Anno 117: Pax Romana – New Albion Province Revealed; Free Demo Coming September 2

What Is Anno 117: Pax Romana?

Anno 117: Pax Romana is the latest entry in the long-running, award-winning city-builder franchise, Anno, launching on November 13. Taking place at the height of the Roman Empire, Anno 117 places you in the role of a Roman governor whose job is to build up a small town into a bustling metropolis to rival Rome itself. Players are responsible for every decision that shapes their city, from the exact placement of roads and homes to worship of specific gods and research of new technology. Each city will be entirely unique based on the choices you make.

Free Anno 117 Demo

If you didn't get a chance to play Anno 117: Pax Romana at Gamescom, it will be available for all players to try out via a free demo from September 2 - September 16 through Steam, the Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Connect. This will be your first chance to choose a starting province. Will you build near the heart of the empire in Latium, or embark on the uncharted lands of Albion? Play the demo multiple times to try out both provinces and different strategies for the full experience!

Anno 117's Starting Provinces

Governors who begin in the sunny shores and lavender field of Latium (the same province as Rome), will build up their civilization to be fully Romanized, falling in line with Roman religion, technology, and military. Players who begin in the misty and wet lands of Albion (or expand there after Latium) will be greeted by an entirely foreign land and completely unique gameplay experience. The mysterious Celtic province of Albion offers up a choice for governors: protect and preserve Celtic traditions and ways of life, or enforce Romanization.

What Makes Albion Unique

Your choice to preserve local Celtic customs or introduce new Roman ones will dictate the development of your city in Albion. While starting out in Latium will allow you to worship gods from the Roman pantheon like Mars, Neptune, and Venus, expanding out to the Celtic provinces will give all of your settlements (in Latium or Albion) access to an entirely different pantheon of gods including Epona, Mercury-Lugus, and Cernunnos. Each deity offers unique, game-changing modifiers and stat bonuses, allowing you to customize each city to your desired need. Want to build a strong military complex in one of your cities? Pledge it to Mars, God of war, for boons to your military production. Need a boost to your animal farms and cart speeds? Consider honoring Epona, Goddess of domestication and protector of horses.

New uncharted lands in Albion will unlock new discoveries. Your Discovery Tree is where you'll develop new technologies and advance your civilization. With over 150 upgrades to unlock across multiple branches like Civic, Economic, and Military, your Discovery Tree will shape the fate of your province. In the untamed marshes of Albion for example, Roman technology will allow you to research innovations like marsh drainage, while following the Celtic traditions will keep them undrained, influencing your agriculture in the region.

Anno 117 Release Date

Thankfully, you won't have to wait too long if the free demo leaves you wanting more. Anno 117: Pax Romana launches on November 13 simultaneously on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna, and Windows PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Connect. It's also available as part of a Ubisoft+ Premium subscription.