Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition News

After two thrilling weekends of group stage gameplay, Empire Wars Duo 2 comes to a conclusion this week. The best teams of the world fighting for a prize pool of $20,000 sponsored by Microsoft can now show what they are capable of in this one of its kind 2v2 Empire Wars tournament!

The event kicked off with 16 teams fighting for 8 spots to qualify and join the 8 invited teams in the group stage. Last weekend, four teams – Heresy, Gamerlegion A, Aftermath B and White Wolf Palace secured their spot in the quarterfinals.



This week’s program starts with the deciders for the other four remaining spots in the quarterfinals, with two deciders sets on both Thursday and Friday (2 – 3 September) and is followed by the quarterfinals on Saturday, and the conclusion of the event on Sunday with the Semifinals and the Grand Finals.

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*Changes to the schedule may occur, click here for the most up to date information.





[h3]GamerLegion A & B[/h3]

GamerLegion is one of the two organizations providing two invited teams for the event. Both GamerLegion A (Jordan, TaToH and Nili) and GamerLegion B (Slam, DauT and Viper) are among the best players in the world and have shown their strength in numerous Empire Wars events before. Architects of many brand new strategies, they do have the element of surprise on their side in many cases. Though both GL teams provide tough opposition it remains to be seen if this will be sufficient against some of the more formidable opponents in this tournament.

[h3]Aftermath A & B[/h3]

Aftermath also delegates two teams for the event, both of which had considerable success in the previous Empire Wars Duo event in 2020. Hera and Liereyy, the champions of the previous event are the favorites to win this event thanks to their exceptional skills and team coordination. They are also joined by Hearttt as a backup on their roster. Meanwhile, the other team composed by MbL and Nicov has a remarkable history in 2 vs 2 events, and remains a team that opponents should not sleep on.

[h3]White Wolf Palace[/h3]

White Wolf Palace delegated the three strongest Chinese players as their team for the event. Mr. Yo, a former champion of Red Bull Wololo is joined by Vivi and Lyx in what will be an uphill battle for the title. Nonetheless, the resilience and aggressive playstyle of White Wolf Palace has made them one of the best teams in the world, and they will provide a tough opposition for whoever has to face them.

[h3]Vietnam Legends & Strategy[/h3]

The only country to provide three teams worth of players, BacT and ACCM represent the invited team of Vietnam as Vietnam Legends, while two other Vietnamese teams, Vietnam Strategy A and B managed to qualify, featuring players like SayMyName, RollsRoyce, SongSong and Badboy. These teams share their aggressive playstyle and thrive in Empire Wars settings. While none of these teams are a favorite to win the event, these teams all have considerable upset potential against teams seemingly stronger than them.


A large variety of maps are available for the players to play in this event, including traditional tournament maps like Golden Pit, as well as some lesser known maps including the fan-favorite Canberra, that has provided amazing gameplay!

[h3]Canberra[/h3]
This map features the players starting with walled-off bases seemingly providing safety. In reality, the walls are easily broken through, and the players also have a backdoor to their base: narrow channels of water connecting in a central pond providing abundant fish. While the walls provide some early defense, players will still find themselves under a large amount of pressure from land or water. This map is also much smaller than ordinary 2 vs 2 maps, providing increased intensity to the fights throughout the game.



[h3]Hidden Treasures[/h3]
Specifically created for Empire Wars Duo 2, this is a brand new map. Teams are separated by forests and shallows in the middle of the map. While the starting bases of the players are well defendable, players have to move out early to secure the gold deposits located on the two hills between the teams.



[h3]River Belt[/h3]
This one is among the most aggressive maps seen in the history of competitive Age of Empires. The players start on an island surrounded by water very close to their enemies. While aggressiveness and early pressure is of great importance on this map, players must be careful about moving their forces through the shallows in middle, as either ships or land units can easily destroy armies in this central part of the map.

WHAT: Server Maintenance (Matchmaking Servers)
WHEN: Tuesday, August 31 @ 2:00p PT / 5:00p ET / 22:00 UTC (Countdown)
EST. DOWNTIME: 2-2.5 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)
  

[h3]OBJECTIVES[/h3]

• Routine server updates and maintenance.

[h3]DETAILS[/h3]This coming Tuesday, August 31st, 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 2.5 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!

Relive the march of history! Join the many generations of players who have experienced one of the most beloved franchises, spanning twenty years and leaving a legacy of historical adventures. Remember where it all started with your favorite civilizations and relive the campaigns you know and love. Add the ultimate compilation in the next installment of real-time strategy gaming. With high-fidelity graphics and featuring recently released content, the new Age of Empires Anthology delivers it all. It not only includes titles from the past, but gamers can battle it out in new game modes, discover new civilizations, and enjoy the updated graphics.

In addition to your favorite titles from the past, also included in the anthology is the new Age of Empires IV – Digital Deluxe Edition, with special access to the official Age of Empires IV soundtrack, Unit Counters Chart, an art compilation from digital painter Craig Mullins, and exclusive in-game content. With both familiar and innovative new ways to expand your empire in stunning 4K visual fidelity, Age of Empires IV brings an evolved real-time strategy game to a new generation. Play eight diverse civilizations, four distinct campaigns with legendary historical figures, 8-player multiplayer modes, and a tutorial system designed for first-time players.

Age of Empires Anthology titles included:

• Age of Empires: Definitive Edition
• Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, plus the new “Dawn of the Dukes” and “Lords of the West” expansions
  
• Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, plus the new “The African Royals” expansion
  
• Age of Empires IV – Digital Deluxe Edition

*Please note: the Anthology does not include the Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition – United States Civilization.

This unforgettable anthology is an unrivaled compilation with hundreds of hours of real-time strategy fun that will stand the test of time, and is available NOW on the Steam Store!

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/22390/

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.

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

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

[h3]Team Games[/h3]
✔ AFRICAN CLEARING
✔ ARABIA
✔ ARENA
✔ BLACK FOREST
✔ ERUPTION
✔ NORTHERN ISLES

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, August 22 (or 3:00p Eastern / 19:00 UTC), so be sure to cast your vote and check back to see which maps emerge victorious!