Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition News

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        ◆ Update 143421 ◆

Build Spotlight

[h3]New DLC! The Three Kingdoms[/h3]
Dive into China’s epic world of The Three Kingdoms, where history and legend collide in a battle for supremacy – available now on Steam!

The Three Kingdoms introduces five fascinating new civilizations, each with their own unique units and technologies: the Shu, Wei, and Wu, who represent the legendary Three Kingdoms; and the Jurchens and Khitans, who exemplify the struggle for power in northern China beyond the Three Kingdoms period.

Build 143191

[h3]Stability & Performance[/h3]

• Fixed a crash occurring when loading a Victors & Vanquished: Finehair saved game.
  
• Fixed various stability issues.

[h3]Xbox[/h3]

• Fixed a crash happening when loading a Chronicles: Battle for Greece Grand Campaign saved game.
  
• Fixed issue where the performance decreased after repeatedly opening and closing the Chat or Diplomacy menus.
  
• Fixed issue where players were unable to invite friends to a private lobby via Xbox invitations.

[h3]Gameplay Fixes[/h3]

• Rocket carts can no longer fire more volleys than intended after quickly issuing many attack ground commands.

Build 143421

[h3]UI[/h3]

• Fixed an issue that led to inconsistent display and processing of achieved campaign medals in different parts of the game.

Note: this change affects all campaign progress the way it was displayed in the previous version of the game. Medals will appear one tier higher for any campaign mission that has been completed without cheats.

• Fixed an issue that prevented Armenians and Georgians profile icons from being unlocked and saved for Steam users.

[h3]Xbox[/h3]

• Fixed a crash happening upon entering the Historical Battles screen after obtaining a gold medal (crown) in any scenario.

Ongoing...

[h3]Investigation[/h3]
As always, we are continuing to track issues reported by the community for future updates.

For other known issues, please visit this page to see what’s being tracked!

[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.

• Shu – Take the reins of the Kingdom of Shu and fulfil Liu Bei’s dream of restoring the Han dynasty. The Shu unique units are the White Feather Guard, an infantryman that slows down units it attacks, and the War Chariot, a vehicle that fires barrages of bolts from a large repeating crossbow.
  
• Wei – Step into the shoes of Cao Cao and dominate China with massive cavalry armies and nefarious schemes. The Wei unique units are the Tiger Cavalry, a horseman that levels up as it kills units, and the Xianbei Raider, a cavalry archer that fires storms of arrows into the enemy ranks.
  
• Wu – Lead the Sun Clan to glory through infantry and naval prowess. The Wu unique units are the Fire Archer, a ranged soldier that fires incendiary arrows, and the Jian Swordsman, a heavy infantry unit whose shield offers immense protection – until it breaks.
  
• Jurchens – Dominate the rugged terrain of northeast China with the skilled hunters, armored cavalry, and gunpowder weaponry of the Great Jin dynasty. The Jurchen unique units are the Iron Pagoda, a cavalryman that occasionally blocks melee attacks, and the Grenadier, a foot soldier who hurls deadly incendiary bombs at his enemies.
  
• Khitans – Relive the glory of the Liao dynasty and Kara-Khitai, terrorizing your enemies with mobile hordes and diabolical weapons. The Khitan unique units are the Liao Dao, an infantryman whose lethal sword slashes cause lasting damage, and the Mounted Trebuchet, a powerful siege engine carried around by camels. Additionally, instead of farming, the Khitans gather food from Pastures, which can be tended by two Villagers instead of just one.

• Shu
  • Liu Bei — In the midst of a bloody civil war, the sandal maker Liu Bei and his sworn brothers fight to restore the ailing Han dynasty. Can this honorable commoner save the empire, or will it fall into the hands of the ruthless warlord Cao Cao?
• Wei
  • Cao Cao — The greatest warlord of his time, Cao Cao rises from a mere cavalry commander to the true power behind the throne of China. Will his ambitious schemes and tactical skill be enough to place his own dynasty on the throne of the Middle Kingdom?
• Wu
  • The Sun Clan — After their father is murdered, the sons of the Sun Clan fight for revenge while building themselves up to be the rulers of southern China. Will their struggle make them worthy of the Mandate of Heaven, or are they doomed to become footnotes in history?

What's your favorite Age of Empires 2 campaign? I'm a bit of a purist - for me, it's the Genghis Khan story in The Age of Kings, especially the level where you have to destroy Jin's wonder and smash through the Great Wall of China. But between 42 civilizations, 229 missions, and more than two and a half decades of expansions, there's plenty of choice. Manor Lords is great. Stronghold is a classic. It'd be fantastic to have Command and Conquer back. But AoE 2 remains the best medieval RTS of all time, and possibly the greatest game in the entire genre. Now, Age of Empires 2 Definitive Edition has a new expansion.

Read the rest of the story...

RELATED LINKS:

After 26 years, Age of Empires 2 returns to rule over medieval RTS games

New Age of Empires 2 update is the biggest ever, makes the RTS feel young again

Age of Empires 2 shares "legendarily long" patch notes for enormous new update

I want to be articulate, to organize my thoughts, and construct a convincing, cogent argument. But Age of Empires 2 makes that impossible - I'm overcome with how much I adore this game. And I say that as someone who, as well as being coherent and analytical, also tries to be measured, critical. Whether it's something I really love or something I think is terrible, I try to keep my cool when writing about videogames. But AoE 2 just short circuits everything. Command and Conquer will likely always be my personal number one RTS. I'm also very impressed by Tempest Rising. But with the Three Kingdoms DLC about to land, accompanied by a big, preparatory discount on Steam, I feel justified in asserting that Age of Empires 2 remains the ruler of medieval strategy.

Read the rest of the story...

RELATED LINKS:

New Age of Empires 2 update is the biggest ever, makes the RTS feel young again

Age of Empires 2 shares "legendarily long" patch notes for enormous new update

Age of Empires 2 owners will now get over $100 worth of DLC for free

💬 DISCUSS: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Forum
🗣 JOIN: The Age of Empires Official Discord

[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.