WHAT: Server Maintenance (Matchmaking Servers)
WHEN: Wednesday, February 23, 2022, @ 2:00p PT / 5:00p ET / 22:00 UTC (Countdown)
EST. DOWNTIME: 1 - 2 HOURS

• Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (Steam / Microsoft Store)
  
• Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (Steam / Microsoft Store)
  
• Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition (Steam / Microsoft Store)
  
• Age of Empires IV (Steam / Microsoft Store)

• Routine server updates and maintenance.

This coming Wednesday, February 23rd, 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 1 to 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!

It’s that time again! Visit the official Age of Empires forum to vote for your Ranked map pool for the next two weeks.

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, February 20 (or 3:00p Eastern / 19:00 UTC), so be sure to cast your vote and check back to see which maps emerge victorious!

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!

It’s been an outstanding year for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, with heaps of free new content, grand tournament spectacles and now, the full release of co-operative campaigns!

You can catch all the details in the video below, or read our quick summary below.


Fully Co-operative Historical Battles are now officially released for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition! These new co-operative scenarios contain the same story-driven historical narratives and objectives you know and love, with an updated AI you and a friend will need to coordinate to conquer.

Co-op scenarios and campaigns are available to anyone who owns the base edition of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, so grab a buddy and relive the classic campaign experience.

• Matchmaking Queue to provide more ranked play options for the community.
  
• A new Quick Play option, to be quickly matched with other similar minded players from around the world to team up and show the AI who’s boss.

After a re-work, ranked Death Match has returned with fully ranked custom lobbies, set to deliver an improved player experience.

In the last year, we’ve seen the addition of two new expansions for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Lords of the West and Dawn of the Dukes.  

Both of these expansions are available now on Steam and the Microsoft Store for you to enjoy!

The handicap option can buff a player up to 2x to allow a more balanced and fun experience in your custom lobby matches. This effects gameplay elements like increasing gather rates for villagers, extra bonus damage for counter units and more HP on all buildings, among other things. 

• A new Technology Tree preview feature: A small version of the tech tree that is now shown when hovering over the Technology Tree button while in-game.
  
• A new waypoint numbering system has also been added for command queues.

There have been hundreds of balance changes over the last year, all to encourage more variation between each unit and the civilizations themselves. We’re continuing to work towards ensuring every unit has a place and its relevance within Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, helping to create even more viable strategies and tactics for you to employ on the battlefield. 

Over 20 new maps have been added to the map pool, including 11 maps popularized across the Red Bull Wololo tournament series.
These maps are available in rotation for Ranked Matchmaking, or whatever bizarre settings you want in a custom game with your friends! 


Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition has had an incredible year, with over 10 major tournaments, a ton of additional free content, new expansions, multiple quality of life additions and lots more. 

Thank you for making the last year of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition so special. There’s plenty more to come in 2022!

It’s that time again! Visit the official Age of Empires forum to vote for your Ranked map pool for the next two weeks.

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, February 06 (or 3:00p Eastern / 19:00 UTC), so be sure to cast your vote and check back to see which maps emerge victorious!

Come jump into to another fun-filled release with exciting updates, balance changes, and bug fixes for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition!

We're excited to introduce new co-op campaigns and more! Grab your battle buddies and take a quick look at some of the changes coming with today’s update:

• A new Co-op Event!
• 2 new co-op campaigns! Alaric & Saladin!
• Custom Lobby Ranked Death Match!
• Hindi text shaping fix!

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!

READ MORE HERE!

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

Thanks 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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Surprise! Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is celebrating the new year and the release of the first co-op campaigns with an all-new event! We’re excited to bring you the latest in co-op fun with the Jolly Co-operation Event!

We are also bringing you a new set of challenges! So, grab your Age of Empires buddies and dive into the new co-op gameplay mode. Don’t miss your chance to unlock some cool rewards during the event and have some fun battling it out with your friends!

Today through February 14th complete the in-game tasks within the time limit to unlock exclusive rewards!

Each of the following challenges must be unlocked in order and on separate days:


Remember: if you sign in to Xbox Live at any point during the event, you get to keep all the mods and profile icons you unlock! Sign in, earn your rewards, and enjoy!

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!

READ MORE HERE!

: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.

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Today’s build contains a fix that addresses a performance issue reported in Team Games. We’re continuing to monitor TG performance and investigating additional changes that may help – if you’re still experiencing this issue following today’s patch, please provide feedback – we’re definitely listening!

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!

WHAT: Server Maintenance (Matchmaking Servers)
WHEN: Wednesday, January 26, 2022, @ 2:00p PT / 5:00p ET / 22:00 UTC (Countdown)
EST. DOWNTIME: 1 - 2 HOURS

• Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (Steam / Microsoft Store)
  
• Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (Steam / Microsoft Store)
  
• Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition (Steam / Microsoft Store)
  
• Age of Empires IV (Steam / Microsoft Store)

• Routine server updates and maintenance.

This coming Wednesday, January 26th, 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 1 to 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!

It’s that time again! Visit the official Age of Empires forum to vote for your Ranked map pool for the next two weeks.

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, January 23 (or 3:00p Eastern / 19:00 UTC), so be sure to cast your vote and check back to see which maps emerge victorious!

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!