaks aim to hold attention longer, especially for those new to the series.

Anno 1800, out in 2019, set a high bar with its industrial theme and ongoing updates that kept players hooked for years. It scored over 80 on Metacritic and built a loyal crowd through expansions. Ubisoft Mainz builds on that by refining pain points, like mid-game hurdles that led to abandonment.

Look at Cities: Skylines from Paradox Interactive. Its success came from deep customization and steady post-launch support, pulling in wide audiences. Anno 117 follows suit with a Year 1 Pass promising three expansions, adding new lands, groups, and features like sports arenas. In contrast, titles heavy on politics or battles, such as Imperator: Rome, target different crowds. Anno keeps focus on relaxed building and trade, standing apart in a growing market projected to hit 12 to 15.62 billion dollars by 2033.

Historical accuracy matters, but fun comes first. Developers consulted experts on Roman roads, water systems, and social setups to ground the world. Slavery, a real part of the era's farms, sparks debate in community talks, though no confirmation on its inclusion yet. The game leans into economic and diplomatic paths over constant fighting.

Feedback shows structured challenges beat total freedom. Creative modes in past games lost appeal without goals. Flexible systems here maintain tension while giving room to experiment. Console versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S open doors to more players, with optimized controls to match PC depth.

The city-building segment grows fast, fueled by consoles and streaming. Anno 117 arrives amid Ubisoft's push for strong releases after recent setbacks. Positive early previews from May and August 2025 build buzz. Community input shapes ongoing tweaks, much like Anno 1800's four years of content.

Mod support could extend life, as seen in predecessor titles. Expansions include Provinces of Ash, Dawn of the Delta, and The Hippodrome, introducing new terrains, factions, and sports infrastructure. Multiplayer co-op adds shared building without heavy online demands. This setup positions the game to capture both dedicated fans and newcomers in a competitive field.