It's that time! After the 32 player qualifier, the 16 Main Event participants have been decided. This week they will play with hidden identities to fight for over $50,000 in prizes. The action begins this Thursday as T90Official hosts the Hidden Cup 3 Main Event.

The action resumes this Thursday as T90Official hosts the final eight matches on the road to the Quarterfinals!

⚔ Thursday, March 19th

Games start at 14:00 GMT (7 AM PT / 10 AM ET)

• Charlemagne vs King Sancho
  
• Joan The Maid vs Bad Neighbor
  
• Leif Erikson vs Princess Yodit Kotyan
  
• Khan vs Sheriff of Nottingham

⚔ Friday, March 20th

Games start at 14:00 GM (7 AM PT / 10 AM ET)

• Saladin vs Friar Tuck
  
• Alaric The Goth vs Vlad Dracula
  
• Henry The Lion vs William The Conqueror
  
• Charles Martel vs Emperor in a Barrel

⚔ Saturday, March 21st

Games start at 14:00 GMT (7 AM PT / 10 AM ET)

• Quarterfinals (Four Best-of-Five Games)

⚔ Sunday, March 22nd

Games start at 14:00 GMT (7 AM PT / 10 AM ET)

• Semifinals (Two Best-of-Seven Games)
  
• Live Grand Final

Tune in for all the action over on T90official's channel on twitch.tv:

I am pleased to announce that, with the partnership of ESOC, I will be hosting the first edition of the Empire Cup. There are a few twists in store for this event:

• The event will be played over the course of two days. On the first day, players will be pit against each other in a best-of-one narrowing from the Round of 128 all the way to the Quarter-Finals. After the dust settles, four players will remain to compete in the Semi-Finals and Finals matches on the second day.
  
• Participants will pick a "Premier Civilization" which they'll play throughout the Round of 128 all the way to the Finals. (Learn More)
  
• Starting in the Round of 16, matches become best-of-three and add a little more flexibility for players. This is where another addition is made to the tournament: a civilization veto mechanic.(Learn More)

—Snippet by iNcog

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

WHAT: Mitoe v. Hazza54321 | ESOC Pro Finals
WHEN: Thursday, March 5 @ 18:00 GMT[/b] (10:00a PT / 1:00p ET)
WHERE: https://www.twitch.tv/ESOCTV

THE EVENT:

The time has come! This is the definitive battle between two Age of Empires III legends. This coming Thursday, Mitoe and Hazza54321 will face off in a best-of-nine bout to claim the coveted title of Winter Champion—as well as a cool slice of the $2250 prize pool pie.

Here's a recap of their journey to the pro finals:

• Both Hazza and Mitoe were expected to go far: clocking in as the third- and fourth-strongest players in the pre-tournament Power Rankings, respectively.
  
• Hazza knocked out No. 1 ranked Kaiserklein with a convincing 4-2 upset in the semifinals.
  
• Mitoe is hot off a 4-0 sweep of Lukas, who beat snowww and the indominable LordRaphael—who is sometimes regarded as the Greatest of All Time.

These two powerhouses belong to a newer time; gone (for now) are the days of iamgrunt, H2O, and BlackStar_OP of the World Cyber Games of 2007 and 2008. New competitors now stand on the shoulders of giants.

Mitoe made his ESO debut in early 2014 to the tune of Lt. Colonel: a humbling experience for a player who dominated the smaller Macintosh scene for years. He showed he was fit to dominate ESO, too, winning the 2017 Autumn Championship in a 5-2 series over Goongoon, and later, two weekend tournaments.

Hazza was a captain in 2016, and in one of the fastest “rags-to-riches” transformations, blew up to become Brigadier in less than two years. Now he's a Major General. Although ranked above Mitoe, Hazza has yet to win a Seasonal Major. He is well poised for his first.

Further, these players have a history of tournament meetings, introducing a psychological factor to this encounter. In the 2018 Autumn Championship, Hazza swept Mitoe 4-0, and again over-performed with a 4-1 victory in the ESOC Premier League. Mitoe was able to get his sweet revenge in the 2019 New World Championship qualifiers, vanquishing Hazza 3-2 in the Round of 16.

But with a Championship Title on the line—including more money and more prestige—which of these two players will rise to the occasion?

—Written by Guest Contributor: SirCallen

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

https://store.steampowered.com/app/105450/Age_of_Empires_III_Complete_Collection/
You can also save up to 75% on other titles in the Age of Empires franchise now through January 27!

*Offer ends Monday, January 27 at 10AM Pacific time*

Now through January 27, games in the Age of Empires franchise are discounted from 25-75% off during the Steam Lunar New Year Sale!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/813780/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1017900/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/105450/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/266840/

*Offer ends Monday, January 27 at 10AM Pacific time*

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

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

The next major Age of Empires 3 event is on its way!

Friendly to beginners and open to anyone, the $3,000 ESOC Winter Championship 2020 is ESOC's most ambitious effort yet with the introduction of the division system, over 20 paid places, and more than $3,000 up for grabs. Anyone with an ESO multiplayer and ESOC forum account is welcome to join this tournament, which, with 4 divisions for competitive play, is set to be very beginner friendly!

New to AoE3? Check out the New Player's Guide!

• What: $3,000 AoE3 Open Tournament
  
• When: Tournament begins January 6th, 2020
  
• Where: https://eso-community.net/
  
• How (do I participate?): Registration is open NOW until January 4th, 2020. You can sign up by creating an account on eso-community.net and then using this link: https://eso-community.net/my-esoc.php
  
• More Info & Rules: https://eso-community.net/viewtopic.php?t=18685

• Website: https://eso-community.net/
  
• Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/esoctv
  
• Discord: https://discord.gg/nyqM7Mq

Today, we are thrilled to announce that Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition will be coming to the Microsoft Store, Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta) and Ultimate, and Steam on November 14, 2019!

For all you Age II players eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the Definitive Edition, you can also pre-order the game starting TODAY! You’ll be able to enjoy all the features—including cross play with your friends, four brand-new civilizations, three new campaigns, and a transport ship full of game improvements—right on day one, so be sure to unlock your copy today: 

• Pre-order Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on Steam

Our goal is to make the best possible version of Age II that we can, working right alongside our community. So while Age II DE’s release is only a few months away, you can sign up to participate in the Age II DE beta right now—visit https://www.ageofempires.com/insiders to join the Age Insider program – and help us tune and refine Age II even further. You’ll also have a chance to participate in future beta opportunities, so sign up!

For more information, visit the official announcement over on Xbox Wire.

We’ll see you on the battlefield!

Age of Empires 3 is getting its first LAN tournament in over a decade as the top 8 players come together from around the world to compete in the New World Championship tournament! Matches will be streamed LIVE between July 11th through the 14th, so join us and root for your favorite champions as they compete to see who will emerge victorious.

• What: The New World Championship
  
• When: July 11 - 14
  
• Time: Streams start at 13:00 GMT each day
  
• Where: http://www.twitch.tv/EscapeAoE

For the latest tournament updates, be sure to follow Escape AoE:

• Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/EscapeAoE
  
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EscapeAoE
  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EscapeAoE/

The Microsoft team is aware of and working on a solution to address the "Bad CD-key Error 100" issue impacting some users who picked up the game during the Steam Summer Sale. Our goal is to ensure that you can enjoy the game you purchased, and appreciate your patience as we work to implement a solution.

In the meantime, be sure to visit our social channels for more information as it becomes available:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AgeOfEmpires
  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ageofempires/
  
• Discord: https://discord.gg/ageofempires