Age of Empires IV cover
Age of Empires IV screenshot
Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS), Strategy

Age of Empires IV

A Message on Age IV Season Nine Game Balance


Hello, wonderful Age of Empires IV community! We hope you are enjoying Season Nine so far! First, we want to thank you for your feedback regarding changes introduced in this season. Based on what we’ve heard from you, we have some news to share regarding some of the gameplay changes we have arriving in an upcoming patch as well as some of the areas we’re continuing to observe for additional tuning in the future.


Our philosophy is that the game should grow and evolve alongside our player base, and siege and late gameplay are two areas where we saw a lot of opportunity to bring refreshing changes after three years of growth and play.

While we’re excited to tune the meta in this way, we also prize good balance – and we know you do as well. The process of balancing this much change will require iteration and incremental improvement, guided by your responses and the strategies we see you develop over time. Based on your initial feedback following the Season Nine release, we’ve already made some small changes introduced on October 31st and we have some other early adjustments coming to specific areas, such as cavalry being too strong in team games and balance around both infantry and siege.

To address these areas, we will be adjusting the following and more; Biology, siege damage against buildings, springald power level, and bombard cannon damage against elephants. Furthermore, adjustments to the strongest ranked civilizations in team games, such as the Abbasid Dynasty, will also be included in this patch. We hope you enjoy these changes when they release, and we’d ask that you please keep posting your feedback in the Official Forums as it is immensely helpful for us to see and digest your thoughts as we continue our planning for an early 2025 patch.

Official Age of Empires Forums


Signing Up for the Official Forums is quick and easy, and we love to read your feedback!




As we continue onward with Season Nine and approach the incredible milestone that is our tenth season, we want to look ahead as a community of developers and players towards the future of the game and the path we are set on together. We’ve already shared that 2025 is an exciting year for Age of Empires IV with DLC on the way, and we truly believe that fine-tuning and refreshing some of the gameplay experience along the way lends itself well to some of the excitement to come.

Thank you, good luck, and have fun!

Community-Reported Issues:


Your reports continue being crucial to our prioritization and implementation of fixes and features in the game. Keep them coming!

For other known issues, please visit this page to see what’s being tracked!

Age of Empires IV – Patch 12.0.2246


While we’re still planning for a slightly larger patch before the end of the year, we wanted to roll out a few pointed fixes earlier based on your feedback. Today’s minor patch is focused on stability, Multiplayer Pause adjustments, and some additional early balance tuning in response to player input regarding the changes to Siege.

Keep an eye out for our next patch, and in the meantime, be careful when there’s a Full Moon!

💬 DISCUSS: Official Forum
💬 DISCUSS: Steam Forum
🗣 JOIN: 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

Please Note: As part of updating to this latest build, any saved games and observable matches made on previous builds will be unable to be loaded or replayed.




◆Patch 12.0.2246◆



Multiplayer Pause Changes


  • Based on your feedback, we’ve brought the period of required pause time for a player’s first pause back down from 60 to 30 seconds. We’ve also limited each player to only 3 pauses instead of 5. Let us know how we can continue to tune these values to ensure a fair but effective match!
  • Fixed an issue that caused players to become stuck in the Multiplayer Pause menu after the match completed.

General Changes and Fixes


  • Fixed two crashes related to Full Moon mode, including one that could occur when werewolves spawn in Team games.
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when using projectiles.

Balance Changes


  • Silk Bowstrings range improvement for Archers reduced from 2 to 1.5.
  • Silk Bowstrings range improvement for Mounted Archers reduced from 1 to .75.
  • Mangonel bonus damage vs ranged increased from 8 to 10.
  • Increase Mangonel and Nest of Bees range armor increased from 80 to 85%.
  • Ribauldequin health reduced from 225 to 215.
  • Ribauldequin Melee armor reduced from 15 to 10.

: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.

Age of Empires IV – Update Preview 12.0.1974 LIVE!


Ranked Season Nine and the Hallow's Hearth Event should now be up and running as normal!



The major update for Season NINE, is LIVE! In todays update, our seasonal biome Hallow’s Hearth makes a return, and with it comes a fun (or frightening) twist on the wolf unit with the Full Moon game mode. We’re also officially launching Multiplayer Pause, along with a bundle of balance changes, there’s also two new maps arriving with this update.

You can read all the details in the update below, including a summary of changes we’ve made based on your feedback during last month’s Public Update Preview.

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💬 DISCUSS: Official Forum
💬 DISCUSS: Steam Forum
🗣 JOIN: 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

Please Note: As part of updating to this latest build, any saved games and observable matches made on previous builds will be unable to be loaded or replayed.


Season Nine


The wolves are howling, and a chill wind can be heard whispering through the trees. Get ready for a spooktacular second edition of Hallow’s Hearth with terrifying treats and monstrously fun challenges!

Login between October 22nd at 10:00AM PT (17:00 UTC) and November 19th to stake your claim.

Hallow’s Hearth Event Returns!





New Game Mode: Full Moon!


As our map monsters depart, a new threat emerges under the full moon. Werewolves, with their hungry fangs and claws, will prey on your soldiers and villagers! Raise your defenses to protect against these beasts and secure victory.

The Full Moon game mode is available in the game mode selection menu for skirmish and multiplayer.


Ranked Season Nine Updates


The leaves are falling, and the competition is heating up with a spectacle of contenders hitting the leaderboards! We welcome the start of Season 9 with a selection of rewards for both solo and team ranked. Can you rake in the wins? Season Nine begins October 22nd at 10:00am PT (17:00 UTC).


Map Pool Rotation


We have some updated maps hitting the pool with the start of Ranked Season Nine! Dive in and prepare for victory!

1v1 Ranked Map Pool
  • Golden Pit → Marshland
  • Mongolian Heights –> Nagari
  • Rocky River → Wetlands
  • Socotra → Haywire

New Team Ranked Map Pool
  • Ancient Spires → Hideout
  • Archipelago → Mongolian Heights
  • Marshland → Socotra
  • Forest Ponds → Danube River


For all the details about everything in Age of Empires IV - Season Nine Update, follow the link below!



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Age of Empires IV – Update Preview 12.0.1974


October brings both tricks and treats to Age of Empires IV with the upcoming Season Nine Update – coming October 22nd! Our seasonal biome Hallow’s Hearth makes a return, and with it comes a fun (or frightening) twist on the wolf unit with the Full Moon game mode. Not only that, but we’re officially launching Multiplayer Pause, along with a bundle of balance changes, there’s also two new maps arriving with this update. Read on for more details, as well as a summary of changes we’ve made based on your feedback during last month’s Public Update Preview.

💬 DISCUSS: Official Forum
💬 DISCUSS: Steam Forum
🗣 JOIN: 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

Please Note: As part of updating to this latest build, any saved games and observable matches made on previous builds will be unable to be loaded or replayed.


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!



◆Patch 12.0.1974◆



Season Nine


The wolves are howling, and a chill wind can be heard whispering through the trees. Get ready for a spooktacular second edition of Hallow’s Hearth with terrifying treats and monstrously fun challenges!

Login between October 22nd at 10:00AM PT (17:00 UTC) and November 19th to stake your claim.

Hallow’s Hearth Event Returns!





New Game Mode: Full Moon!


As our map monsters depart, a new threat emerges under the full moon. Werewolves, with their hungry fangs and claws, will prey on your soldiers and villagers! Raise your defenses to protect against these beasts and secure victory.

The Full Moon game mode is available in the game mode selection menu for skirmish and multiplayer.


Ranked Season Nine Updates


The leaves are falling, and the competition is heating up with a spectacle of contenders hitting the leaderboards! We welcome the start of Season 9 with a selection of rewards for both solo and team ranked. Can you rake in the wins? Season Nine begins October 22nd at 10:00am PT (17:00 UTC).


Map Pool Rotation


We have some updated maps hitting the pool with the start of Ranked Season Nine! Dive in and prepare for victory!

1v1 Ranked Map Pool
  • Golden Pit → Marshland
  • Mongolian Heights –> Nagari
  • Rocky River → Wetlands
  • Socotra → Haywire

New Team Ranked Map Pool
  • Ancient Spires → Hideout
  • Archipelago → Mongolian Heights
  • Marshland → Socotra
  • Forest Ponds → Danube River



Updates Since the Public Update Preview


Thanks to everyone for the fantastic PUP participation this September! We’ve heard your feedback that some siege weapons weren’t impactful enough and that left ranged units feeling too strong, and many other things. To address these concerns, we’ve made changes to ranged unit counters, siege, and university upgrades. There are too many changes from the PUP to list here, but here are some balance highlights:
  • Horseman-type and Man-at-Arm-type units have increased ranged armor in the Imperial Age.
  • Mangonels and Nest of Bees are now more resistant to ranged damage and Mangonels will retain some projectile tracking.
  • The Silk Bowstrings technology is now more expensive.
  • Elite Army Tactics now also improves bonus damage in addition to base damage.
  • And many more!

New Feature: Multiplayer Pause


It’s now possible to pause the game during a multiplayer match. This option is on by default in Quickmatch and Ranked and can be enabled (or disabled) by the lobby host in custom matches.

Any player may pause at any time, but each player has a limit of five (5) pauses per match. During only the first pause for each player, a minimum duration of 60 seconds must pass before any other players may un-pause. The player who paused the game can un-pause at any time. Subsequent pauses by the same player may be un-paused at any time by any player.

Your remaining pauses will display on the pause screen. While inputs are not available during the pause, it’s still possible to chat.


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.

Server Maintenance - Wednesday, October 16



WHAT: Server Maintenance (Matchmaking Servers)
WHEN: Wednesday, October 16 @ 2:00p PT / 5:00p ET / 21:00 UTC (Countdown)
EST. DOWNTIME: 1-2 HOURS

GAMES & PLATFORMS IMPACTED


OBJECTIVES

  • Routine server updates and maintenance.

DETAILS

This coming Wednesday, October 16th, 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 between 1 and 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!

Save on the Age of Empires IV Ultimate Bundle

Red Bull Wololo: El Reinado Starting October 3rd!


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!

What, When, Where, and How Can I Watch?


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:

Age of Empires – Played using Age of Empires II: Definitive EditionReturn of Rome


October 6

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition


October 3, 4, 5, 6

Age of Empires IV


October 5

Age of Mythology: Retold


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.




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!





Server Maintenance - Wednesday, September 25



WHAT: Server Maintenance (Matchmaking Servers)
WHEN: Wednesday, September 25 @ 2:00pm PT / 5:00pm ET / 21:00 UTC (Countdown)
EST. DOWNTIME: 1-2 HOURS

GAMES & PLATFORMS IMPACTED


OBJECTIVES

  • Routine server updates and maintenance.

DETAILS

This coming Wednesday, September 25th, 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 between 1 and 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!

Reminder: Check out our Public Update Preview!



Have you tried the new Public Update Preview for Age of Empires IV? We'd love to hear more of your feedback before it closes on September 24th!

Check out new maps, siege gameplay changes, the highly requested multiplayer pause feature and more.

Find out how to access the PUP build here: Public Update Preview Announcement and Information!

Announcing Our New Public Esports Tournament Calendar!


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!

Why We’re Introducing the Public Tournament Calendar


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.

What does the calendar include?


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.

Stay Connected!


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!



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