February 15, 2021 Read about the 2.0 patch notes here.
The news we’ve been waiting for is finally here. Imperator: Rome’s game-changing overhaul – otherwise known as the 2.0. ‘Marius’ Update – finally has a release date, and it’s out in just over two weeks. This represents a significant reworking of many of the historical grand strategy game’s systems, similar to the 2.0 update space 4X game Stellaris received.
Imperator: Rome has been on a rocky road since releasing in 2019, with a less-than-ideal launch state that earned it 33% approval ratings on Steam for much of its first year. Nearly two years later that rating is now at 66% for the last 30 days, perhaps reflecting all of the work and dedication the development team have put into the game since.
The team have been working on this major revision since at least August 2020, when the previous milestone patch 1.5 ‘Meander’ was released. The fact that they’ve decided to jump from 1.5 all the way to 2.0 goes to show how serious they are about giving this strategy game a second lease of life.
Highlights of the 2.0 ‘Marius’ update cover a complete rework of the army system, which will reflect the more historically accurate situation where many nation-states around this time had to raise their citizens into levies, or rely on mercenaries.
Only a few, like Rome, eventually transitioned into what we think of as the infamous ‘professional’ army. Imperator: Rome will be introducing separate ‘levy’ and ‘legion’ systems to showcase this potential transition and make the ancient world feel more diverse.
Other changes include:
- Legions retaining a history of their exploits, as well as a new ‘Engineer’ cohort to help with siege warfare.
- A major revision to inventions (Imperator’s research system) and military traditions.
- New large scale conquests for the hellenistic kingdoms based on the Diadochi wars.
- A complete UI overhaul.
- New unit models, fort changes and more.
Personally, I’m more interested in the military overhauls coming as part of the free patch, but the next update will also be launching with the latest DLC pack – Heirs of Alexander. The largest expansion to date, this new pack will focus on the legacy left behind by Alexander the Great, and how his successor kingdoms fought to claim his mantle.
It will come with a range of unique missions trees for the more prominent successor states, as well as a ‘shared’ tree that will be available to all who attempt to walk the path of Alexander. There will be plenty of new events, treasures you can find, new deities, and even the ability to create your own man-made wonders, like the Colossus of Rhodes.
The Imperator: Rome 2.0 ‘Marius’ update will be released on February 16, 2021. The Heirs of Alexander content pack will be released the same on PC via Steam and the Paradox Store for $9.99 | £7.19.