Microsoft and esports platform Mogul will support this year's Age of Empires II Asia Cup, scheduled to kick off across Asia Pacific this month.

The tournament will centre around Age of Empires II Definitive Edition (AOE II DE), complete with a branded hub and 12-month tournament series.

The original Age of Empires came out in 1997. Twenty-three years later, the Age of Empires strategy is still inspiring players through AOE II DE.

“Age of Empires is an iconic PC title for gamers in Asia, and one we're very excited to be bringing into competition through the upcoming AoE II Asia Cup with Mogul. Mogul's competition platform provides us with the ability to deliver engaging, interactive competition events for fans across Asia region, bringing this classic PC game into the online esports age,” says Microsoft Asia gaming category director Jeremy Hinton.

The AOE II Asia Cup will run in four seasons. The top four teams from each season will land a place in the AOE Asia Cup Major.

Microsoft's part in the tournament sponsorship will include an integrated automated match resulting system, to be co-developed with Mogul, and a Branded Hub where Microsoft will offer gamers and fans access to exclusive content and paid subscriptions.

Mogul's chief marketing officer Mark Warburton says that the Age of Empires community in Asia respects competition and friendly play.

“We've been delighted to be working with Microsoft in recent weeks to discover and engage the region's most passionate AoE competitors as we work to organise a world-class competition through our Branded Hub and online tournament delivery solution.

“For players, this ensures an immersive competition or viewer experience that looks and feels like the game they love. For publishers like Microsoft, it delivers the opportunity to provide a full-branded competitive gameplay experience, bringing the game brand and its universe to life in new ways.

“This partnership is exciting as it aligns perfectly with Mogul's goal to provide Microsoft and other game publishers alike, with a cost effective, turnkey grassroots esports solution that can seamlessly scale in multiple languages and delight gaming communities and fans across multiple markets simultaneously.

Mogul will receive both project fees for launching the Branded Hub and tournament series, as well as sharing in ad sponsor revenue that may be earned from the Branded Hub and the AoE II Asia Cup.

“Fans are and have always been at the core of our strategy at Xbox, and we're looking forward to seeing a new level of competitiveness for PC players experiencing the game's new Definitive Edition. The Branded Hub will certainly ensure a competition worth watching,” concludes Hinton.