When word broke earlier this week that Ensemble Studios would be closing its doors many gamers were disheartened to hear that one of the most beloved RTS franchises of all time, Age of Empires, would no longer be getting another sequel. Luckily, word has broken on Gamerscore Blog that the franchise may not be dead.

“As many of you have heard, Ensemble Studios will be closing after Halo Wars is complete.   If you’re a PC gamer, you’ve likely played some version of Age of Empires somewhere along the line.   I want to reassure you that Microsoft will still own the Age of Empires intellectual property.  As a company, we’re very excited about the future potential for Age of Empires, and as a PC gamer I’m looking forward to what that future holds.  Stay tuned.”

Is he just saying this to see how gamers will respond? Are they seriously thinking about bringing back the franchise? Have they already started developing ideas for the next one? Who will make the next one since Ensemble Studios will not? There are still a lot of questions to be answered, but fans of the franchise can’t help but get excited at the thought of their favorite franchise living to see another day.