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Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition News

Server Maintenance - Wednesday, February 23, 2022



WHAT: Server Maintenance (Matchmaking Servers)
WHEN: Wednesday, February 23, 2022, @ 2:00p PT / 5:00p ET / 22:00 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, February 23rd, 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 1 to 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!

VOTE! Your Ranked Map Rotation starting February 22!



It’s that time again! Visit the official Age of Empires forum to vote for your Ranked map pool for the next two weeks.

This Week's Dev Picks
[h3]1v1 Random Maps[/h3]
✔ ARABIA ✔ ARENA ✔ RUNESTONES ✔ SOCOTRA
[h3]Team Games[/h3]
✔ ARABIA ✔ ARENA ✔ BALTIC ✔ BLACK FOREST ✔ HIDEOUT ✔ MEGARANDOM
Cast Your Vote Now!

To participate in the community ranked map pool vote, you will need to login to the official Age forum using your free Microsoft account. Then, click the images below to jump to this week’s polls.






:alertalert: Polls are open until NOON Pacific on Sunday, February 20 (or 3:00p Eastern / 19:00 UTC), so be sure to cast your vote and check back to see which maps emerge victorious!

Ranked Map Rotation – February 08



Here is the latest Ranked Map Rotation as determined by the developer picks and community vote. For the next two weeks, you’ll be able to pick from the new set of maps listed below!

Map pools as of: 6p Pacific (9p ET / 20:00 UTC / 22:00 CEST) on Tuesday, February 08 to Tuesday, February 22
👤 1v1 MAP POOL
This week's 1v1 Community Map Picks are in BOLD.
ACROPOLIS
ARABIA
ARENA
CENOTES
MEGARANDOM
RUNESTONES
WATER NOMAD


👥 TEAM GAME MAP POOL
This week's TG Community Map Picks are in BOLD.
ARABIA
ARENA
BLACK FOREST
LOMBARDIA
MEGARANDOM
NOMAD
PACIFIC ISLANDS
RUNESTONES
STEPPE

A Year in Review - Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

It’s been an outstanding year for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, with heaps of free new content, grand tournament spectacles and now, the full release of co-operative campaigns!

You can catch all the details in the video below, or read our quick summary below.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h2]
Co-operative Campaigns & Scenarios
[/h2]
Fully Co-operative Historical Battles are now officially released for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition! These new co-operative scenarios contain the same story-driven historical narratives and objectives you know and love, with an updated AI you and a friend will need to coordinate to conquer.

Co-op scenarios and campaigns are available to anyone who owns the base edition of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, so grab a buddy and relive the classic campaign experience.

Attila the Hun
Suryavarman I
Tamerlane
Tariq ibn Ziyad
Alaric
Saladin
The Scourge of God
Usurpation
Amir of Transoxiana
The Battle of Guadalete
The Battle of the Frigidus
An Arabian Knight
The Great Ride
Quelling the Rebellion
Gurkhan of Persia
Consolidation and Subjugation
Razing Hellas
Lord of Arabia
The Walls of Constantinople
A Dangerous Mission
Harbinger of Destruction
Divide and Conquer
The Belly of the Beast
The Horns of Hattin
A Barbarian Betrothal
Challenging a Thalassocracy
Sultan of Hindustan
Crossing the Pyrenees
The Giant Falls
The Siege of Jerusalem
The Battle of the Catalaunian Fields
Nirvanapada
Scourge of the Levant
Razzia
A Kingdom of Our Own
Jihad!
The Fall of Rome
A Titan Amongst Mortals
The Lion and the Demon


[h2]Matchmaking Options[/h2]
  • Matchmaking Queue to provide more ranked play options for the community.
  • A new Quick Play option, to be quickly matched with other similar minded players from around the world to team up and show the AI who’s boss.


[h2]Death Match Ranked Lobbies[/h2]
After a re-work, ranked Death Match has returned with fully ranked custom lobbies, set to deliver an improved player experience.

[h2]Additional Expansions[/h2]
In the last year, we’ve seen the addition of two new expansions for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Lords of the West and Dawn of the Dukes.  

Expansion
New Civilizations
New Campaigns
Lords of the West
The Burgundians
The Sicilians
Edward Longshanks
The Grand Dukes of the West
The Hautevilles
Dawn of the Dukes
The Bohemians
The Poles
Algirdas and Kestutis
Jadwiga
Jan Zizka

Both of these expansions are available now on Steam and the Microsoft Store for you to enjoy!

[h2]Handicap[/h2]
The handicap option can buff a player up to 2x to allow a more balanced and fun experience in your custom lobby matches. This effects gameplay elements like increasing gather rates for villagers, extra bonus damage for counter units and more HP on all buildings, among other things. 

[h2]UI Improvements[/h2]
  • A new Technology Tree preview feature: A small version of the tech tree that is now shown when hovering over the Technology Tree button while in-game.
  • A new waypoint numbering system has also been added for command queues.


[h2]Balance[/h2]
There have been hundreds of balance changes over the last year, all to encourage more variation between each unit and the civilizations themselves. We’re continuing to work towards ensuring every unit has a place and its relevance within Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, helping to create even more viable strategies and tactics for you to employ on the battlefield. 

[h2]New Maps[/h2]
Over 20 new maps have been added to the map pool, including 11 maps popularized across the Red Bull Wololo tournament series.
These maps are available in rotation for Ranked Matchmaking, or whatever bizarre settings you want in a custom game with your friends! 

Crater
Crossroads
Michi
Volcanic Island
Team Moats
Acclivity
Eruption
Frigid Lake
Greenland
Lowland
Marketplace
Meadow
Mountain Range
Northern Isles
Ring Fortress
Runestones
Aftermath
Enclosed
Haboob
Kawasan
Sacred Springs
Wade
Land Madness


[h2]An Incredible Year![/h2]
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition has had an incredible year, with over 10 major tournaments, a ton of additional free content, new expansions, multiple quality of life additions and lots more. 

Thank you for making the last year of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition so special. There’s plenty more to come in 2022!

VOTE! Your Ranked Map Rotation starting February 08!



It’s that time again! Visit the official Age of Empires forum to vote for your Ranked map pool for the next two weeks.

This Week's Dev Picks
[h3]1v1 Random Maps[/h3]
✔ ACROPOLIS ✔ ARABIA ✔ ARENA ✔ MEGARANDOM
[h3]Team Games[/h3]
✔ ARABIA ✔ ARENA ✔ BLACK FOREST ✔ NOMAD ✔ PACIFIC ISLANDS ✔ RUNESTONES
Cast Your Vote Now!

To participate in the community ranked map pool vote, you will need to login to the official Age forum using your free Microsoft account. Then, click the images below to jump to this week’s polls.






:alertalert: Polls are open until NOON Pacific on Sunday, February 06 (or 3:00p Eastern / 19:00 UTC), so be sure to cast your vote and check back to see which maps emerge victorious!