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Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition News

Server Maintenance - Tuesday, April 27



WHAT: Server Maintenance (Matchmaking Servers)
WHEN: Tuesday, April 27 @ 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 Tuesday, April 27th, 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!

Two Pools 2 Finals: LIVE THIS WEEKEND!


[hr]
[/hr][h3]🏆 WHAT: Two Pools 2 Finals[/h3]
[h3]đź“… WHEN: April 24 - April 25[/h3]
[h3]📡 WHERE: LidaKor on twitch.tv[/h3]
[hr][/hr]
[h3]THE EVENT:[/h3]
After a thrilling group stage and quarterfinals, only four teams remain in this $10,000+, 2v2 tournament! Two Pools 2 ushers in a unique twist for the usual 2v2 format; in every game, each team will select their civilizations from two pools: one that they choose themselves, while the other is drafted by the opposing team! This leads to unconventional civilization match-ups, featuring many rarely seen on the competitive scene!




Suomi
Finnish professionals—Villese and TheMax—are one of the most experienced duos in the entire competitive scene! After a rough battle versus Tempo Storm, they finished second in their group. However, the two mounted a surprising upset versus TheViper and TaToH, a team that many expected to reach the Grand Finals!

Now, Suomi will have to defeat the expertise of Mr. Yo and Lyx, in what will be a rematch from the 2v2 World Cup 2020. At that time, Suomi fell short and now seeks revenge in the semifinals of Two Pools!



White Wolf Palace
One of the most dangerous pairs of the competitive scene, Mr. Yo and Lyx are an unusual team! Unlike others that feature distinct roles for archer and cavalry players, the WWP instead focuses on having Lyx cause chaos on the battlefield against both opponents, allowing Mr. Yo to build up his forces and finish the game. WWP won their group in an extremely close set vs SalzZ, which was followed up by a close 3-2 win versus Vietnam Legends in the quarterfinals.

With so many close calls, one has to wonder if they have the gusto to beat Suomi, the team that has shown impressively powerful gameplay in the quarterfinals!



Aftermath
The champions of the previous Two Pools Tournament in 2019, MbL and Nicov have an excellent combination of individual skills and team chemistry. Aftermath narrowly won their group with a 3-2 win over Heresy, followed up by another 3-2 win versus Gamerlegion B in the quarterfinals.

Their task won’t be easy, as they match up against their former teammates—Hera and Liereyy—who now fight under the banner of Tempo Storm!



Tempo Storm
The only team to have two of the top five players in the world on their roster, Tempo Storm is an exceptional combination of teamwork and individual skill. Hera and Liereyy have consistently been at least semifinalists in almost all major 1v1 events, and thanks to their excellent team chemistry, they are widely considered to be the strongest team currently in the world.

Winning their group in a convincing fashion, Tempo Storm has very few weaknesses! Their opponents will have to push relentlessly while they have Tempo on the less conventional maps of the tournament.





[h3]TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE:[/h3]
[h3]âš” Saturday, April 24[/h3]Semifinals start at 14:00 UTC (16:00 CET / 7:00a PT / 10:00a ET). 
[h3]âš” Sunday, April 25[/h3]Grand final starts at 14:00 UTC (16:00 CET / 7:00a PT / 10:00a ET).


[h3]TOURNAMENT DETAILS:[/h3]
Learn more about the tournament over at:

[h3]:arrowsright: Liquipedia[/h3]

[h3]TUNE IN:[/h3]Here's where to tune in to the action:

[h3]:arrowsright: LidaKor on twitch.tv[/h3]

Ranked Map Rotation – April 20



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, April 20 to Tuesday, May 04
👤 1v1 MAP POOL
This week's 1v1 Community Map Picks are in BOLD.
ARABIA
ARENA
FOUR LAKES
GOLDEN SWAMP
LOMBARDIA
NOMAD
SERENGETI


👥 TEAM GAME MAP POOL
This week's TG Community Map Picks are in BOLD.
ARABIA
ARENA
BLACK FOREST
FOUR LAKES
HILL FORT
ISLANDS
LAND NOMAD
MEGARANDOM
SCANDINAVIA


👤 1v1 DEATHMATCH POOL


ACROPOLIS
ARABIA
FOUR LAKES
GHOST LAKE
GOLDEN PIT
GOLDEN SWAMP
KILIMANJARO
SERENGETI
VALLEY


👥 TEAM DEATHMATCH POOL


ARABIA
CENOTES
GHOST LAKE
GOLDEN PIT
GOLDEN SWAMP
KILIMANJARO
LOMBARDIA
OASIS
VALLEY

VOTE! Your Ranked Map Rotation starting April 20!



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]
âś” ARABIA âś” ARENA âś” FOUR LAKES âś” GOLDEN SWAMP
[h3]Team Games[/h3]
âś” ARABIA âś” ARENA âś” BLACK FOREST âś” HILL FORT âś” ISLANDS âś” 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, April 18 (or 3:00p Eastern / 19:00 UTC), so be sure to cast your vote and check back to see which maps emerge victorious!

The Age of Empires: Fan Preview Recap!



We’ve vacated the Town Center (for now) and our Age Fan Preview broadcast has come and gone! We hope you enjoyed the show and have plenty of new news to talk about and share with the community.

In case you missed some of the excitement or information in the whirlwind, here’s a quick breakdown of everything we shared today.

IV | New Civ: The Delhi Sultanate

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
First we revealed one of the civilizations you’ll be able to play in Age of Empires IV: the Delhi Sultanate! This first look showed off buildings, units and…elephants!

  • If you’d like to learn more about what makes the Delhi Sultanate unique, you can visit our Virtual Village for a closer look.
IV | The Norman Campaign

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
We took a deep dive into the Norman Campaign coming to Age of Empires IV. We previewed the documentary-style storytelling that will carry you through missions, as well as some of the gameplay captured straight from the campaign: beginning with William of Normandy’s battle for the English throne. Age of Empires IV will have four playable campaigns, and we’re excited to share more as we get closer to its release.

IV | Behind-the-Scenes at Relic Entertainment

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Age of Empires IV is being developed by Relic Entertainment, who offered us a behind-the-scenes look at their Vancouver studio and work on the game. Their history with real time strategy games, their passionate team, and their love for the franchise shone through in our chats with them, and we hope you enjoyed getting to know the people behind the project!

IV | New Civ: The Chinese

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Our trip to Vancouver to visit Relic was followed by another special civilization reveal for Age of Empires IV: the Chinese! Their reveal video gave us a taste for their units, unique buildings, and even the first notes of their musical theme.

II | New Expansion: The Dawn of the Dukes

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
As Fan Preview is a celebration of ALL things Age of Empires, we also wanted to feature our Definitive Editions. We’ve been so thrilled to remaster these classic titles for new and old players alike, and to continue evolving them alongside the community’s feedback!

Today we announced some big additions coming to Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition:
  • The second official DLC—Dawn of the Dukes—is coming with an Eastern European setting!
  • Some of our existing campaigns will be playable in two player co-op, with more information about the feature coming soon!
III | New Civ: The United States


Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is getting more content too! On April 13, you'll be able to experience the United States civilization.
  • A new civilization, new customizable home city, distinct units, and unique mechanics are on the horizon!
  • You’ll be able to earn the United States civ for FREE by completing the Fifty States Challenge, or by purchasing and unlocking it immediately via Steam or the Microsoft Store.
  • We’ll also be expanding the civ roster in the future as we head to Africa. More information to come!
♥ | A Community Tribute

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
One of the best things about Age of Empires is the vibrant, creative, welcoming community. A celebration of the franchise wouldn’t be complete without all of YOU, so the Relic and World’s Edge Community Teams got together to pay tribute to you and your love of the games. It’s been a fantastic journey with you all so far, and we can’t wait to see you in Age of Empires IV.

IV | Age of Empires IV Gameplay: An Exclusive Look!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
You’ve been asking to see more of Age of Empires IV, so we pulled a little something together! This epic look at the gameplay of Age IV showcases all of our revealed civilizations as they build and battle across the Ages. There are so many great moments, and we’re excited to hear what stands out to you!

IV | A Final Look...

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Just when you thought we were done, our host hinted at one final look at the game...

...But Wait, There's More!

And with that, our show was done! A big thank you to our host Zak (AKA ZeroEmpires) and to the entire team who worked so hard to put the show together.

But this is just the beginning! Fan Preview isn’t finished just yet; there are a few more activities for you to enjoy over the next week:

  • You can head to our Virtual Village to catch more exclusive content, learn more about the Age of Empires IV civilizations we've revealed thus far, and take part in some activities built exclusively for this celebration.
  • An Age of Empires IV Closed Beta is on the horizon! If you want a chance to take part, you’ll need to be an Age of Empires Insider. Go sign up if you haven’t already; we’ll have more to share about the Beta in the near future, so stay tuned to our social channels and website.
  • There’s also an opportunity to win a one-of-a-kind, Age of Empires-branded, Dell Alienware Aurora R11 Desktop. Enter for a chance to win!
Age of Empires IV is coming this Fall 2021 as our Definitive Editions continue to evolve month after month. There’s never been a better time to be an Age of Empires fan, and we’re excited for what comes next.

So, to everyone joining us, whether new or for the twentieth (or more) years: WO-LO-LO!

—The Age of Empires Team