Welcome to THE exciting update for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition! We’ve decided the legendarily long patch notes weren’t long enough already, and have decided to include even more changes! You can view these addition changes below. And if you haven’t seen our mammoth patch notes preview already, can read that here!

This is our largest ever update for AoE II: DE, and while there are plenty of notable things to look forward to in the notes below, here’s some of the big highlights:

• Bug fixes based on your feedback!
  
• New Visuals for Castles, Elite Unique Units, Monks and Monasteries!
  
• Technology Tree UI updates!
  
• Balance changes!
  
• New Maps!
  
• New features and content to support:
  
  
  • Random Map Scripting
    
  • Scenario Editor
    
  • Modding

This is just a small taste of what is coming in the latest update. For a more complete list, please visit our site and check out our blog. Happy Gaming!

💬 DISCUSS: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Forum
🗣 JOIN: The Age of Empires Official Discord

Thank you again to our amazing community members, all of whom have helped to make Age of Empires what it is today!

—The Age of Empires Team

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Game

Stability & Performance

• Improved game performance when using the assisted farm placement feature.
  
  • Note: this change does not affect multiplayer latency behavior.

UI

• Added a new Chicken player profile icon as a reward for playing 175 games.
  
• Changed the name of Mayans civilization to Maya.
  
• Changed the name of Incas civilization to Inca.

Xbox

• Fixed a crash happening when opening the minimap on some Xbox models.
  
• Fixed an issue that was freezing the game when dismissing the Chat & Diplomacy menu whilst viewing a Replay.
  
• Fixed Winged Hussar icon not showing in the Civilization Bonuses section of the Technology Tree for Lithuanians.

This is just a small taste of what is coming in the latest update. For a more complete list, please visit our site and check out our blog. Happy Gaming!

:alertalert: DISCLAIMER

This list is subject to change and should not be considered a comprehensive list of all the known issues we’re tracking. The above is to inform you of the team’s current priorities, which will change as other issues arise or take precedence.

For the latest updates and announcements, please visit our social channels.

We are thrilled to announce the next DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – The Three Kingdoms, a riveting and holistic expansion, coming May 6th! Dive into China’s epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where history and legend collide in a battle for supremacy.

The Three Kingdoms introduces five fascinating new civilizations, each with their own unique units and technologies: the Shu, Wei, and Wu, who represent the legendary Three Kingdoms; and the Jurchens and Khitans, who exemplify the struggle for power in northern China beyond the Three Kingdoms period. Challenge your friends in skirmish matches or battle your way across China with three new campaigns, commanding the forces of fabled heroes such as Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and the Sun Clan. These campaigns feature unprecedented features such as devastating special hero abilities, an interactive decision system allowing you to blaze your own trail, and more!

We have been delighted to work with Forgotten Empires to bring you The Three Kingdoms. Whether you are a passionate historian, an admirer of compelling narratives, a longtime fan of the Age of Empires franchise, or all of the above – The Three Kingdoms will bring you endless hours of joy and fun!


The Three Kingdoms is now available for pre-order with 15% discount on Steam - releasing May 6th!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3080080/Age_of_Empires_II_DE__The_Three_Kingdoms

What is The Three Kingdoms?

“The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been.

In the dying days of the Han dynasty, the empire was like a precious vase knocked off its pedestal. As it fell towards the ground, some refused to accept the inevitable and imagined that the worst had passed.

The more far-sighted positioned themselves to pick up the pieces.”

Created by Forgotten Empires, the passionate team bringing you Age of Empires content for over a decade, The Three Kingdoms is a DLC set in China primarily during the early medieval period, but also featuring two civilizations who rose and fell hundreds of years later. China’s Three Kingdoms, extremely advanced for their time, offer AoE II: DE players the game’s core unit roster along with several unique and region-specific units highlighting the iconic features of each kingdom. Veterans and newcomers alike will enjoy approachable, powerful, and immersive new civilizations!

The story of The Three Kingdoms opens with three intertwining narratives spanning roughly 25 years. Totaling 15 missions across 3 campaigns with branching narratives and dynamic, far-reaching decisions that offer a level of replay value never before seen in Age of Empires, The Three Kingdoms offers a tour par excellence through China’s most fabled and beloved period of history from the viewpoints of all three kingdoms’ founders. Experience storied battles such as Guandu, Changban, and Red Cliffs, and relive the dashing exploits of the honorable and benevolent Liu Bei, the conniving yet brilliant Cao Cao, and the resilient, vengeful Sun Clan!

Included in this DLC

5 New Civilizations

Shu
Take the reins of the Kingdom of Shu and fulfill Liu Bei’s dream of restoring the Han dynasty. The Shu unique units are the White Feather Guard, an infantryman that slows down units it attacks, and the War Chariot, a vehicle that fires barrages of bolts from a large repeating crossbow.

Wei
Step into the shoes of Cao Cao and dominate China with massive cavalry armies and nefarious schemes. The Wei unique units are the Tiger Cavalry, a horseman that levels up as it kills units, and the Xianbei Raider, a cavalry archer that fires storms of arrows into the enemy ranks.

Wu
Lead the Sun Clan to glory through infantry and naval prowess. The Wu unique units are the Fire Archer, a ranged soldier that fires incendiary arrows, and the Jian Swordsman, a heavy infantry unit whose shield offers immense protection – until it breaks.

Jurchens
Dominate the rugged terrain of northeast China with the skilled hunters, armored cavalry, and gunpowder weaponry of the Great Jin dynasty. The Jurchen unique units are the Iron Pagoda, a cavalryman that occasionally blocks melee attacks, and the Grenadier, a foot soldier who hurls deadly incendiary bombs at his enemies.

Khitans
Relive the glory of the Liao dynasty and Kara-Khitai, terrorizing your enemies with mobile hordes and diabolical weapons. The Khitan unique units are the Liao Dao, an infantryman whose lethal sword slashes cause lasting damage, and the Mounted Trebuchet, a powerful siege engine carried around by camels. Additionally, instead of farming, the Khitans gather food from Pastures, which can be tended by two Villagers instead of just one.

Several new units and unit-lines for increased immersion in Chinese history:

• Hei Guang Cavalry — a heavily armored horseman. Regular and Elite Hei Guang Cavalry replace Knights, Cavaliers, and Paladins for the Shu, Wei, and Wu.
  
• Traction Trebuchets — deadly, mobile engines that provide the Shu, Wei, and Wu an excellent long-ranged siege option on land in the Imperial Age.
  
• Lou Chuans — literal floating fortresses that excel against other warships and buildings alike. Available to the Chinese, Jurchens, Shu, Wei, and Wu.
  
• Fire Lancers — spear-wielding infantry who occasionally use an explosive ranged attack. Available to the Chinese, Jurchens, Khitans, Koreans, and Vietnamese.
  
• Rocket Carts — this siege engine replaces Mangonels, and instead fires a volley of incendiary rockets at enemies. Available to the Chinese, Jurchens, Khitans, and Koreans.
  
• Dragon Ships — the deadliest Fire Ship in the game, exclusive to the Chinese!

3 New Campaigns:

• Liu Bei (Shu) — In the midst of a bloody civil war, the sandal maker Liu Bei and his sworn brothers fight to restore the ailing Han dynasty. Can this honorable commoner save the empire, or will it fall into the hands of the ruthless warlord Cao Cao?
  
• Cao Cao (Wei) — The greatest warlord of his time, Cao Cao rises from a mere cavalry commander to the true power behind the throne of China. Will his ambitious schemes and tactical skill be enough to place his own dynasty on the throne of the Middle Kingdom?
  
• The Sun Clan (Wu) — After their father is murdered, the sons of the Sun Clan fight for revenge while building themselves up to be the rulers of southern China. Will their struggle make them worthy of the Mandate of Heaven, or are they doomed to become footnotes in history?

As you venture through these campaigns, you will:

• Relive fabled events: like the Oath of the Peach Garden, the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and the Battle of Red Cliffs – from up to three different perspectives!
  
• Encounter legendary characters: such as the notorious Lü Bu, the wise Zhuge Liang, and the exalted Guan Yu.
  
• Unleash their deadly heroic abilities: like Green Dragon Strike, Superhuman Aim, and Exploding Bolt.
  
• Train your favorite heroes: from the Three Kingdoms era in the new Hall of Heroes building.
  
• Experience unprecedented gameplay and narrative value: as you use an interactive system to make key decisions that shape each campaign.
  
• Choose from two new difficulty levels: Easiest offers a leisurely cruise through the story, while Legendary could test the mettle of Cao Cao himself!
  
• Marvel at an array of new flora, fauna, and other atmospheric visuals: that will fully immerse you in China’s Three Kingdoms era.

All 5 New Civilizations Available in Ranked Play!

While The Three Kingdoms era sits on the edge of AoE II: DE traditional timeframe, Forgotten Empires was committed to delivering a product with content for everyone at all levels, styles, spheres, and preferences of the Age of Empires experience. Research and design exploration quickly showed that Three Kingdoms China was extremely advanced for its time, making it an easy fit into the AoE II: DE technology tree and design mould. With this in mind, we committed ourselves to the goal of making this DLC fully available in ranked gameplay.

With an instantly recognizable Age of Empires II-feel, plenty of flavor to satisfy the appetites of avid Romance of the Three Kingdoms, fans and the innovative features that AoE II: DE fans have come to expect from each new addition to our beloved game, The Three Kingdoms has something for everyone.

A Message from Forgotten Empires

The Three Kingdoms represents something a little different than we’ve done in our prior work on Age of Empires II. Although authenticity, fun, and innovation have always been hallmarks of the Forgotten Empires brand, The Three Kingdoms pushes each of these farther than our past Age of Empires II releases. Our goal for The Three Kingdoms is to inspire new and longtime players alike to revel in the Age of Empires experience, and we hope it does justice to the game we all know and love – as well as to each and every one of its fans!

Whenever we at Forgotten Empires set ourselves to creating Age of Empires content, we ask ourselves two fundamental questions: “What got you started playing Age of Empires?”, and “What kept you playing Age of Empires?”, which are part of the navigational toolset we use to guide us on that quest.

While there can be as many answers to those questions as there are grains of sand in an hourglass, one is that China’s Three Kingdoms era lends itself particularly well to is a compelling campaign experience. While we’ve told many compelling stories through our historical campaigns over the past decade, we’ve also always asked ourselves the question: “How do we raise the bar further still?” With an epic, detailed, riveting, and thoroughly renowned narrative that is to China as Shakespeare is to the western world, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms offered us an ideal setting to tackle that challenge.

With entertaining new civilizations, stunning new visuals, innovative concepts, fun and varied mission designs, and a gripping narrative with unprecedented depth, all brought to you in the time-proven Age of Empires II gameplay experience, we welcome you to the incredible world of Three Kingdoms China. We hope you enjoy playing The Three Kingdoms as much as we delighted in creating it, and as always, we appreciate your continued passion for this incredible franchise!

Dive into the epic history and legends of China with The Three Kingdoms! Lead five new civilizations – Shu, Wei, Wu, Jurchens, and Khitans – through an era where history and legend collide in a battle for supremacy. Fight your way across China with three new campaigns, commanding the forces of Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and the Sun Clan, each with their unique units, technologies, and heroes with devastating abilities!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3080080/Age_of_Empires_II_DE__The_Three_Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms is now available for pre-order with a 15% discount on Steam – releasing May 6th!

The Spring Steam Sale is in full swing and so are discounts on your favorite Age games! Pick up a DLC or two, or try that one game you've had your eye on. Don’t miss your chance and take advantage of the Spring Sale now through March 20th at 10:00 AM PT (1:00 PM ET / 17:00 UTC).

It's finally here! The Garrison is a four-day Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition community event in Hamburg, Germany taking place March 13-16. The centerpiece of the event will be the pro tournament, but there is something for every Age fan to enjoy!

Eight of the world's best players will face off against each other on stage in a double elimination bracket fighting for a total prize pool of $50,000. Hera, TheViper, ACCM and Liereyy were invited based on their performances in previous Age of Empires II tournaments. Hearttt, KingstoNe, TaToH and Yo emerged victorious from an open qualifier hosted in January. All matches of the pro tournament will be played on a stage in front of a live audience and broadcast online for the audience at home.

But that's not all! As with all BEING ESPORTS events, this event will have a strong focus on community. For that reason, the second part of the event will include a community LAN for up to 125 players with additional 1v1 and 2v2 brackets for Age of Empires II, Age of Empires IV, and Age of Mythology: Retold!

The third and final part of the LAN will be several community activations surrounding the event. There will be community parties, signing sessions, activities and quizzes in the afternoons and evenings of each event day.

Don't miss this action packed event!

Last month, we teased that not only would Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition be coming to PlayStation 5, but a new expansion is planned as well. To put a cherry on top, we will also be releasing one of the biggest updates Age II: DE has ever had!

While we continue working on getting all of this incredible content and fixes ready for you, we wanted to provide a preview of our work in progress. Why so early? These patch notes are long – legendarily long – and we wanted to give you an early look to take it all in.

Everything you see outlined and described below is what will come in the next update to Age II: DE. We don’t have an exact date to share for this update just yet, but you can save the date for mid-April!

Now, we know these notes are already HUGE. There is a surprise reveal about the expansion for anyone who makes it to the end. Pay close attention and you will notice a whole bunch of hidden treasures throughout hinting about what’s to come. We hope this has you as excited as us for the future of Age II: DE!

While there are plenty of notable things to look forward to in the notes below, here’s some of the big highlights coming with the next update in mid-April:

• Bug fixes based on your feedback!
  
• New Visuals for Castles, Elite Unique Units, Monks and Monasteries!
  
• Technology Tree UI updates!
  
• Balance changes!
  
• New Maps!
  
• New features and content to support:
  
  • Random Map Scripting
    
  • Scenario Editor
    
  • Modding

This is just a small taste of what is coming in the latest update. For a more complete list, please visit our site and check out our blog. Happy Gaming!

💬 DISCUSS: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Forum
🗣 JOIN: The Age of Empires Official Discord

Thank you again to our amazing community members, all of whom have helped to make Age of Empires what it is today!

—The Age of Empires Team

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What's on the Horizon?

Hey Age of Empires Community!

It’s been a minute since we’ve provided some thoughts and teasers toward everything that’s happening with Age II: DE, and the last time we did we were in the middle of launching Chronicles: Battle for Greece – the newest DLC for Age II: DE from our friends at CaptureAge.

If you haven’t played Battle for Greece yet, it’s definitely worth taking a peek at what others are saying, especially if you love Campaign content and historical narrative. We’ve been thrilled to see the reaction from everyone and we’re keeping our eyes on your feedback – thank you so much for joining us on this journey!

But let’s not bury the lead, we’re sure you have some questions right now.

The last time you heard from World’s Edge, we made the surprise announcement that Age II: DE will be coming to PlayStation 5! Or maybe, back to PlayStation? It definitely feels like a full circle moment and we got some chuckles out of the Age of Kings PS2 conversations that popped up. We know you’re curious and want details, but this one needs to wait a bit longer – we’ll have more to say about this very soon!

Today, we’re doing something a little different with our patch notes. Usually, you get these on the same day that an update is being released, but this time we’re providing patch notes in advance. We’re not yet ready to say exactly when this update is dropping, but you can expect to hear from us in mid-April.

For anyone that was wondering when we’d be back with something new for our competitive players, this is our love letter to you. We wanted to give you some time to digest it all and get hyped while we finish up the work on one of our biggest updates ever!

We’re excited to reveal some pretty big surprises in these notes, including an absolutely massive list of new balance changes, bug fixes, feature updates, new maps, scenario editor updates, and a lot more!

We can’t wait to see your reaction to those sweet new Castles and the many other visual updates on their way to all players of Age II: DE, absolutely free, when our next update launches.

We’re forgetting something aren’t we?

During that PlayStation 5 announcement, we also mentioned that there’s an exciting new expansion coming to Age II: DE! We even provided a couple of images to give you an opportunity to sleuth and debate what we’re cooking up. It’s been fun for us to see what everybody is guessing at! We’re not yet ready to share the full details, so keep your eyes peeled for a future announcement with a complete breakdown of everything included in the new expansion.

For those that study today’s patch notes carefully, you’re likely to find some clues. We’re not telling you where this information exists and we’re not doing much to draw any attention to it, but it’s there. It won’t tell you everything, but it’ll provide some entertainment while we wait for a more official roll-out.

Oh, and maybe we can share this too…

The next expansion for Age II: DE will include FIVE brand NEW Civs, all playable in Ranked Multiplayer. Yes, you read that correctly. Five! Is that all the DLC includes? Nope. We’ll be following up soon with more details regarding PlayStation 5, the next DLC, and news on the availability of this exciting update!

We like to end these things by reminding everyone how thankful we are for you – the Age Community – and that it’s our absolute privilege and joy to be able to develop this game and franchise for you! We love it as much as you do, and we’re glad you’re here!

Wololo!

This is just a small taste of what is coming in the latest update. For a more complete list, please visit our site and check out our blog. Happy Gaming!

:alertalert: DISCLAIMER

This list is subject to change and should not be considered a comprehensive list of all the known issues we’re tracking. The above is to inform you of the team’s current priorities, which will change as other issues arise or take precedence.

For the latest updates and announcements, please visit our social channels.

2024 was a year for Age of Empires and Age of Mythology players and —a year shaped by your passion, creativity, and epic moments. Thanks to your dedication, it’s been an incredible year not just for the community, but for the franchise as a whole. Together, we’ve had an incredible year. We kicked things off with the New Year, New Age showcase, crowned champions at Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado, connected with many of you at Gamescom, and celebrated the launches of Age of Mythology: Retold and Age of Empires Mobile. Along the way, we expanded the franchise in new ways and welcomed over 10 million new players—reaching an incredible milestone of 60 million Age of Empires players worldwide.

Our players continue to influence the many ways in which the franchise moves forward. Today we’re thrilled to start 2025 by unveiling what’s ahead. Settle in, because we’ve got a lot to share!

Welcome to a minor update for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition focused on a few Xbox stability fixes. Be sure to dig down into the post below to get all of the smaller details before hopping in-game and checking them out firsthand.

💬 DISCUSS: Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition Forum
🗣 JOIN: The Age of Empires Official Discord

Thank you again to our amazing community members, all of whom have helped to make Age of Empires what it is today!

—The Age of Empires Team

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Xbox

Stability & Performance

• Fixed a crash that could occur when disconnecting from Voice Chat.
  
• Fixed a crash that could occur during the intro video.
  
• Fixed various crashes related to playing through multiple campaign missions.

Ongoing...

Investigation

As always, we are continuing to track issues reported by the community for future updates.

For other known issues, please visit this page to see what’s being tracked!

What’s on the Horizon?

COMING UP…

Hey there Community!

It’s been a minute since we’ve provided an idea of what’s coming your way. Since we last teased what’s on the horizon, you got the surprise announcement and launch of Chronicles: Battle for Greece, the newest DLC for Age II: DE developed by CaptureAge. Since then, we’ve been watching everyone play and gathering plenty of feedback, so don’t be surprised to see updates and fixes coming for Battle for Greece in the near future.

Your feedback remains a north star for us and recently you heard about ongoing efforts around pathfinding. This is something that the team is constantly paying attention to, and we’ll often ship fixes related to this system in updates where we also make balance changes or launch other gameplay-centric features. With anything affecting gameplay and especially pathfinding or related areas of code like unit behavior or formations, we’re increasingly cautious about this process. It’s an area where it’s especially easy to create unintended consequences and new bugs, so changes here will happen slowly and over time even if the feedback and conversations happening around them are more immediate and topical. Please stay tuned regarding any updates in this area and please know that we’re definitely at work – we’ll have more to share when we know what kind of changes we can deliver and when, with our priority being to keep your experience as stable and performant as possible.

There’s also the challenge of all of the other things in our calendar 😉

We promised big surprises last year and those surprises are even nearer to being revealed now that we’re in the New Year (how is January already almost over!?) Unfortunately we can’t announce or spoil any of those things here, but you might not need to wait much longer. Watch this space.

Even with big surprises looming, there’s still plenty more that the team is busy with and a pretty exciting set of plans we’re constantly considering. None of this would be possible without this amazing Community that continues to show up and play this game we all love so much, which is something we remain incredibly thankful for. Today’s patch notes are obviously tiny, but we’ll be back pretty soon with more to talk about as our roadmap plays out – we’re excited about what’s waiting for you!

Wololo!

:alertalert: DISCLAIMER

This list is subject to change and should not be considered a comprehensive list of all the known issues we’re tracking. The above is to inform you of the team’s current priorities, which will change as other issues arise or take precedence.

For the latest updates and announcements, please visit our social channels.

The Steam Real-Time Strategy Fest is here and so are the discounts! Pick up that one Age game you've been meaning to play and join in all the fun!

Don't wait - discounts end January 27th at 10:00 AM PT (1:00 PM ET / 18:00 UTC)

The holiday season is here and so are the sales! Finish your holiday shopping and get up to 75% off Age of Empires games during the Steam Winter Sale!

Don't wait - discounts end January 2nd at 10:00 AM PT (1:00 PM ET / 18:00 UTC)

GamerLegion cordially invites you to enjoy the Noble Apartment Cup from December 15 to December 22 at the GamerLegion Gaming House in the heart of Berlin.

Ten of the world’s finest players will gather to compete in five intense rounds where strategy, skill, and precision will be put to the test. Each player will be aiming to secure their spot in the single elimination playoffs, but only one will lift the trophy and leave their mark on this prestigious tournament.

The Noble Apartment Cup promises to be a thrilling display of Age of Empires II at its highest level, featuring a newly refined draft system and a map pack that blends legacy favorites, tried and tested battlegrounds, and brand-new maps.



Don't miss out - tune in live on Twitch to watch the action unfold!