2 days ago - AoE Official - Direct link

Greetings, Age of Empires IV community! After rolling out the Knights of Cross and Rose expansion and a hotfix patch for 13.0 (read here for more info), we are pretty happy with where things are at. However, as we all know, there is always room for improvement! We’re back with some bugfixes, gameplay tweaks, and a new seasonal game mode for you to enjoy.  


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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

=> Download on the Microsoft Store

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 13.1.4420.

If you are unable to launch the game after downloading the update, make sure you add (or re-add) the Age of Empires IV client or folder as an exception to your firewall and antivirus program. That’s it; you’re ready to play!

=> Download on Steam

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 13.1.4420.

That’s it; you’re ready to play!

=> Download on the Xbox App for Windows 11

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 13.1.4420.

That’s it; you’re ready to play!

Still having trouble? Visit our support site!

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.


New Event and Game Mode

Plant your flag into the battlefield and look down upon your enemies in Season Ten’s second event, Conquest! This event also introduces the (aptly named) Conqueror’s Cache game mode, where players will fight for dominance by seizing capture points across the map (details below). Guard your treasures and trophies with unwavering pride – after all, if you can’t have them, no one can – starts April 29th!

Conquest Event

Challenge  How to Unlock Reward 
Welcome to Conquest 2025  🔒 Login during Conquest 2025 
🏆 Profile Icon – March to Victory  
Raise the Flag  🔒 Capture a Hill in King of the Hill 
🏆 Profile Icon – Raised Flag 
Mangonel Master  🔒 Deal 6000 damage with Mangonels in Multiplayer or skirmish matches. 
🧱 Monument – Mangonel 
Trebuchet Tyrant  🔒 Deal 8000 damage with Counterweight Trebuchets in Multiplayer or skirmish matches. 
🧱 Monument – Trebuchet 
Fortified Ground  🔒 Build 20 Stone Wall Towers 
🧱 Coat of Arms Sigil – Castle Tower 
The King of the Hill  🔒 Win 3 games of King of the Hill 
🧱 Coat of Arms Sigil Frame – King’s Crown 
The Long Climb  🔒 Earn 10 rewards from capture points in King of the Hill 
🧱 Coat of Arms Sigil Frame – Peak View 
Many Flags  🔒 Play 5 games of Capture the Flag 
🧱 Coat of Arms Banner Pattern – Triangle Pennant Row 

New Game Mode: Conqueror’s Cache  

Battle for control in Season Ten’s new game mode! Fight for control over the Conqueror’s Cache and the Conqueror’s bounty. The longer you hold one, the more you’ll be rewarded! Over time, the hill will upgrade and provide stronger and more devastating rewards to unleash on your opposition. Be careful not to lose your hold on the cache, as having to take the point again will mean you’ll need to build up the hill’s level. 


AI Updates

  • AI combat ships, villagers, and military units will now correctly continue to flee when faced with enemy Incendiary Ships, military units and converting monks. 
  • AI players will now avoid producing fishing boats if no deepwater fish deposits are present on the map. 
  • AI players will now avoid building fishing boats on maps that do not have fishing spots. 
  • AI players will now correctly build naval military on lake maps. 
  • AI players will now avoid building naval military when it isn’t necessary to do so. 
  • Knights Templar AI players will now age up efficiently. 

Hotkeys

  • Added the following key binds: 
    • Select all currently elected types 
    • Select all economic units on screen 
    • Select all military units on screen 
    • Select all melee infantry on screen 
    • Select all ranged infantry on screen 
    • Select all cavalry on screen 
    • Select all siege on screen 
    • Select all traders 
    • Select all trade ships 
    • Cycle through idle Scout units 
    • Cycle through idle religious units 

General Map Changes

  • Corrected an issue that prevented Ronin from being hired if the player did not have any food. 

Map-Specific Changes

Enlightened Horizon 

  • The closest berry patch has been removed for each player. 
  • An additional berry patch shall spawn behind the player’s base next to their deer. 
  • Sacred sites are spaced out further away from each other. 
  • Neutral market has been replaced with an abandoned outpost. 
  • A large gold vein, a market, and a Wolf’s Den will now spawn at the far edges of the map. 
  • Relic spawn count corrected for FFAs. 
  • Relics have been tuned to distribute more fairly. 

Developer Note: We are still testing feedback on the POI system and are pushing to try new ideas using Enlightened Horizon as proving grounds. 

Carmel 

  • For large deer, 2 deer packs of 10 appear for each player instead of 3 packs of 7. 
  • Large deer packs avoid spawning next to each other and will distribute more evenly on the map. 

General Changes & Bugfixes

  • Minimizing a ranked lobby page no longer reveals opponents’ names. 
  • Using a taunt in a ranked lobby no longer reveals players names to opponents. 
  • Fixed potential crash in Agincourt Historical Battle. 
  • Fixed softlock that would occur if a player disconnected then reconnected during the lobby countdown. 
  • Game now correctly detects AMD RX9070, RX7900 with latest drivers. 
  • Fixed a crash that rarely occurred when playing larger-player matches with certain civilizations.  
  • Dropping a carcass with scouts while being hit or delivering a hit will no longer prevent you from being able to pick up carcasses with that scout again. 
  • Fixed an issue where Pit Mine text description displayed outdated information. 

Balance & Gameplay Changes (All Civilizations) 

  • Springald:  
    • Range reduced from 8 → 7.5 tiles. 
    • Ranged resistance reduced from 60% → 55%. 
  • Fishing Boat Shoreline Fish gather rate reduced from 0.7 → 0.65. 
  • Fishing Boat Deep Water Fish gather rate reduced from 0.8 → 0.75. 
  • The AI players will now be more aggressive after small-scale attacks if their squad is almost lost. 

Caster Mode

  • The Caster Mode UI now has panels underneath the tech progress bar showing the current unit number and unit cap for Scholars Garrisoned, Prelates and Black Riders, Imperial Officials, Bannerman and Lords of Lancaster. 
  • Overview Statistics card in Caster Mode no longer swaps players numbers. 

  • Cistern cost decreased from 125 → 120 Stone.
  • Grenadier: 
    • Cost reduced from 120 Food 60 Wood 60 Gold → 100 Food 60 Wood 60 Gold. 
    • Range increased from 3 → 3.5 tiles. 
  • Updated the buff indicator for achieving the Yuan Dynasty to more clearly describe the benefit. 
  • Howdah effect decreased from +30% → +25% health. 
  • Armored Beasts effect decreased from +25% → +20% health. 
  • Professional Scouts research time increased from 262 → 350 seconds. 
  • Scholar cost increased from 130 → 135 gold, Dome of Faith updated as well. 
  • Fixed an issue where the Burgrave Charge bonus was incorrectly displayed on ranged infantry units. 
  • Yumi Ashigaru cost reduced from 30 Food 35 Wood → 25 Food 35 Wood. 
  • Musofadi Warrior cost reduced from 50 Food 30 Gold → 45 Food 30 Gold. 
  • Fixed the Malian trading post exploit as reported by the community. Thank you for the repro steps! 
  • The Monastic Shrines technology is now available in the Castle Age. 
  • Whistling Arrows: 
    • Cost reduced from 50 Food 125 Gold → 50 Food 75 Gold. 
    • Improved version cost reduced from 175 Stone → 125 Stone. 
    • Research time reduced from 60 seconds → 30 seconds. 
  • Additional Torches: 
    • Cost reduced from 200 Food 500 Gold → 150 Food 350 Gold. 
    • Improved version cost reduced from 700 Stone → 500 Stone. 
  • Raid Bounty: 
    • Cost reduced from 100 Food 250 Gold → 75 Food 150 Gold. 
    • Improved version cost reduced from 350 Stone → 225 Stone. 
    • Research time reduced from 45 seconds → 30 seconds. 
  • Fixed an exploit allowing Mongols to get more resources from the Wolf’s Den than intended. 
  • Fixed a bug where the Mongol Raid Bounty bonus only provides resources when destroying a building with torches, instead of simply igniting it with torches. 
  • Akinji:  
    • Cost reduced from 90 Food 80 Wood → 80 Food 80 Wood. 
    • Production time reduced from 25 → 24 seconds. 
  • Lodya Fishing Boat Deep Water Fish gather rate reduced from 1.52 → 1.42. 

Variant Civilization Changes

The following changes apply only to the variant versions of the classic civilizations. Variant civilizations share in many of the changes made to their parent civilization listed above. 

  • Lancaster Castle can no longer be placed within 8 tiles of an enemy Capital Town Center. 
  • Demilancer (II) charge attack decreased from 16 → 12 (currently it’s higher than the Castle Age charge attack). 
  • Yeoman cost increased from 45 Food and 45 Wood → 50 Food and 45 Wood. 
  • Slightly reduced the speed of Synchronized Shot projectiles. 
  • Base villager wood income reduced from 0.65 → 0.63 
  • Elite Hospitaller Knight: 
    •  Armor decreased from 5 melee 6 ranged → 4 melee 5 ranged. 
    •  Health decreased from 210 → 195. 
  • Serjeant damage increased in all tiers from 9 → 10 (II), 11 → 12 (III), and 13 → 14 (IV). 
  • Genitours range increased from 6 → 6.5. 
  • Heavy Spearman bonus vs elephants increased from 5 → 8 (III), 6 → 10 (IV). 
  • Condotierro: 
    • Damage reduction from gunpowder sources increased from 20% → 33%. 
    • Armor increased from 1 melee and 1 ranged → 2 melee and 3 ranged. 
  • Hospitaller Knight is now correctly selected alongside military units and not as a religious unit. 
  • Grenadier: 
    • Cost reduced from 120 Food 60 Wood 60 Gold → 100 Food 60 Wood 60 Gold. 
    • Range increased from 3 → 3.5 tiles. 

Investigation

Community-Reported Issues:
  • We are aware of an issue causing the Quick Match search function to fail when certain conditions are met. We are actively working on a fix and appreciate the reports! 
  • We are aware of a bug causing the Knights Templar’s Kingdom of France Commanderie to extend to naval units and are working on a fix.  

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!


Coming Up…

While we have no new announcements to share quite yet, look forward to more exciting news just around the corner. Stay tuned!  

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.