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Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition News

Age of Empires IV — Patch Preview: Patch 15965



Patch 15965 is incoming, and we’re here to share what you can look forward to for Age of Empires IV!

In Patch 15965, we’re bringing you fixes to the shift-queue bug that we know you’ve been asking for. Villagers are putting away their sheep shears and will now be using the correct weapons against enemy troops, and you can now queue as many buildings as your pockets allow.

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NOTE: Upon updating to this patch, you will no longer be able to utilize replays and saves from previous updates. While we do our best effort to minimize impact on saves, Campaign and Skirmish saves from the previous patch are impacted and will no longer be accessible after you update. Campaign progress will NOT be lost with this patch update.

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You can find details on these changes and more below!

Red Bull Wololo Tournament is BACK in 2022!



We're proud to announce that the world’s biggest Age of Empires tournament is back for another year! Red Bull Wololo: Legacy will celebrate the history of this legendary series with competitions in Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, and Age of Empires IV.

The tournament is open to all, with open qualifiers running from June to September 2022. The main event will take place at Castle Heidelberg, Germany – the historic setting of the 2021 final – from October 21 to October 30. If you've got what it takes to become the ultimate commander then sign up now at redbull.com/wololo.

There are a number of paths to the main event, with different options depending on which game you're looking to compete in. For Age of Empires II: DE there will be two open qualifiers held on August 20-21 and August 27-28, with the top four players of each qualifier all receiving invites to Red Bull Wololo: Legacy. These qualifiers will run across two days, with the top players then joining the returning champions and other invited players in Castle Heidelberg for the final battles.

For Age of Empires IV, the newest entry in the series, players can secure a place through the Road To Red Bull Wololo online cup, running every weekend from the start of June to the end of September. Anyone who still hasn't secured a place can do so via the Last Chance Qualifiers. The first week of Open Qualifiers for AoE IV begin on June 4-5 and run each weekend until the September Monthly Final on September 17-18.

Keep your eyes on redbull.com/wololo for all the latest updates about the tournament, including how to watch the event live.

Server Maintenance - Wednesday, May 18



WHAT: Server Maintenance (Matchmaking Servers)
WHEN: Wednesday, May 18 @ 2:00p PT / 5:00p ET / 21:00 UTC (Countdown)
EST. DOWNTIME: 1-2 HOURS

[h3]GAMES & PLATFORMS IMPACTED[/h3]
[h3]OBJECTIVES[/h3]
  • Routine server updates and maintenance.

[h3]DETAILS[/h3]This coming Wednesday, May 18th, 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!

Age of Empires IV — Server-Side Patch 14681



In Server-Side Patch 14681, we’re bringing you changes to Mangonels! We recognize there’s been a lot of discussion around Mangonels, and we believe these changes build upon the unit’s uniqueness. We’re always open to more feedback, however! You may also be excited to know that the HRE’s Prelates have remembered how to shuffle their feet and no longer get stuck when inspiring their allies.

NOTE: Upon updating to this patch, you will no longer be able to utilize replays from previous updates. At times, saves will also be impacted, though we’ve taken additional steps to ensure your campaign saves are not impacted by this particular update. Skirmish saves from the previous patch are impacted and will no longer be accessible after you update.

Head on over to the link below to learn more about the coming with Server-Side Patch 14681.



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[h2]What's a Server-Side Patch?[/h2]

Server-Side patches are an additional path for us to deliver smaller, more pointed changes.

This new approach allows us to make data changes that influence balance and certain bugs more quickly. With a Server-Side Patch, you won’t be required to download and install an update from your platform of choice. Instead, all you need to do is launch the game, where you'll be greeted by a notification prompting you to take a quick in-game patch. After you’ve updated, that’s it – you should see the changes take effect immediately!

While we’ll still need to rely on traditional updates for certain changes, as well as for including content, we intend to use this fast-patching method to help with balance, gameplay integrity and more as we hear from you. Read on to find a list of balance changes we've prepared based on your feedback!





Age of Empires IV — Festival of Ages: Sounds of Reverie



For our second event in Age of Empires IV's Season One, we're celebrating some of the music you might overhear at a Festival with Sounds of Reverie. You can challenge yourself to a match of the Royal Rumble game mode mod and face off with an enemy King, improve your strategy by watching a replay, and more to earn rewards that let you show off your festive spirit!

  • Unlock new Portraits! 
  • Unlock new Coats of Arms!
  • Show off your earned rewards while celebrating the Festival of Ages! 


[h2]Event Rewards[/h2]


From May 4th through May 18th, complete in-game tasks within the time limit to unlock exclusive rewards! The first challenge unlocks 1 Coat of Arms that you can put on your banner. 



[h2]Show it off![/h2]
You can show what you’ve earned by changing your portrait or flashing your sweet coat of arms, so show off your rewards with pride!  

We hope you enjoy our second event of Season One, Sounds of Reverie, and look forward to the rest of the events in this Season. Don’t forget to keep letting us know what you’d like to see in upcoming seasons – it excites us too!