Anno 117

Anno 117: Pax Romana is an upcoming city-building real-time strategy video game developed by Ubisoft Mainz and to be published by Ubisoft. It is the eighth installment in the Anno series and features strategic city-building gameplay in Ancient Rome, the earliest historical setting in the franchise. For the first time, players can choose between starting provinces: ruling either the Roman Empire in Latium or the Celtic kingdom in Albion, to spread Roman or Celtic cultural influence. Players assume the role of a governor, choosing between paths of loyalty or rebellion, focusing on power or economic growth.

Anno 117: Pax Romana
Developer(s)	Ubisoft Mainz
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft
Series	Anno
Platform(s)	PlayStation 5 Windows Xbox Series X/S
Release	13 November 2025
Genre(s)	City-building, real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single-player

Ubisoft officially announced the game in June 2024. It is scheduled to be released on 13 November 2025 for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.

Gameplay

Anno 117: Pax Romana features the earliest historical setting in the franchise to date, transporting players to the era of Ancient Rome.^[1][2] Its subtitle, Pax Romana, refers to a nearly 200-year period of relative peace and stability throughout the Roman Empire. The era featured a thriving economy, vast trade networks, and significant cultural and architectural achievements, many of which are still visible in Central Europe today, over 2,000 years later. This period offers a perfect setting for a game centered on trade and city-building, allowing players to step into the role of a praetor, or governor, of their chosen Roman province.^[3][4]

For the first time in the series, players can choose between different starting provinces, ruling either the Roman Empire in Latium or the Celtic kingdom in Albion, spreading the cultural influence of the Romans or the Celts accordingly.^[1][5] The player will take on the role of a Governor to develop an empire and shape its future, deciding whether to achieve success through power or economic growth.^[6][7] The game offers two paths in terms of the role, either as loyalist or rebel.^[8]

Development

Anno 117: Pax Romana is developed by Ubisoft Mainz and to be published by Ubisoft.^[9] Announced in June 2024, the game is scheduled to be released on 13 November 2025 for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.^[10][11] It is the eighth installment in the Anno series and follows known strategic city-building elements.^[3] The development of the game has been subsidized by the German Federal Ministry of Economics with €5.7 million since summer 2023.^[9] Anno 117 is planned to launch with built-in modding support, including a mod loader, as Ubisoft aims to enable community modifications much earlier compared to Anno 1800.^[12]

In an interview with IGN, creative director Manuel Reinher stated that the team is focused on improving the starting experience for new players while maintaining the game's complexity. They plan to make the game more modular, allowing new players to choose and explore specific provinces with more context and story. Core players can still enjoy managing multiple lands and engaging in trade, as the game will be more adaptable and user-friendly. The team is committed to keeping the brand's legacy while introducing new features. The focus on fresh ideas and more social content is seen as a new way to meet player expectations. They are rebranding to expand the community and strengthen the partnership between players and developers for the best experience.^[13] The developers also plan to focus more on diplomacy than in previous games.^[14]

In a developer livestream, Ubisoft revealed that Anno 117 introduces major changes to city-building, including optional needs that allow players to partially fulfill categorized requirements to advance population tiers. A new attribute system links different resources to distinct benefits and drawbacks, affecting attributes like population, income, and satisfaction. Additionally, production buildings provide positive or negative effects for nearby structures, encouraging strategic placement and more integrated city layouts.^[15]

Developers told GameStar that Anno 117 addresses the reality of slavery in the Roman Empire through its story but avoids using it as a gameplay mechanic. Although slavery is not part of the gameplay, the game includes Liberti, freed slaves who make up the first working population and who often remained dependent on their former owners and had restrictive duties towards them.^[16]

Release and promotion

The game was revealed during the Ubisoft Forward showcase in June 2024.^[1][17] A live-action teaser trailer was released to accompany the announcement. It features a public herald reciting Roman scripture to an empty field of sheep, which compensated for the lack of gameplay footage.^[1][18] The herald appeared in a second promotional video featuring 117 social media comments from people who had long wished for the Roman Empire to be the setting for the new Anno game.^[19][20] Several artworks were released, which, according to the developers, contain some hints about the game's content.^[21] A screenshot has been leaked after being accidentally uploaded to the official Anno site and quickly removed. The leaked image showed a large coastal settlement divided into several areas.^[22]

In July 2024, Ubisoft Mainz held a contest via Anno Union in which anyone was able to design an ornament for Anno 117. A template was provided for the contest that fans could use to get creative. The silhouette of a statue needed to be completed and sent to Ubisoft.^[23] Two further community contests were held, with participants creating an in-game quest in the first and designing an island in the second.^[24][25] At Gamescom 2024, Ubisoft shared new details about Anno 117. The game is set to introduce significant changes to established mechanics, especially through the concept of Romanization versus Celtic traditions. Players can choose cultural paths that influence city development, production chains, and population progression.^[26] In November 2024, the first official screenshots were released, showing the confirmed regions of Albion and Latium. The landscapes include rocky terrain, forested green areas, and a marsh-like environment.^[27][28]

In February 2025, Ubisoft announced multiple closed beta periods for Anno 117: Pax Romana, allowing players to sign up immediately for the first one.^[29] That same month, a developer trailer introduced modular ships as a new feature.^[30][31] GamingBolt reported that players can build and customize their ships with modifications such as oars for better maneuverability or extra sails to catch favorable winds.^[30] On 19 May 2025, a new trailer was released, unveiling gameplay for the first time.^[32] Polygon noted some changes from previous installments, such as the ability to construct buildings diagonally and the impact of production building placement on their surrounding area.^[33]