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/

Following its raging success in 2018, the Battle of Africa tournament—hosted by MembTV—makes its triumphant return to the tournament stage, this time on Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. The Battle of Africa 2 brings team games to the forefront of the Age of Empires scene: pitting the top 16 teams in the world against each other starting later this month through the start of June.

Check out the announcement video for the tournament:

As the first 3v3 Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition tournament, the Battle of Africa 2 offers a full handcart of unique strategies, tactics, and options for participating teams to synergize their play styles and civilization choices.

A custom map pool has been designed for Battle of Africa 2 with an emphasis on open land maps. These maps are designed to encourage aggressive, fast-paced gameplay throughout the entire tournament—what's certain to result in an out-of-this-world viewing experience.
The qualification phase started on 1st of May with 16 teams battling it out for a position in the tournament. The top 8 teams will qualify for the main event; the 8 losing teams will move into the Gold League, a separate bracket from the Main Event.

With teams such as Aftermath, Team Secret, Suomi, Vietnam Legends and YinYang competing, it's going to be a hard-fought battle to the end. Will TheViper, TaToH and DauT of Team Secret hold on to their title as the reigning champions in the Battle of Africa?
You can catch all of the action with tournament host, MembTV, or can follow along with your regional shoutcasters thanks to the tournament's open streaming policy.

• Qualification Stage || 16th of May - 17th of May
  
• Round 1 & 2 || 22nd of May - 24th of May
  
• Round 3 & Quarterfinals || 30th of May - 31st of May
  
• Semi-finals || 6th of June
  
• Grand Final || 7th of June

2020 has been an outstanding year for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition and the Battle of Africa 2 tournament will be no exception!

—Contributed by the Forgotten Empires Community Lead, BBQTurkman

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!

Join us for a two-day weekend bash featuring new maps, new players, and unique rules you'll only see during iNcog's Empire Cup!

⚔ Saturday, March 21st

Games start at 15:00 GMT (8A PT / 11A ET). All times in GMT.

• Round of 128: 15:00 - 15:45
  
• Round of 64: 15:45 - 16:30
  
• Round of 32: 16:30 - 17:15
  
• Round of 16: 17:15 - 19:30
  
• Round of 8: 19:30 - 21:30

⚔ Sunday, March 22nd

Games start at 15:00 GMT (8A PT / 11A ET). All times in GMT.

• Semi-finals 1: 15:00 - 17:00
  
• Semi-finals 2: 17:00 - 19:00
  
• Finals: 19:30 - 22:30

Learn more about the tournament over at eso-community.net:

Watch all of the action this Saturday and Sunday over at twitch.tv:

Expanding on the success of its first iteration, ESOC's next big event will be the second season of the ESOC Premier League (EPL): a team-based tournament where six Team Managers draft a squad from a pool of players and duke it out over the next five weeks to reach the playoffs. Each team will consist of at least six players: with five players on the main roster and at least one substitute.

Players will be drafted in a Live Auction Event, with Team Managers bidding on players using a limited amount of "duck coins." Each team is also granted one "champion"—a player who is theirs for free and basically functions as the team's assistant manager.

The ESOC Premier League is one of the most fun and engaging tournaments ESOC has to offer, so read on if you're interested!

—Snippet by Cometk

Want to be a part of the tournament? Head on over to the ESOC community for more information, sign up, and learn more about the tournament coming early next month!

For this and other great Age III content, visit the official ESOC stream: