Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition News

Server Maintenance - Wednesday, February 19

WHAT: Server Maintenance (Matchmaking Servers)
WHEN: Wednesday, February 19 @ 2:00p PT / 5:00p ET / 22:00 UTC (Countdown)
EST. DOWNTIME: 2-3 HOURS

[h3]GAMES & PLATFORMS IMPACTED[/h3]

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

[h3]OBJECTIVES[/h3]

Routine server updates and maintenance.

[h3]DETAILS[/h3]This coming Wednesday, February 19th, 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 2 and 3 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!

Age of Empires IV – Patch 12.2.3327

Happy belated New Year, Age IV community! We shared some exciting news last week (read here if you haven’t already). And now we’re back with more of what you’re looking for: balance updates, bug fixes, plus a brand new seasonal event and game mode.

💬 DISCUSS: Official Forum
💬 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

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!

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        ◆Patch 12.2.3327◆

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Season Nine[/h2]
[h3]New Seasonal Event: Chart a Course[/h3]
Kicking off the start of the year with another brand-new game mode, Chart a Course. Players who select this mode will periodically receive a choice from three powerful upgrades. Look to the stars and chart your course as you adapt your civilization to the ever changing and challenging world around you!

Login between February 13th at 10:00am PT (1:00pm ET / 18:00 UTC) and March 31st to share in the season’s festivities!

Known Issue: We're still adjusting to the New Year! One of the Chart a Course event challenges references "2024" instead of "2025." Rest assured, logging in this year will earn you the reward.

[h3]Map Pool Rotation[/h3]
You’ve been climbing the ladder all Season Nine, and now it’s time to test your mettle on a fresh set of maps!

1v1 Ranked Map Pool
Hill and Dale –> Cliffside
Marshland –> Prairie
Four Lakes –> Lake Side
Wetlands –> Golden Heights
Haywire –> King of the Hill
Nagari –> Archipelago
Team Ranked Map Pool
King of the Hill –> Cliffside
Rocky River –> Lipany
Socotra –> Mountain Clearing
Waterholes –> Lake Side
Himeyama –> Prairie
Mongolian Heights –> Nagari

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.

Age of Empires 4 is now receiving a double dose of DLC in 2025

Despite initially revealing that just one DLC expansion would hit Age of Empires 4 in 2025, World's Edge has pulled a surprise from its sleeve. In a new blog post celebrating a huge new player milestone for the Age of Empires franchise and teeing up the year ahead, it's now been confirmed that two Age of Empires 4 DLCs are in the works, with the first arriving in the spring.

Read the rest of the story...

What’s Coming in 2025 for Age of Empires and Age of Mythology

2024 was a year for Age of Empires and Age of Mythology players and —a year shaped by your passion, creativity, and epic moments. Thanks to your dedication, it’s been an incredible year not just for the community, but for the franchise as a whole. Together, we’ve had an incredible year. We kicked things off with the New Year, New Age showcase, crowned champions at Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado, connected with many of you at Gamescom, and celebrated the launches of Age of Mythology: Retold and Age of Empires Mobile. Along the way, we expanded the franchise in new ways and welcomed over 10 million new players—reaching an incredible milestone of 60 million Age of Empires players worldwide.

Our players continue to influence the many ways in which the franchise moves forward. Today we’re thrilled to start 2025 by unveiling what’s ahead. Settle in, because we’ve got a lot to share!

Season's Feast Event Extended

The current Season's Feast Event is now ending on February 12th at 10:00 am PT! But don't worry - we are hard at work for the next update! Here's a sneak peek of what's coming soon!

Refreshing adjustments for Malians and Japanese in the Feudal Age.
Increased counterplay to Elephants.
Elite Army Tactics grants health instead of armor again.