Age of Empires first came out in 1997 ; the original game was released on October 15, 1997 in North America.

Release note

  • The franchise began with the first Age of Empires game in 1997.
  • Some sources list the specific launch date as October 15, 1997.

Quick context

If you meant a later entry in the series, each sequel came out in a different year, but the original title is the one that debuted in 1997.