Tomorrow is another fun-filled update for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition! This will bring back the Empire Wars 1v1 ladder, plus bug fixes, new quality of life features, balance changes, and more! While there are plenty of notable things to look forward to in tomorrow’s build, here’s some of the big highlights coming with this update:

• 1v1 Empire Wars is available again, replacing the Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado ladder.
  
• Several changes and fixes on Victors and Vanquished scenarios.
  
• New QoL changes.
  
• Bug fixes based on your feedback.
  
• Balance changes.

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.

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

• The game will no longer momentarily display a black screen on lower spec machines while switching between Age of Empires II and Return of Rome modes.
  
• Fixed an issue where a black screen softlock could be encountered when restoring a save file of a custom campaign.
  
• Fixed an issue where the game would freeze in certain situations (was encountered mostly when playing custom scenarios).
  
• Fixed a crash which could occur when targeting movable objects on impassable tiles.

Graphics

• Bamboo tree graphics (including felled and stumps) are no longer reduced by Small Trees option.

Audio

• Menu narrator no longer plays if the window is out of focus.

UI

• Bridges are now displayed on the minimap with the same color as shallows terrain.
  
• Corrected the 4v4 map size given in the Ranked Team Queue menu from “normal” to “large”.
  
• Civilization Selection
  
  • The civilization selection dialog sports a new look! The new design includes the ability to mark civilizations as starred. On Console, the dialog now also uses a grid instead of a carousel, making it easier to select any civilization.
    
  • Added the Custom civilization selection mode, which chooses randomly from starred civilizations.
• Fixed an issue where the game language was resetting to the system language at the game launch.

Hotkeys

• Changed the default Drop Off Resources hotkey for HD preset from A to Z, preventing the conflict with Economic Buildings hotkey.
  
• In Return of Rome, changed the default Cancel build hotkey in HD hotkey preset to unassigned.

Xbox

• Fixed an issue where the mouse could not be used in the settings menu.
  
• Fixed an issue where hotkeys could not be set via the mouse.
  
• Fixed an oversight where Fortified Churches were excluded from the “All Back to Work” button.
  
• Fixed an issue where 2013 Xbox One consoles were unintentionally able to join 3v3 and 4v4 ranked queues.
  
• Fixed an issue where Voice Chat to Text setting couldn’t be enabled without a game restart.
  
• The game no longer crashes on the load screen during the Launch Chunk while in ‘Ready to Play’ state of the install.

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.

Minor Update 127161

• Fixed an issue where Italians don't get discounted fishing ships when you create them by using a hotkey
  
• Fixed an issue where using the Hotkey to Produce Fishing Ships at the Dock Produces "Antiquity Mode Fishing Ships" Instead
  
• Fixed an issue where sending a gold miner that is carrying gold to a dock keeps mining it like if it was a gold vein
  
• Fixed an issue with the rebuilding fish trap hotkey.
  
• Fixed an issue where 1 HP Mongol light cav/steppe lancers die when reaching imperial age.
  
• Fixed an issue where AI would not create military ships.
  
• Addressed various crashes related to cloud saves.
  
• Fixed an issues where loading data mods would result in error messages.
  
• Fixed an issue where units would randomly switch to a staggered formation.
  
• Fixed an issue where tool tips would remain on screen even after changing menus.

Dive into epic battles, build your empire, and experience history like never before! 🏰

Grab everything Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition has to offer in the Ultimate Bundle, or pick up a discount on any DLC or digital extras you've missed out on.

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/45803/Age_of_Empires_II_Ultimate_Bundle/

The Red Bull Wololo tournament is back with Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado starting tomorrow, October 3rd at 7:00 am PT (10am ET / 14:00 UTC)! New legends will soon be forged through the fires of competition at Castillo de Almodóvar del Río in Spain – summoning the fiercest Age of Empires champions to challenge the reigning kings of the castle for their crown and Age of Mythology: Retold‘s first heroes!

Fearless contenders will join us for the main event starting on October 3rd and culminate with four champions proudly taking their new thrones on October 5th and 6th.

Plus, with over twenty-five years of legendary battles in the Age of Empires franchise, Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado will comprise of four titles in which competitors will be able to prove themselves worthy:

October 6

October 3, 4, 5, 6

October 5

October 6

You can catch the main event live on the Red Bull Gaming YouTube and Twitch channels. Whether you plan to witness the showdown from home or from the castle grounds, there will be plenty of action and activities for fans to enjoy.

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Check out previous gameplay videos from the last Red Bull Wololo Legacy tournament for Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, and Age of Empires IV!

Join us in celebrating the 25th anniversary of Age of Empires II with exciting giveaways across our channels! 🎉

To enter, go to the channel with your desired prize and share your favorite AoE II memory + #25YearsofAoEII.

We’re giving away Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (Facebook), Return of Rome (X), The Mountain Royals (Discord), Victors and Vanquished (IG) and the Animated Icons Bundle Vol. 1 (Official Age Forums)!

Winners will be drawn randomly and notified via DM on October 4th, so be sure to keep your messages open!

We’re thrilled to announce a new and exciting feature for our community—starting today, the Public Esports Tournament Calendar is live! Whether you’re a competitor or a fan, this calendar is your place for staying up to date with every exciting event in our competitive gaming scene.

Access the Public Esports Tournament Calendar here!

As the esports scene continues to grow, we’ve noticed the demand for a centralized place where all tournament schedules are readily available and shared well in advance. We understand that keeping track of multiple events across multiple platforms can be overwhelming.

That’s why we’re making it easier for everyone to stay in the loop – whether you’re a seasoned pro or a dedicated fan.

The calendar will include World’s Edge sponsored tournaments for:

• Age of Empires: Definitive Edition
  
• Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
  
• Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition
  
• Age of Empires IV
  
• Age of Mythology: Retold

Be aware that some of the information displayed in the Public Esports Tournament Calendar is incomplete right now, to let the tournament host share more information with you at their own pace. All of the information displays what we can share at this moment and is subject to change.

With the launch of this new feature, we’re taking another step towards fostering a more connected and informed esports community. Whether you’re a competitor looking to plan your next big challenge or a fan eager to follow your favorite player or teams, this calendar will be your go-to source for all things esports.

We’re incredibly excited to roll this out and make esports even more accessible. Stay tuned for further updates and new features that will make following and participating in the esports scene easier than ever!

See you at the tournaments!

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Want a glimpse into all the upcoming World’s Edge sponsored esports tournaments? Have a look at the the Public Esports Tournament Calendar!

Today’s patch is focused exclusively on addressing player reported issues with the Empire Wars maps created for the Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado ladder. For fixes related to anything else, please keep an eye on future updates!

We’ve been really excited to partner with Red Bull in taking this step and trying to provide new and exciting opportunities for our community to enjoy competitive play, and we want to make sure that players attempting to qualify for the Red Bull Wololo main event have the best experience we can provide.

It’s been thrilling to see all of the activity on the ladder, and we can’t wait to see the results when the Ranked Ladder Qualifiers end on July 28th! Wololo!

💬 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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Random Maps

Map Fixes

Cliffbound

• Fixed villagers sometimes not generating in the appropriate number.

Dunesprings

• Decreased the chance of villagers generating trapped inside forests.

Golden Stream

• Decreased the chance of villagers generating trapped inside forests.

Hollow Woodlands

• Fixed villagers sometimes not generating in the appropriate number.

Isthmus

• Fixed resources sometimes failing to generate or generating imbalanced between the players.

Karsts

• Decreased the chance of villagers generating trapped inside forests.

Mountain Dunes

• Decreased the chance of villagers generating trapped inside forests.

The Passage

• When playing on a tiny map with two players, two narrow passages now generate between the landmasses, allowing players to access each other’s islands without using transport ships.
  
• Fixed forests sometimes failing to generate for one player.
  
• The patches of shallows in the water now can generate closer to the shoreline to better accommodate Relics.
  
• The monk has been replaced by a regular scout unit.

River Divide

• Fixed resources sometimes failing to generate or generating imbalanced between the players.

Sandrift

• Fixed forests sometimes failing to generate for one player.

Shrubland

• Fixed player’s gold and stone deposits sometimes generating in an inaccessible part of the map.
  
• Decreased the chance of villagers generating trapped inside forests.

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!

: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.

Today’s patch is aimed at addressing stability and performance issues, as well as some focused fixes for Xbox players.

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

---

---

Game

Stability and Performance

• Fixed a freeze that could occur during the Match Found screen in Quickplay games, if a certain number of Team maps were banned.
  
• Fixed a crash related to Intel Graphics drivers.
  
• Fixed a crash that could occur when villagers were trying to reach an obstructed area near the corners of the map.

Multiplayer

• Fixed an error when attempting to update SSL certificates.

Xbox

• Fixed a freeze that could occur during multiplayer games.
  
• Fixed a freeze that could occur during long gameplay sessions, if any of the Narration options, such as Chat Narration, were enabled.
  
• Fixed an issue where some special units & technologies from Victors & Vanquished scenarios would not appear in the radial menu when playing with a controller.
  
• Fixed an issue in Victors & Vanquished where certain scenario-specific buildings had their Command Menus disabled when playing with a controller.

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!

: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 Summer Sale is happening now! Complete your Age of Empires collection with up to 75% off on all your favorites - it’s time to Age up your Summer!

Don’t wait – sale ends July 11th at 10 AM PT (17:00 UTC).

Can't get enough castles and knights? Then bundle together all the Medieval things and get Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord with Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition plus the expansions: Lords of the West, Dawn of the Dukes, and Dynasties of India! Don't wait - get a 60% discount for a limited time!

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/42279/Mount__Blade_II__Age_of_Empires_II/

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