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Welcome to another fun-filled update for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition! This is a small one with bug fixes, balance changes, and some new quality of life features. While there are plenty of notable things to look forward to in today’s build, here’s some of the big highlights coming with this month’s update:
- New QoL (Quality of Life) Features:
- Farms can now be automatically placed around a Mill or a Town Center by holding Shift (LT for Xbox) and clicking the Farm over the Building.
- All scouting units can now use the Auto Scout functionality instead of just the starting one.
- Bug fixes based on your feedback!
- Balance changes!
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
Remember that you’ll need to update your game in the Microsoft Store:
- Open the Microsoft Store.
- Click the [∙ ∙ ∙ ] symbol next to your profile picture.
- Select Downloads and updates.
- Press the Get updates button to automatically detect, download, and install the latest changes to your game!
- Open the game. The title screen should show you on Build 111772.
If you are unable to launch the game after downloading the update, make sure you add (or re-add) the Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition client or folder as an exception to your firewall and antivirus program.
That’s it; you’re ready to play!
Remember that you’ll need to update your game in Steam:
- Open Steam.
- Click on Library to see your games list.
- Click Downloads at the bottom of the Library window.
- [If the new build does not download automatically,] click the Download Now button to manually download the new update.
- Open the game. The title screen should show you on Build 111772.
That’s it; you’re ready to play!
Remember that you’ll need to update your game in the Xbox App for Windows.
- Open the Xbox app.
- Games that are installed show up on the left side of the app.
- Hover over the game or click it, and then select Update.
- [If the new build does not download automatically,] hover over the game, select More Options (…), choose Manage. Under the Files tab, choose the option to Check for Updates.
- Open the game. The title screen should show you on Build 111772.
That’s it; you’re ready to play!
Please note that custom mods may not be compatible with the latest game update. If you are experiencing issues launching or playing the game after downloading the new build, try disabling your installed mods before trying again.
Still having trouble? Visit our support site!
Build Spotlight
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Temporary Reset of Empire Wars 1v1 Ladder During Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado
The 1v1 ranked ladder for Empire Wars will be temporarily shelved and replaced by a new 1v1 ranked ladder for the upcoming Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado tournament. This is a new ladder that levels the playing field as you compete for ELO and opportunity. The map pool is also being updated to the Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado tournament maps, providing the pool with a welcome refresh.
Fear not, however; some time after the tournament has concluded, the prior Empire Wars ladder will be restored and existing ratings and leaderboards will return to the state they were in before this swap-out.
The Team Game ladder will also receive an update to the map pool, but the TG ladder is not associated with the tournament – only the 1v1 ladder. This means that your Empire Wars Team Game rating and statistics will remain unchanged during this period.
Why is the ladder being temporarily reset?
The new ladder is being used as part of the upcoming Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado tournament as a method to qualify for the event. In order to ensure an even playing field for all competitors, the leader board has to be temporarily reset. The four with the highest Elo rating achieved on the leader board by the 28th of July will be directly invited to the Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado event taking place at the Castillo de Almodóvar del Río in Spain.
How does this affect you?
Your experience will remain the same; however, you may find that your 1v1 rating will require a few games before it settles. With this change, you will be able to experience what it’s like to play on the settings and maps of one of the biggest tournaments for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. The ladder holds no restrictions, anyone is free to play on the ladder whether they intend to participate in the tournament or not.
Please be aware, there is a Controller Only ladder visible for Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado for those playing on Xbox. However, this ladder will not be eligible for qualification. Remember to enable crossplay, as qualification will only be available to those on the cross-play enabled ladder.
Click for more information on the tournament.
Game
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Stability & Performance
- Fixed a freeze that occurs when “Ungroup” hotkey is pressed and fish are selected.
Achievements
- Return of Rome Steam achievements will unlock correctly now.
- “Georgian Victory” & “Armenian Victory” will unlock correctly now.
- “Rhapsody of the Bohemians” achievement will now unlock correctly when Houfnice get created after researching the Houfnice tech.
- Fixed an issue with achievements involving conversions, so “Wololo”, “Losing your religion” and “Unexpected” achievement can be unlocked again.
- Fixed an issue with the “Castle of Doubt” achievement, so it unlocks when your castle under construction gets destroyed, instead of the opponent’s castle.
- Co-Op achievement “Can I be Frank with you” works correctly now.
Graphics
- 3D water is now displayed with the same color in scenario editor as in game.
Audio
- Shrivamsha Riders will now trigger the correct notification sound while being attacked.
UI
- Fixed an issue where some singleplayer and multiplayer game settings would sometimes carry over to default settings in new custom scenarios.
- Fixed an issue where the Capture Age Icon would overlap with the text of the “Spectate with Capture Age” button in these languages: Spanish, French, Russian, Polish.
Hotkeys
- Added a new Donjon hotkey group with train hotkeys for Donjon Serjeants and Spearmen.
Xbox
- Fixed an issue where the “Unload” button for Rams would not work.
- The loading screen of replays will display all information correctly now.
- Xbox players will no longer falsely receive warnings about user made content when spectating official multiplayer scenarios.
- Fixed an issue where the “Voice chat to Text” setting could not be turned on.
- Corrected the Tech Tree of the Poles civilization to display the Folwark as a Feudal Age requirement instead of the mill.
- Disconnect popup only displays once if disconnected from the network while in the lobby browser screen.
Gameplay
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General
- Weapon reload upon ungarrisoning now affects only ranged units.
- Added “Ungarrison” button to Siege Towers to immediately ungarrison units (without choosing the location to ungarrison).
- Farms can now be automatically placed around a Mill or a Town Center by holding Shift (LT for Xbox) and clicking the Farm over the Building.
- All scouting units can now use the Auto Scout functionality instead of just the starting one.
Fixes
- Fixed an issue where Mule Carts were not able to board Transport Ships.
- Fixed an issue where Fishing Ships would go idle after completing a Fish Trap instead of building nearby ones, when the one they have just built is already worked on.
- Villagers should be more efficient at getting to their target location and should become idle less likely when being periodically blocked.
- Fixed an issue where some units could fail to attack enemy buildings when attack moving or patrolling using waypoints.
- Fixed an issue where units could spawn at the opposite side of a building, when the closest spawning point to the rally point was blocked.
- Fixed an issue where individual units were not being merged into their closest formations correctly.
- Units no longer stutter when attempting to garrison into moving siege weapons.
- Sheep will always evacuate construction sites now, once a villagers is close enough to start building.
- Siege Towers will not move towards enemies when nearby allies are under attack.
- Fixed an exploit where one could avoid cracked terrain bonus damage by constructing and deleting a farm before constructing a building on the cracked terrain.
- Return of Rome: If a Hittite player starts with towers, they will correctly receive additional population space from the team bonus.
- Patrolling units will evacuate construction sites to let Villagers start building.
- Prevented hunters from attacking nearby violent huntable animals upon depleting the one they are currently working on when “Drop Off” has been used.
- Fixed an issue where using shift+clicking on garrisoned units on Siege Towers would not ungarrison any units.
Campaign
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General
- Thoros #5: Of Turncoats and Traitors: The player is no longer attacked by the Byzantines right away after taking control of Mleh’s camp.
Campaign Missions
- Victors and Vanquished: ‘Gaiseric’:
- Can no longer automatically rebuild captured Farms.
- Packed Town Center build rates reduced in Feudal, Castle, and Imperial Age.
- Huns are more likely to cross the Pyrenees to attack.
- Victors and Vanquished: ‘Ragnar’:
- Can no longer view inaccessible technologies in the Barracks and Stables.
- The Holmgard and Konungard objective can no longer become blocked by prematurely losing a hut to enemy attacks.
- Victors and Vanquished: ‘Ironside’:
- Hvitserk will now spawn more consistently.
- Razed buildings appear correctly in the post game statistics now.
- Victors and Vanquished: ‘Otto’:
- Vassals at 1 loyalty will now be more likely to rebel as intended.
- West Francia will demand tribute when only two vassals are in rebellion instead of three, making it easier to set conditions for the Saxon Revenge achievement.
- Can no longer receive free stone by building Castles in forbidden areas.
- Victors and Vanquished: ‘Stephen’:
- Henry FitzEmpress’ units will no longer be able to reach Ireland leading to a potentially unwinnable state.
- Victors and Vanquished: ‘Constantine XI’:
- Perfusion now works as expected.
- Now begin with Conscription researched.
Limited-Time Scenario
- The Siege:
- Siege Towers are disabled for Byzantine players.
Balance Changes
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General
- (Elite) Battle Elephant cost decreased from 110 food 70 gold → 100 food 70 gold.
- (Elite) Battle Elephant base movement speed increased from 0.88 → 0.9.
- Heavy Scorpion upgrade cost decreased from 800 food 900 wood → 800 food 750 wood.
- Heavy Scorpion HP increased from 55 → 60.
- Heavy Scorpion melee armor increased from 0 → 1.
- Watch Tower-line cost decreased from 50 wood 125 stone → 35 wood 125 stone.
- (Elite) Cannon Galleon projectile speed increased from 3 → 3.5.
- Devotion technology cost increased from 100 food 150 gold → 100 food 200 gold.
- Siege Engineers now affects Demolition Ships.
Armenians
- Lose access to Shipwright.
Bengalis
- Lose access to Parthian Tactics.
- (Elite) Ratha armor increased from 2/1 → 3/2 (3/3).
- (Elite) Ratha now deals +1 (+2) bonus damage vs. the Spearman armor class.
Berbers
- Gain access to Shipwright.
Bulgarians
- (Elite) Konnik train time decreased from 19 seconds → 16 seconds.
Dravidians
- Wootz Steel cost decreased from 750 food 600 gold → 650 food 550 gold.
Georgians
- Cavalry regenerate 15% HP per minute starting in Feudal Age civilization bonus changed → Cavalry regenerate 5/10/15 HP per minute in Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age.
Huns
- Empire Wars Only: Now start without both the -100 wood penalty and the pre-generated houses.
Malay
- Battle Elephant discount civilization bonus decreased from -30/40% in Castle/Imperial Age → 25/35%.
Mongols
- Light Cavalry, Hussars, Steppe Lancers +30% HP civilization bonus changed → Scout Cavalry-line and Steppe Lancers +20/30% HP in Castle/Imperial Age.
Sicilians
- Castles built 50%, Town Centers built 100% faster civilization bonus changed → Fortifications built 50%, Town Centers built 100% faster.
- Donjon base construction time increased from 90 seconds → 125 seconds (83 seconds after civilization bonus).
- Donjon cost decreased from 75 wood 175 stone → 50 wood 175 stone.
Random Maps
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New Maps
We have added eleven new maps that have been created for the Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado tournament. However, note that these maps support any number of players on any map size.
The maps have been optimised for competitive two-player games, but some will appear more chaotic and random when playing with more than two players. These maps include:
- Isthmus
- River Divide
- The Passage
With more random elements to them, these maps may deviate slightly from the two-player variants.
However, if you like more chaotic and unpredictable layouts, this may be right up your alley.
You’ll find the maps in the ranked tournament ladder, as well as custom lobbies, where any of the new maps can be selected and played today.
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Arid cliffs encircle the players, confining them within a harsh savannah. Resources are scarce, and space is precious. Early aggression will be crucial to secure a foothold on this unforgiving landscape. |
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A narrow strip of desert land flanked by water. Control of the seas will be paramount to harnessing the abundant fish and securing victory. |
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Survive the harsh desert, expand into the grasslands, and thrive in the Mediterranean forests. Claim the rich springs, and seize the deep pond in the center – the choice of when and how is yours. |
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Your starting lands are deficient, but the mangrove river offers a lifeline. Expansion is risky, but the heartland beckons with a wealth of gold. Brave the perils, control the golden centre and claim your rightful victory. |
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Players begin atop towering dunes, overlooking a landscape of shifting sands. The desert is rich in palm trees, but the hilly terrain makes expansion difficult. Exposed stone deposits can be found in the dangerous desert, a perilous prize for those who dare. |
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Your starting lands hold little resources, but opportunity lies across the rivers. Utilize your transport ship to explore the dense forests and scout potential crossings. Secure the vital resources, control the waterways, and outmaneuver your foes. |
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Survive amidst the shifting sands, a stark expanse devoid of life. A vast wasteland separates you – yet conflict is inevitable in this struggle for dominance. |
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Vast fields of forage bushes sprawl across the outskirts, offering immense sustenance. Claim this fertile expanse and forge your path to dominance. |
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A narrow stretch of water separates you from your foes. This narrow crossing is destined to become a battleground. Control the seas and claim the sacred relics hidden in the deep. |
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Baobab trees mark your isolated haven, a pocket of life within the unforgiving desert. Palm groves and elusive wildlife offer sustenance, but the rough terrain hinders safety. |
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The open wetlands and rugged karst formations beckon, surrounded by glittering gold and sturdy stone deposits. Secure the riches, navigate the terrain, and emerge victorious. |
Lobbies and Matchmaking
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General
- Fixed a crash that would appear upon launch of a lobby, if a player left the lobby and another player joined the same player slot.
AI
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Scripting
- Action-ungarrison now will ungarrison individual units if a unit is a target.
- Added new filter function (fe-filter-garrisoned typeOP garrisonState) where 0 (default) will filter for only ungarrisoned units as before, 1 will filter for garrisoned or ungarrisoned units, and 2 will filter exclusively for garrisoned units.
- Villagers will less often rapidly switch tasks between attacking and gathering when a forward building is being constructed, especially if sn-villager-attack-reset is 0.
Ongoing…
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Investigation
- Game does not run on older Windows 10 and earlier Windows systems.
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!
DISCLAIMER
Please note that 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.