Age of Empires: Definitive Edition will be the next Microsoft product to receive cross play.

Alongside the announcement that Xbox Game Pass will be coming to PC, Microsoft announced a new focus on cross-platform/cross-play. In the future, Xbox Game Studios titles will launch on both Steam and the Microsoft Store, and they’ll also be able to play together.

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition will be the latest title to support this feature. The official AOE Twitter account confirmed that both Steam and Microsoft Store players will be able to interact.

“AoE: DE will support cross-play between both platforms, so you’ll be able to play with everyone no matter what! Owning the game on one store won’t give a license on the other, but you can add non-Steam titles to your Steam library if that’s where you like to manage your games.”

AoE: DE will support crossplay between both platforms, so you'll be able to play with everyone no matter what! Owning the game on one store won't give you a license on the other, but you can add non-Steam titles to your Steam library if that's where you like to manage your games. — AgeOfEmpires (@AgeOfEmpires) May 30, 2019

This is great news for a title as niche as AoE. While the series does have some great multiplayer, it’s been historically difficult to find matches over the years.

As more companies get used to the idea of cross-play, like Activision with the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, gaming is becoming much more accesible for friends wishing to play on their platform of choice. It’s more open – a more free way of gaming.