Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition News

Zhu Xi’s Legacy is a variant of the Chinese civilization in Age of Empires IV and will be available with The Sultans Ascend Expansion!

The teachings of philosopher Zhu Xi reshape the Chinese civilization. With Zhu Xi’s Legacy, the Chinese boast a sophisticated administration with superior Imperial Officials and advanced technologies. As a technological powerhouse, early bonuses in the Tang and Song Dynasties help the civilization advance faster and build toward a bountiful economic foundation. The brimming treasury helps to establish powerful dynasties and research a breadth of unique technologies. Recruit Palace Guards, Zhuge Nus, and Grenadiers early on to protect the Empire.



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[h2]Pre-Order Now! Coming to Steam November 14th![/h2]

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

The Byzantines are a new civilization coming with The Sultans Ascend Expansion for Age of Empires IV.

The Byzantines come equipped with three unique aspects: an Aqueduct network, access to mercenaries, and powerful Greek Fire. The civilization constructs sprawling Aqueduct networks that boost the productivity of their empire and aids in the generation of Olive Oil, a unique fifth resource used to hire mercenaries.

From a militaristic standpoint, the Byzantines have capable command over the battlefield, pairing a broad roster of units and mercenaries with powerful Greek Fire that can have lasting effect on an impacted area.


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

The Ayyubids are a variant of the Abbasid Dynasty civilization and will be available with The Sultans Ascend expansion coming to Age of Empires IV!

At the confluence of continents, where trade and science meet, and where empires clash, the Ayyubids use their pursuit of knowledge to gain the upper hand. With a combination of urbanization and science, unlock powerful Golden Age bonuses and advance through the ages. The Ayyubids focus on versatile units to gain a tactical advantage on the battlefield. 



[h2]Pre-Order Now![/h2]

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

Earlier this week, we revealed the first Variant Civ coming in The Sultans Ascend expansion, Jeanne d'Arc. From her start as a villager through her Journey of a Hero, Jeanne inspired the French nation to rise against tyranny.

📜 aoe.ms/aoeIV-fre-jda

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[h2]Pre-Order Today![/h2]

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

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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💬 DISCUSS: Steam Forum
🗣 JOIN: Official Discord

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.