Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition News

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, MMMM DD to Tuesday, MMMM DD

This week's 1v1 Community Map Picks

 are in BOLD.

This week's TG Community Map Picks

 are in BOLD.

Hello Friends! Penguins are visiting Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition since their winter months in the southern hemisphere are over now. Get your scarves and caps out because it’s going to be cold here!

Some cool challenges and rewards are waiting for you! Build up your walls and ring your town bells, an army of fighting penguins is coming from the South to take power!

We hope you enjoy this Penguin Party! Thank you for playing and stay tuned for a lot more to coming to Age II: DE!

[h2]        💥September 19 - October 3💥[/h2]

[h3]TODAY through October 3rd, complete in-game tasks within the time limit to unlock exclusive goodies! [/h3]



[h3]Event F.A.Q.[/h3]
Q: Do I have to complete the challenges on consecutive days?
[expand]While challenges don't have to be completed on consecutive days, only one challenge can be completed per day.

Only the Xbox Live challenges can be completed *any* day before the end of the event!

This means that you will need to play at least five different days to complete all of the challenges.[/expand]
Q: When is the last day I can complete the daily challenges?
[expand]The Penguin Party Event concludes October 3rd.[/expand]
Q: Do I get to keep all of the event unlocks?
[expand]All you need to do is log into your Xbox Live account before the end of the event to keep all of the profile icons and mods you unlock; it's as easy as that![/expand]
Q: What do I do if I accidentally unsubscribe from a special mod?
[expand]No problem! All you need to do is click your Profile Icon on the main menu, select Event Mods (under Collection), and then check the unlocked event mod you want to enable![/expand]
Q: How do I change my profile icon?
[expand]You can update your profile icon in your profile:

1. On the main menu, click the Profile Icon next to your name.
2. You should now be in the Profile Icons tab under Collections.
3. Select your favorite icon, then click the Select Icon button to lock in your choice.
4. You're done!

[/expand]
Q: How do I download and enable mods?
[expand]For information about how to subscribe to and prioritize your mods, visit this article.[/expand]


Remember: if you sign in to Xbox Live during the event, you’ll get to keep all of the mods and profile icons you’ve achieved! Sign in, earn your rewards, and enjoy!

We hope you enjoy this month’s Penguin Party Event!

—The Age of Empires Team

It’s that time again. But, this time in-game ranked map pool voting is available!
Open Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition to vote for your Ranked Map Pool for the next two weeks.

[h3]1v1 Random Maps[/h3]
✔ ARABIA
✔ ARENA
✔ FOUR LAKES
✔ GOLDEN SWAMP

[h3]Team Games[/h3]
✔ ARABIA
✔ ARENA
✔ BLACK FOREST
✔ MEGARANDOM
✔ MIGRATION
✔ NOMAD

To participate in the community ranked map pool vote, you will need to open Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Then, on the home screen click the Ranked Map Pool Vote announcement to jump to this week’s poll.

:alertalert: Polls are open until 12pm PT (3pm ET/ 19:00 UTC) on Sunday, September 18, so be sure to cast your vote and check back to see which maps emerge victorious!

Here is the latest Ranked Map Rotation as determined by the developer picks and and in-game 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, September 6 to Tuesday, September 20

This week's 1v1 Community Map Picks are in BOLD.

This week's TG Community Map Picks are in BOLD.

WHAT: Server Maintenance (Matchmaking Servers)
WHEN: Wednesday, September 7 @ 2:00p PT / 5:00p ET / 21:00 UTC (Countdown)
EST. DOWNTIME: 1-2 HOURS

[h3]GAMES & PLATFORMS IMPACTED[/h3]

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

[h3]OBJECTIVES[/h3]

• Routine server updates and maintenance.

[h3]DETAILS[/h3]This coming Wednesday, September 7th, 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!