Anno 117: Pax Romana demo now live – but facing backlash over one major issue
More than six years after players built their empires in the industrial age with Anno 1800, Anno 117: Pax Romana takes them back to the era of ancient Rome. Scheduled for release on November 13, 2025, Ubisoft’s latest installment not only features updated visuals but also introduces several notable gameplay innovations.
Anno 117 opens with two distinct regions: Latium in the center and Albion in the north. Players must choose their starting point at the outset, a decision with significant strategic impact, particularly for military planning. This time, land-based troop battles make a return, while a new research tree enables progress across economic, civic and military fields.
The demo of Anno 117 went live on Steam on September 2. Although only some of the new features are included, initial impressions of the game itself have been largely positive. User reviews, however, tell a different story: just 44% of more than 200 players left positive feedback. Key criticisms include a cluttered user interface, demanding system requirements and an installation size of over 90 GB. The biggest complaint, though, isn’t about the game itself but the strict time limit. The demo can only be played for 60 minutes, which many feel is far too short to get a real sense of Ubisoft’s new city-builder.
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