Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition News

A free Age of Empires 4 update is set for next week alongside the launch of its first big expansion, bringing the cozy Fireside Festivities seasonal event with new rewards to earn in the latest installment of one of the most beloved PC strategy game series. Arriving alongside its first expansion, Age of Empires 4 The Sultans Ascend, AoE update 9.1.109 will also include three new maps and a selection of the new DLC offerings for all players to try for free.

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NOTE – Our build number for this update has slightly changed (from 9.1.109 to 9.1.176) to correct some localization issues; no other changes have been made between these builds and the previously published release notes are still accurate.

• 3 new maps – Canal, Gorge, & Rocky River
  
• Expansion-exclusive maps join the Ranked map pool for a limited time
  
• Empire Wars comes to Quick Match
  
• Walls are easier and simpler to build
  
• Several updates to AI
  
• Plus balance changes and bug fixes

The changes listed in this major update will be released alongside The Sultans Ascend expansion on November 14th. These are separate from the expansion, and available to all owners of Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition. For more information about what is included in the expansion, please see our blog The Sultans Ascend: Everything in the Expansion.

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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!

        ◆Update 9.1.109◆

[h2]Season Six[/h2]
Snuggle-up and get cozy with our Fireside Festivities seasonal event! Compete in themed challenges to earn in-game rewards. Fireside Festivities runs from November 14th at 10am PT (18:00 UTC) through December 4th at 11:59pm PT (Dec 5th at 07:59 UTC).

[h3]New! Fireside Festivities Event[/h3]

[h3]Ranked Season Updates[/h3]

Season Five is coming to a close and Ranked Season Six is right on its tail!

Season Five will end on November 13th at 11:59pm PT (Nov 14th at 07:59 UTC). For the first time, rewards will be delivered based on the highest rank achieved throughout the season! Be sure to visit your profile page in-game after the season has ended to claim your rewards!

But don’t rest on your laurels too long! Season Six begins on November 15th at 10:00am PT (18:00 UTC). Charge into the fray to earn new rewards and climb the ladder to victory! Season Six runs until March 13th at 11:59pm PT (March 14th at 06:59 UTC).


[h4]Map Pool Rotation[/h4]
A new Ranked Season means a fresh change of the map pool, and we have some special treats in store!

First, this update includes 3 new maps which are immediately debuting on the roster – Canal, Gorge, and Rocky River – more about these new maps further on in the Build Spotlight section.

Additionally, we have 4 new maps joining the pool from The Sultans Ascend expansion! While these maps will normally be exclusive to owners of the expansion, all players will be able to preview these maps for a limited time through playing in Ranked matches! Check them out before the next map rotation!

More information about the maps available with The Sultans Ascend can be found on our blog (The Sultans Ascend: Everything in the Expansion). It is our intention to routinely preview expansion-exclusive maps through the Ranked play map pool rotations, so that all players have an opportunity to experience some of the expansion’s additional content.

Season Six changes to the map pool take effect on November 15th at 10am PT (18:00 UTC)!

Quick Match Changes

• The number of downvotes for maps in Quick Match has increased from 7 to 15.
  
• Empire Wars is now selectable as a game mode for Quick Match.

1v1 Ranked Map Pool

• Arabia
  
• Canal (NEW!)
  
• Cliffside (Expansion Preview!)
  
• Golden Heights
  
• Golden Pit (Expansion Preview!)
  
• Gorge (NEW!)
  
• Hidden Valley (Expansion Preview!)
  
• Himeyama (Expansion Preview!)
  
• Rocky River (NEW!)

Team Ranked Map Pool

• Arabia
  
• Cliffside (Expansion Preview!)
  
• Golden Heights
  
• Golden Pit (Expansion Preview!)
  
• Gorge (NEW!)
  
• Hidden Valley (Expansion Preview!)
  
• Hideout
  
• Himeyama (Expansion Preview!)
  
• Volcanic Island

[h3]Empire Wars in Quick Match[/h3]
By popular demand, the Empire Wars game mode is now available as an option in Quick Match! Enjoy the early-game head-start provided by Empire Wars to launch into a fast-paced mid-game; now it is easier than ever to queue-up and play!

[h3]New Maps![/h3]

Canal
A wide canal stretches from base to base through a fertile land, carving a path for both resources and aggression.

Gorge
Nothing but an open land separates you from your enemies in the gorge. Above the gorge to the side of the mountain are small forests and plenty of resources awaiting those daring to branch off the central battle.

Rocky River
New life emerges from the dying remains of a once great river, stretching low across a valley between opposing factions.

[h3]Mega Walls Update[/h3]
Walls are now simpler and easier to place and utilize by players. From improvements such as better Villager building logic and construction UI, to completely new features such as linking to allied walls and a functional overhaul to gates – how you lay out your base and defend your civilization will be forever changed! Read more about these updates in the Balance & Bugfixes section below.

[h3]Town Bell[/h3]
Ding Ding! Now available at the Town Center; ring the Town Bell to call all nearby Villagers back to safety with the press of a single button. The Town Bell is fully compatible with Seek Shelter and both methods of garrisoning Villagers share the same return to work hotkeys.

[h3]Landmark and Wonder Resizing[/h3]
We have increased the visual size of several Landmarks and Wonders to be more visually appealing. This is purely a visual change and impacted buildings still take up the same amount of build-space.

[h3]Mods & Content Editor[/h3]

• Added a progress bar to the UI for the “Finalizing Publish” phase.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Content Editor would crash after removing an Enum entry.

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 grand return of one of the most famous PC strategy games gets bigger very soon, as Age of Empires 4 developer Relic Entertainment reveals its first expansion for the 2021 RTS. Age of Empires 4 DLC The Sultans Ascend is set to arrive in mid-November, and it will bring two of the top-requested civilizations into the fold, along with two biomes, ten maps, four variant civs, an all-new campaign, and a wealth of additional unlockable content. Let's take a look.

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