‘Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires’ release date, gameplay: Expansion will launch on next-generation consoles in early 2021

​The much-awaited “Empires” DLC for “Dynasty Warriors 9” has been finally announced by publisher Koei Temco and developer Omega Force during the Tokyo Game Show on Sunday. It is confirmed to be released on next-generation consoles as well in early 2021.

‘Dynasty Warriors 9’ release date

The release of the DLC has been one of the most-awaited development updates in the video game series. The base game is commonly launched mainly with just an open world hack-and-slash gameplay from a third-person perspective. Even before the upcoming “Empires,” “Dynasty Warriors 9” already delivered huge changes in the series, especially in terms of movesets available to their characters.

“Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires” was announced for an early 2021 launch on a wide array of platforms, but a specific launch date is still under wraps. Fans might hear more about the release date in the next couple of months since “early 2021” in the gaming world usually means within the first quarter of 2021.

Koei Temco and Omega Force confirmed that “Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires” will also be available on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on top of the other platforms where the base game was originally launched. The base game was released on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2018. PC players will still have to use Steam to get the expansion.

‘Dynasty Warriors 9’ gameplay: What to expect

While the base game paved the way for some major gameplay overhauls, the expansion will mostly follow the familiar “Empires” tradition. One of the reasons “Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires” has been widely anticipated is because it will add an entirely new experience from the base game.

The title released in 2018, as mentioned, is big on open-word and hack-and-slash gaming but “Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires” expansion will deliver mostly strategic elements. The main premise is the same with previous “Empires” DLCs -- the main goal will be to conquer China using various wits and by winning battles.

Following the announcement of “Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires,” the developer identified three main gameplay elements namely Siege Battles, Diplomacy, and the Edit Function. Siege Battles are the core of the “conquer” aspect of the gameplay because this is where players will have to win battles in order to seize control of a nearby castle.