Emma Bridle, Director of Customer Voice, World’s Edge

The day is upon us, the sun has risen on a new Age. The whole team is so proud to announce that Age of Empires IV is now available on Steam.

This is the first new numbered Age of Empires title in 16 years, and we’re honored to have added a chapter to this globally beloved franchise. Players all over the world have been engaging in fierce battles, building expansive empires, and wololo-ing for close to 25 years and it’s thrilling to give our players more to enjoy.

To celebrate the launch of Age of Empires IV, we are taking over Times Square in NYC by spanning multiple city blocks of large digital screens, a living diorama, and an AR experience. Please share your experiences if you happen to be in NYC. For those in London, heading to Piccadilly Circus from November 2nd could be an experience for the ages.

Age of Empires IV has something for every strategy gaming fan. With eight diverse civilizations, four captivating campaigns, multiplayer, skirmish, maps, unlockable videos, Art of War challenges, masteries and more, we’re excited to see what you play first.

If you’re new to Age of Empires: first of all, welcome! Now that you’re with us, there’s plenty of ways for you to get started:

• Head to the “Learn” tab in the opening menu to find our Intro Tutorial. Our narrator will guide you through the game’s foundational skills, like building your economy and entering combat, whilst you help a group of displaced villagers start anew.
• Got the basics down? Our “Art of War” challenges, found in Single Player, will help you refine skills and earn medals as you improve on the expertise needed to be victorious in future battles.
• You can also play our campaigns via “Story Mode,” allowing you to enjoy the challenges of the game, but with reduced difficulty as you focus on the historical journey and gameplay.
• You could also face up against the AI in “Skirmish” mode. Choose your civ, your AI difficulty, your map and ready up!
• Looking to test your mettle against other players? Jump into multiplayer and select “Quick Match” or create a Custom Game. How you play is up to you! From maps to win conditions, no game will be the same.
• We’ve also provided a breakdown of the hotkeys here on Xbox Wire for easy reference.

If this isn’t your first voyage onto the battlefield, there’s plenty of new features for you to enjoy in Age of Empires IV. Try positioning your archers on top of walls to literally take your strategy to new heights. Place your units in stealth forests to ready the perfect ambush, your units will even whisper to evade discovery by your enemies. Move your entire civilization across the map whilst playing as the Mongols and choose your landmarks to age up and gain additional bonuses.

There’s so much to enjoy with Age of Empires IV and we can’t wait to hear from you as you get started. The team is ready and waiting to hear your feedback! Need support? Head to our dedicated Support Site to get you back to battle.

Wololo!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466860/Age_of_Empires_IV/

Get ready! Only three days remain before the launch of Age of Empires IV– the long-awaited return of one of PC gaming’s most iconic strategy franchises.

We also have some exciting announcements for you today:

First, the official launch trailer for Age of Empires IV is available to watch now!



Secondly, as of today, selected press and content creators will start publishing their thoughts on this long-awaited title. Now is a great time to check out some of the content from some of our favorite creators!

Check It Out

Join us October 28 and jump into the fray! Available on Xbox Game Pass for PC, Steam, and Windows.




https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466860/Age_of_Empires_IV/

Effective September 1, 2021, the multiplayer service for the 2007 version of Age of Empires III: Complete Collection currently on Steam will no longer function. The critical factor driving this change is that the ESO domain on which this multiplayer service currently resides is no longer under Microsoft’s control and it will be repurposed by its new owners on that date.

To continue accessing the multiplayer services: We have created a patch that points to a new backend owned by Microsoft that you must manually install prior to September 1, 2021. Due to the age of the title, we have no way to automatically apply the patch for you and you will have to come to our website download linked below to apply the patch manually. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

The AgeIIIESOPatch_Full will allow you to access multiplayer services without routing through the deprecated ESO service. It is important to install the patch for additional stability and reliability in the multiplayer environment and avoid issues accessing multiplayer matches. Download and install the patch manually using the steps below:

DOWNLOAD PATCH FILE

Installation Steps:
1. Download AgeIIIESOPatch_Full and then run the application.
2. Click Patch Game File in the Age of Empires III Patcher window that opens.
3. Click Open to start the installation in the default Age of Empires 3 folder.
• If Age of Empires III is not installed in the default location, navigate to the folder where age3.exe is saved.
4. Age of Empires III Patcher will show that the game is patched.
5. When Age of Empires III is opened again, a User Account Control prompt for age3.exe will appear.
6. Click Yes to start the game.

With the release of Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition roughly a week away, we’ve invited our Age Insider community to join us for a special Streaming Event! Starting October 8 at 17:00 UTC / 10 am PT / 1 pm ET until October 14, the community will join some of your favorite streamers and content creators to provide an exclusive first look at Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition!

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition completes the definitive triad of one of the most beloved real-time strategy franchises in history: with enhanced features and modernized gameplay, including stunning 4K Ultra HD graphics and a fully remastered soundtrack. Insiders participating in the Streaming Event will have access to:

• Single-player and multiplayer content
  
• An exclusive first look at ‘Act I – Blood’
  
• Experience the first two missions from the all new ‘Art of War’ training missions
  
• All civs—including the Inca and Swedes—available to play for the first time!

Insiders who meet the Age III: DE minimum hardware specs, are running on the Windows 10 – 64bit OS, and have linked their Steam account to their Insider profile will receive an invitation to join in!

Looking for a stream? You can search the Age of Empires III tag on Twitch, follow our social channels, or watch our official Twitch Channel for rotating creators over the course of the week! You can also check out some existing Age of Empires III content creators who will be broadcasting during the event:

• ESOC TV
  
• SamuraiRevolution
  
• JAILEDaoe
  
• GiveUAnxiety

PLANNING TO STREAM OR CREATE VIDEOS?

Let everyone know in the comment thread, or head over to the #age-content-creators channel on the official Discord server where you can share a link to your Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition stream or channel!

WANT US TO SHARE YOUR STREAM?

We’ll be hosting player streams throughout our workday on the official Age of Empires Twitch channel, so you can also tune in there to chat with other fans and meet the streamers. Simply tag or flag @AgeOfEmpires or the #aoe3de hashtag in your social post so we know when you’re online!

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is officially coming to Steam and the Microsoft Store on October 15th!

But before then, we’re excited to invite the Age community to join us for an early look as part of a Multiplayer Stress Test come mid-September. Open to Age Insiders only, here’s how to add your name to the pool from which we’ll be selecting participants:

1. Sign up to be an Age Insider
   
2. Share your playstyle and game preferences on the Age Insider Profile
   
3. Upload your DxDiag
   
4. If you’re interested in participating on Steam, make sure you’ve linked your Steam account

Do so before September 4 and that’s it! If your machine meets the minimum spec to play the game (below), then chances are good you’ll be chosen to join us next week!

We hope to see you there. More information coming soon!

Big news from gamescom 2020!

SUMMARY

• Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition will release on October 15th 2020
• Pre-order the game today to explore familiar frontiers on launch day
• Available on Steam, Windows 10 PC and Xbox Game Pass for PC (beta)

The countdown to the launch of Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition starts today! Tonight, at gamescom: Opening Night Live, our team was excited to reveal the official trailer for Age III: DE, as well as kick off pre-orders for the game as it nears its release on October 15th.

It’s been years since we kicked off the idea of bringing back the Age of Empires series in definitive form, and through each game we’ve listened to our fans, learned, and refined our process to make the best possible true “Age” experience of each game that we can. In just a few months, long-time Age fans will be able to complete their collection, and those yet to try Age III: DE will be able to experience this groundbreaking game in the best version possible—continuing our mission of setting the standard of what it means to create “definitive” editions of classic games.

In Age III: DE, players can expect 4K graphics, rebuilt 3D assets, a modernized UI, cross-play multiplayer, and fully enhanced soundtrack and audio. In addition to all previously released content, Age III: DE also features two new game modes and two new civilizations exclusive to the Definitive Edition.

For game modes, we’ve added a series of Historical Battles set within the time period the game covers, as well as several new fan favorite Art of War challenges—which were added after the overwhelmingly positive community feedback about their appearance in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition! These challenges are specifically tailored to not only teach you the in's and out's of real-time strategy games, but the unique nuances of Age III: DE’s gameplay and meta strategies that have evolved over years of play.

When it comes to civilizations, Age of Empires III and its expansions featured 14 civilizations from across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, and we’re adding two brand-new civilizations exclusively to the Definitive Edition: The Swedes and The Incas!

• THE SWEDES are a brand new addition to the franchise and cover one of history's most unlikely great powers: a small European nation which eclipsed all military convention and became a powerhouse on the European battlefields thanks to their innovative military tactics.
  
  
• THE INCAS are a more traditional Age of Empires civilization, covering one of the largest empires in South America, where they constructed mighty stone cities, citadels and palaces.

Whether you're more of a city builder or aiming for military domination, we think all players will have a lot of fun exploring each both civ's unique play styles!

Speaking on civilizations, a key focus of our work at World’s Edge is to authentically represent the cultures and peoples that we depict in our games. While developing Age III: DE, we realized that we weren’t upholding that value as well as we could regarding our Native American cultures; so we set out to fix that: working directly with tribal consultants to respectfully and accurately capture the uniqueness of their peoples, history, and cultures. Returning players will find there’s been some fundamental changes to the Native American civilizations, and we hope you find them as compelling as we do!


We’ll have more to share as we get closer to launch.

If you can’t wait until launch to get your hands on Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, you’re in luck! There’ll be opportunities for Age of Empires Insiders to help us test the game between now and launch.

• Not an Insider yet? Head to http://www.ageofempires.com/insiders to join the program! If you’re already an Age Insider, make sure your profile and dxDiag are up to date.

Pre-orders are available now through Steam and the Windows Store, or you can pre-install the game on Xbox Game Pass for PC (beta). There are multiple ways to score the best deal—whether you’re an existing Definitive Edition owner or are looking to give Age of Empires a try for the very first time!

• Owners of Age of Empires III: Complete Collection on Steam can pre-order/buy the Definitive Edition at a 25% discount, reducing the price to $14.99 USD / £11.25 GBP / €14.99 EUR.
  
• Already own Age of Empires: Definitive Edition and Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on Steam? Complete your collection with the same 25% discount!
  
• Xbox Game Pass for PC (beta) and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will receive the same discount on the Windows Store!
  
• We’re also introducing the Age of Empires: Definitive Collection—a bundle of all three Definitive Editions priced at $44.99 (a $60 value).

You can also play the first two Age of Empires Definitive Editions right now through Xbox Game Pass for PC (beta) and Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition will join the roster on October 15th!

However you choose to pre-order and play, we’re excited to have you join us in this truly spectacular game. Keep an eye on the official Age of Empires social channels and website on the lead-up to launch, and  take the time to join our amazing community!

On behalf of our family of developers from around the globe that have worked hard to make Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition a worthy entry in the “definitive” line, thank you for your patience; we can’t wait to engage with you now and into the future!

Get ready for three days of game-packed hype—gamescom is coming in full swing this week celebrating THE HEART OF GAMING, and you can catch it all online!

Over the next few days, gamescom 2020 is bringing you announcements, premieres, and promotions as summer draws to a close. The three-day event will kick off with gamescom: Opening Night Live on August 27, when you’ll want to make sure you tune in.

Catch gamescom: Opening Night Live this Thursday, August 27:

Set a reminder so you don’t miss any of the action! You may just be hearing from us…!

An official patch is now available for Age of Empires III: Complete Collection!

The AgeIIIESOPatch_Full will allow you to access multiplayer services without routing through eso.com. This not only removes a major obstacle to playing in online matches, but provides additional stability and reliability in the multiplayer environment.

You will need to download and install the patch manually from the official ageofempires.com website: https://aoe.ms/aoeiiipatch

If you experience any issues downloading or using the patch, please reach out to our Support team at aoesupport@microsoft.com for assistance.

Pick up Age of Empires III: Complete Collection for 75% off during the Steam Summer Sale.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/105450/

Here are deals on other titles in the Age of Empires franchise. Note that these prices are only available now through the end of the sale!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/813780/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1228810/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1017900/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1237770/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/266840/

Pick up Age of Empires III: Complete Collection for 75% off during the Age of Empires Franchise Sale. It doesn't go much lower than this!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/105450/
You can also save up to 75% on other titles in the Age of Empires franchise now through April 6!