Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition News

Today’s patch (September 26th) packs in a number of changes across the board – introducing balance updates including a rework to the Repair mechanic, stability improvements and preparing for a spooky seasonal event that kicks off next month. We’re also bringing a new map rotation to Ranked Season Five and have plans to extend the season overall (more on that in a bit!).

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Thanks again to our amazing community members, all of whom have helped to make Age of Empires what it is today!

—The Age of Empires Team

This is just a small taste of what is coming in the latest update. For a more complete list, please visit our site and check out our blog. Happy Gaming!

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          ◆Patch 8.2.218◆

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[h2]New! Seasonal Event - Hallow's Hearth[/h2]

Starting next month, you’ll be able explore a delightfully spooky biome with our latest seasonal event, Hallow’s Hearth. This event features an eerie event-exclusive biome and 10 challenges to overcome for thematic rewards. We hope you have a hauntingly good time!

Hallow’s Hearth runs from October 3rd at 10:00 am PT through November 7th at 11:59 pm PT.

[h3]Seasonal Biome: Hallow's Hearth Biome[/h3]


A dark and spooky environment with bare earth and sinister-looking trees. The Hallow’s Hearth biome brings a sense of eeriness just beyond the fog of war! This special biome will be available for a limited time and throughout the seasonal event from September 26th through November 14th at 10:00 am PT!

[h3]Hallow’s Hearth Event[/h3]



*The “Threatening” event challenge can be completed on any biome despite the in-game text.

[h3]Login Events[/h3]

Don’t miss out on these login rewards, available for a limited time only!

• Cat in a Hat – October 2nd at 10am PT through October 8th at 11:59pm PT
  
• Pumpkin Head – October 26th at 10am PT through November 1st at 11:59pm PT
  
• Roses – November 2nd at 10am PT through November 7th at 11:59pm PT

[h3]Ranked Season Updates[/h3]


Season Five’s Ranked Season will extend from October 23rd to November 13th at 11:59pm PT – enjoy the extra time to climb the ladder. Remember: For the first time Ranked Rewards will be given out based on the highest rank you achieve at any point during the season!

[h4]Map Pool Rotation[/h4]
Today’s patch also comes with a full map rotation for Ranked play, and some map-related changes for Unranked Quickmatches!

Unranked Quickmatch Changes

• Hill and Dale and Wetlands have been added to the map pool for Unranked Quickmatch.
  
• Unranked map downvotes increased from 5 to 7.

1v1 Ranked Map Pool

• Altai
  
• Danube River
  
• Dry Arabia
  
• Four Lakes
  
• Golden Heights
  
• High View
  
• Hill and Dale
  
• Lipany
  
• Prairie

Team Ranked Map Pool

• Dry Arabia
  
• Golden Heights
  
• Hideout
  
• High View
  
• Hill and Dale
  
• Lipany
  
• Prairie
  
• The Pit
  
• Wetlands

[h3]Queue Dodging [/h3]
Today’s build invalidates some common forms of Queue Dodging that exploited the game’s menus and UI. The actions needed to execute these dodges can no longer be performed in-game.

Please Note: As part of updating to this latest build, any saved games and observable matches made on previous builds will be unable to be loaded or replayed.

This is just a small taste of what is coming in the latest update. For a more complete list, please visit our site and check out our blog. Happy Gaming!

[h3]:alertalert: DISCLAIMER[/h3]This list is subject to change and should not be considered a comprehensive list of all the known issues we’re tracking. The above is to inform you of the team’s current priorities, which will change as other issues arise or take precedence.

For the latest updates and announcements, please visit our social channels.

The Sultans Ascend, the new expansion for Age of Empires IV is coming November 14th and is available for pre-order now!

The upcoming expansion will bring a host of new ways to play, including:

• New 8-mission campaign
  
• 2 new civilizations: Japanese & Byzantines
  
• 4 new variant civilizations
  
• 10 new maps
  
• 2 new biomes
  
• New unlockable rewards

Between now and launch, we’ll be sharing deeper looks at what’s included in the expansion. After hearing player feedback we’re starting with a deep dive on Variant Civilizations, which are new to both Age of Empires IV, and the Age of Empires franchise as a whole. We’re pairing this deep dive with a look at the Jeanne d’Arc Variant Civilization so you can learn more about how it’s structured, the new elements you’ll have to play with, and allow you to start thinking of strategies.

[h2]What is a Variant Civilization?[/h2]
A Variant Civilization is a modified version of a classic civilization that you already know and love from the core game. They offer new gameplay elements and strategies, while keeping the familiarity and identity of the classic civilization intact. Variant civilizations are not designed to replace the classic civ they are derived from but instead provide an alternative way to play.

We start with historical inspiration from some element in the history of the classic civilization and then build gameplay from that theme. These elements can be a single individual (like Jeanne d’Arc), a philosophy (like the neo-Confucianism of Zhu Xi), or a particular historical group within the broader culture (like the Order of the Dragon). Although these seeds are often small moments, we explore the ‘what if’ of keeping that focus throughout the journey through the four Ages. Historically, Jeanne d’Arc lived at what would be the early part of the Imperial Age (just as France was adopting firearms at large scale), but we feature her across all four Ages in the variant that bears her name.

This builds on some of the “historical extensions” of the classic civilizations, such as the Abbasid Dynasty and Delhi Sultanate having full gunpowder units even through those particular groups never adopted gunpowder en masse (or were succeeded by those who did, such as the Ottomans).

Not everything changes between classic and variant. Many basic units and buildings remain the same, as do music and historical speech. Each variant has its own list of changes, which might be a new set of landmarks, new units, revised or wholly new technologies or civilization mechanics, and more. The changes are always significant, however, and remake how the civilization plays. Players of a parent and variant civilization will be making very different choices and pursuing different strategies throughout a match.

[h2]Why are Variant Civilizations being introduced?[/h2]
First and foremost, all civilizations in Age of Empires (be they classics or variants) are there to deliver excellent and engaging experiences to our players. The classic civilizations are there to capture the history of civilizations over several centuries, capturing the evolution of whole cultures and expressing them as broad gameplay themes supported by art, music, speech, and much more. Variant civilizations take an element of that broad historical sweep and build a fresh game experience around it.

The variant civilizations are also a great opportunity for us to explore gameplay mechanics that push the envelope. The Jeanne d’Arc Variant Civilization, for example, is entirely focused on a hero unit who gains levels and transforms throughout the match. This is not something we have seen in Age of Empires IV before, and variants allow us to really lean into these mechanics.

[h2]What was the inspiration for Variant Civilizations?[/h2]
History is always the first source of inspiration for the Age of Empires team, but we also look to our community and how they play the game. Looking at the landscape of play, we saw opportunities for fun RTS experiences we hadn’t yet explored. To cite just one example, we realized we had gone into elite units, but not an elite army. What would an Age of Empires version of a low-unit-count army of powerful units look like? What benefits would that provide to players struggling with cognitive load? What awesome gameplay moments could that deliver? From there was born the Order of the Dragon.

[h2]Since announcing the Variant Civilizations, you’ve changed two of the names. Why is this?[/h2]
The names for the Variant Civilizations are:

• Jeanne d’Arc (variant of the French)
  
• The Order of the Dragon (variant of the Holy Roman Empire)
  
• Zhu Xi’s Legacy (variant of the Chinese)
  
• Ayyubids (variant of the Abbasid Dynasty)

Naming things is difficult. We need to balance historicity with trying to represent what is unique about a civilization. We talk a lot about names. We try out options. We consult with experts. We test and reflect. But sometimes we miss things or get things wrong. Some members of our community raised concerns that a few of our names were needlessly vague and needlessly exoticizing. World’s Edge and Relic take such concerns very seriously, and after much discussion and consultation with experts, we have decided to make some changes. We won’t always get things right, but we are listening and always learning and we appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us. Your voices are a part of our development process and we’ll continue to hear them.
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Want more information of the other elements of The Sultans Ascend expansion? Keep an eye on our website and official community channels for information as we release it. You can also pre-order the expansion now!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1959430/Age_of_Empires_IV__The_Sultans_Ascend/

WHAT: Server Maintenance (Matchmaking Servers)
WHEN: Wednesday, September 20 @ 2:00p PT / 5:00p ET / 21:00 UTC (Countdown)
EST. DOWNTIME: 1-2 HOURS

[h3]GAMES & PLATFORMS IMPACTED[/h3]

• Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (Steam / Microsoft Store)
  
• Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (Steam / Microsoft Store)
  
• Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition (Steam / Microsoft Store)
  
• Age of Empires IV (Steam / Microsoft Store)
  

[h3]OBJECTIVES[/h3]

• Routine server updates and maintenance.

[h3]DETAILS[/h3]This coming Wednesday, September 20th, the platform team will be taking the multiplayer servers down for regular maintenance. Please note:

• Ranked matchmaking will disabled exactly one hour before the maintenance window to prevent disruption to newly-formed matches.
  
  
• Any matches still in progress at the start of the maintenance window will be disrupted when it begins.
  
  
• DURING THE MAINTENANCE WINDOW, YOU WILL STILL BE ABLE TO LAUNCH THE GAME, BUT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MATCHMAKE OR ACCESS ANY ONLINE FEATURES.

To prevent any interruptions, we recommend wrapping up any games at least 10 minutes before the maintenance window. The downtime is expected to last between 1 and 2 hours. You can watch this thread with any changes to the schedule as they arise, as well as the all-clear when the maintenance is complete.

Thank you for your patience!

You've completed our challenges and earned this announcement! Let the speculation commence!

The Sultans Ascend is also bringing you the Byzantines!

Come join us on the official Age of Empires forums and complete our challenges to earn more information about the upcoming The Sultans Ascend expansion for Age of Empires IV!