Anno 117: Pax Romana brings tough choices to Xbox on November 13

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Ubisoft’s next historical city-builder, Anno 117: Pax Romana, arrives on Xbox Series X|S on November 13, marking the franchise’s first day-one release on the platform. Players step into the role of a Roman governor tasked with founding a city in Latium before political upheaval forces exile to Albion. From there, the campaign pivots to player agency – your decisions reshape both the narrative and the economic simulation. The team positions this entry as a response to the linearity of recent Anno titles, with a focus on meaningful branching.

Story setup – from Latium to Albion

The campaign opens in Latium, Rome’s heartland during the Pax Romana, where stability and sun-soaked farmland set a predictable, linear development path. A sudden change in imperial leadership flips that stability: your governor is exiled to the marshy frontier of Albion. The move isn’t just cosmetic – Albion’s terrain and culture introduce new systems and dilemmas that drive the rest of the campaign.

“Albion is inspired by the Celtic world, and it’s a mystical place,” says Creative Director Manuel Reinher. “It’s a wild place at the border of the Empire. It’s also a place no civilized Roman wants to be and your mission there is to stabilize the province.”

Two development paths in Albion – Romanize or preserve Celtic culture

Progress in Anno 117 remains tied to residents: meet needs, raise tiers, unlock advanced buildings and technologies. In Latium, that ladder is straightforward. In Albion, however, you choose between Romanizing the population or preserving their Celtic culture – a fork that ripples through economics, layout, and diplomacy.

Those cultures demand different goods and production chains, and they interact with Albion’s defining terrain – marshland – in distinct ways. Certain structures can only be placed on marshes, while others require solid ground. A Celtic path works with the wetlands; a Romanized path tends to drain marshes and deploy aqueducts to impose imperial order.

Culture paths at a glance

The table below summarizes how each choice shapes core systems. It highlights only the points confirmed in the official details.

The Voada question and shifting relationships

Albion’s political tension centers on Voada, a Celtic leader opposed to Roman control. Your approach can be diplomatic or military, and specific quests will test your commitment to her cause – such as freeing captives or collaborating on objectives. Your stance doesn’t stay local: other governors observe and react, affecting global relationships.

“You’ll also have to deal with the Voada problem,” says Reinher. “She’s the Celtic leader and creates a lot of headaches for Romans. She hates Rome and during your time in Albion, you’ll have to decide if you want to resolve the conflict with her diplomatically or by using military force. If you allow the Celts to worship their gods and protect their holy sites, it will be easier to solve the problem diplomatically.”

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Combat returns by land and sea

While Anno is known for negotiation and trade, a Roman setting brings back land combat alongside expanded naval warfare. The developers outline a deeper toolset designed for strategic flexibility.

• Modular naval ships for tailored fleet compositions
• Upgradable infantry units to scale ground presence
• Devastating siege weapons for breaking strongholds
• Buildable fortifications to secure territory

Conflict isn’t mandatory, but it is fully supported – from legionnaires on the march to triremes at sea – should diplomacy fail.

Design intent – more agency than previous entries

The team cites historical cases where Roman governors accommodated local identities as a springboard for branching design. Compared to the more linear Anno 1800, Anno 117 aims to let players steer both story and systems through consequential choices.

“There are examples where Roman governors made room for local identity. And then it was quite clear that this could be a good thing for a game like Anno. In general, we wanted to introduce choices with impact throughout the game. Anno 1800 was quite linear, so now we try to provide more agency for the players but also make the game more flexible.”

Why it matters – strategy through culture, terrain, and power

Anno 117: Pax Romana blends classic city-building with culture-driven systems and a renewed combat layer, making your policies feel tangible on the map. The combination of branching resident paths, marsh-focused terrain gameplay, and reactive diplomacy points to high replay value. On November 13, the series’ move to Xbox day one underscores a push toward broader access – and a sharper focus on player-driven rule.