What changed in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition in 2026

Four new mythic releases including the Aztec pantheon, available for pre-order starting December 18th.

Fixed performance degradation spikes that occurred whenever a terrain tile was modified.

Fixed Civilization Emblem background images found in the Civilization Selection menu appearing blurry and low resolution.

Addressed a crash happening on 4v4 skirmish games with 8 AI players.

Addressed a rare crash that would occur when canceling the creation of a Villager at the Town Center.

Fixed Hulk Ships for various civilizations appearing with African ship sails while attacking.

Fixed low-quality audio when using Bluetooth devices.

Fixed an issue that locked “Women’s History Month Icons” for players that had them unlocked.

Improved memory usage on PCs.

Fixed a crash while viewing a Player Profile if the game was force stopped using the Steam client.

A new 'More Content' section can be accessed from the Main Menu, listing all available owned and not owned content DLCs.

Fixed a crash that would occur after multiple games were played in succession on Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles.

Fixed Match Settings not appearing on the loading screen for games that used the Time Limit Victory Condition.

Fixed an issue that, when the game is set to Windowed, using an ALT + hotkey combination would produce a Windows beep sound.

Fixed Hulk Ships for various civilizations appearing with African ship sails while attacking.

Improved game performance when the Building and Aura Range indicator appears for many units and buildings.

A new ‘More Content’ section can be accessed from the Main Menu, listing all available owned and not owned content DLCs.

Fixed a rare crash that would occur when canceling the creation of a Villager at the Town Center.

Fixed an issue where changing lobbies between the Base Game and Return of Rome variant would cause a Civilization to become automatically selected when entering the lobby.

Reduced the size of some graphics assets, saving approximately 2GB with EGP installed.

Fixed Civilization Emblem background images found in the Civilization Selection menu appearing blurry and low resolution.

Fixed a crash that reduced the memory usage during map generation.

Fixed an issue showing player slots as “Ready” (green text) when players set themselves as Ready and then left the lobby.

Fixed a crash happening on 4v4 skirmish games with 8 AI players.

Fixed an issue showing player slots as “Ready” (green text) when players set themselves as Ready and then left the lobby.

Fixed the 'Can I be Frank with you?' achievement being granted regardless if the 'Tours (732)' Co-op Historical Battle has been completed or not.

Fixed a crash that occurred when pressing Left Bumper on the gamepad while in the Villager radial Build Menu.

Fixed typo in lobby chat notification after being locked from sending messages.

Fixed a crash on consoles that would occur when pressing Left Bumper on the gamepad while in the Villager radial Build Menu.

Fixed a rare crash where siege units in groups could affect movement speed.

Fixed Civilization Shield icon not appearing in Ranked and Quickplay lobbies when Civilization is set to Random.

“Select all Town Centers” hotkey now correctly includes Town Centers’ foundations.

Resolved low-quality audio issues when using Bluetooth devices.

Fixed an issue where changing lobbies between the Base Game and Return of Rome variant would cause a Civilization to become automatically selected when entering the lobby.

Fixed an issue showing player slots as 'Ready' (green text) when players set themselves as Ready and then left the lobby.

Fixed an issue on Xbox consoles that would allow profiles that do not own the game to launch the title and enter a game match, which would result in a crash.

Fixed a crash that would occur after multiple games were played in succession on Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles.

In the Tech Tree menu, Trade Cart icons now appear with regional Civilization icons.

Fixed an issue that, when the game is set to Windowed, using an ALT + hotkey combination would produce a Windows beep sound.

Fixed a rare crash that could appear if a player tries to click the “Block Player” button while also leaving the post-game statistics screen.

Fixed the Map Pool Menu to display the map list on parity with all the other platforms.

Fixed the Map Pool Menu to display the map list on parity with all the other platforms.

Fixed Match Settings not appearing on the loading screen for games that used the Time Limit Victory Condition.

Fixed an issue showing player slots as 'Ready' (green text) when players set themselves as Ready and then left the lobby.

Fixed a rare crash that could appear if a player tries to click the 'Block Player' button while also leaving the post-game statistics screen.

Fixed typo in lobby chat notification after being locked from sending messages.

Fixed a crash that reduced the memory usage during map generation.

Fixed a crash related to Lou Chuans attacking after the Thunderclap Bombs Unique Technology was researched.

Fixed an issue where using Mouse and Keyboard on consoles would cause the Search Bar on the Civilization Select screen to be unresponsive.

Resolved a crash related to Lou Chuans attacking after the Thunderclap Bombs Unique Technology was researched.

Fixed the “Can I be Frank with you?” achievement being granted regardless if the “Tours (732)” Co-op Historical Battle has been completed or not.

The 'Select all Town Centers' hotkey now correctly includes Town Centers’ foundations.

In the Tech Tree menu, Trade Cart icons now appear with regional Civilization icons.

Improved memory usage on Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles.

Reduced the size of some graphics assets (saving ~2GB with EGP installed).

Fixed performance degradation spikes that occurred whenever a terrain tile was modified.

Fixed an issue on Xbox consoles that would allow profiles that do not own the game to launch the title and enter a game match, which would result in a crash.

Fixed Civilization Shield icon not appearing in Ranked and Quickplay lobbies when Civilization is set to Random.

Resolved a rare crash where siege units in groups could affect movement speed.

Resolved a crash that occurred when the game was force stopped using the Steam client while viewing a Player Profile.

Fixed an issue that locked 'Women’s History Month Icons' for players that had them unlocked.

Improved memory usage on PCs.

Fixed an issue where using Mouse and Keyboard on consoles would cause the Search Bar on the Civilization Select screen to be unresponsive.

Improved game performance when the Building and Aura Range indicator appears for many units and buildings.

Improved memory usage on Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles.

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is now available natively for modern Macs on Steam.

The game features enhanced 4K visuals and a remastered soundtrack.

The base game includes Lords of the West, Dawn of the Dukes, and Dynasties of India expansions.

The game will be available on macOS with all expansions included.

The game is optimized as an Apple silicon native version.

The Last Chieftains DLC introduces campaigns across South America.

The latest version includes numerous quality-of-life improvements.

Transplants the original Age of Empires experience into the modern engine.

Explores the complex medieval societies of South America.

Addressed crashes, performance issues, and inconsistencies across both PC and consoles.

Fixed an issue preventing mods with custom scenarios from properly transferring.

The biggest Wololo event yet, taking place in London from April 1st to 6th, 2026.

Several adjustments made to the power level of Champi Scouts.

Resolved issue of Padded Archer Armor showing as Unavailable.

Fixed several issues causing game freezes/crashes on Xbox consoles, including memory usage improvements.

Enhanced logic to prevent performance deterioration under certain circumstances.

Fixed several issues causing game freezes/crashes on PlayStation consoles.

Fixed a crash that occurred when launching a game with an invalid player configuration.

Fixed a crash happening upon pressing the Restart button on the ESC menu while watching a replay.

Fishing Ships can now garrison inside Docks for protection.

Rolls out new graphics for regional garrison flags.

Fixed Elite Caravels graphics from not displaying some elements.

Introduces new flags for waypoints and gather points specific to each civilization.

Fixed an issue showing wrong farm texture on certain ground types.

Fixed villagers ignoring queued commands and going directly to the last waypoint/resource after force-dropping resources in controller-only mode.

A long-range siege ship for civilizations without access to Cannon Galleons.

Four new technologies available in the University to enhance warships.

Hulk damage has been reduced to balance gameplay.

Demolition Ships now have more deadly explosions.

Fixed an issue with Civ Victory achievements for Chronicle civs not firing correctly.

Fixed water 3D textures not being rendered properly in the editor with 3D Water setting enabled.

Fixed input detection in the 'Select Civilization' menus, preventing continuous scrolling through civilizations.

Fixed an issue causing The Last Chieftains's achievements to unlock prematurely upon launching the game.

Adds new Profile Icons for every civilization.

Fixed villagers ignoring queued commands and going directly to the last waypoint/resource after force-dropping resources in controller-only mode.

Fixed the flag, fire, and snow graphics placement on the Spartan Fort.

Added a fix to prevent a crash when starting a new game while missing a player.

Fixed Owls displaying the Hawk sprite when flying.

Fixed a crash happening when setting Rally Points for buildings with unavailable building types in controller-only mode.

Fixed the Accessibility Narrator not providing information on the 'Vote Results' tab under the Multiplayer Menu.

Fixed input detection in the 'Select Civilization' menus, preventing continuous scrolling through civilizations.

Ship statistics have been simplified and revamped for better clarity.

Introduces a cross-platform Voice Chat feature in multiplayer lobbies.

Fixed water textures visualization on larger map sizes and under certain light reflections.

Several civilizations gain access to Catapult Galleons, enhancing late-game naval pressure.

Resolved a crash occurring when using Assisted Farm Placement.

Refreshes water combat, economy, and ship balance, including a new Hulk-line counter to Fire Ships.

Fixed a crash some players faced when launching the game on PC.

Fixed some sections showing buttons from other systems instead of PlayStation ones.

Careening, Dry Dock, and Shipwright moved to the University with modified effects.

All warships now sail a bit slower.

Fixed an issue that caused Voice Chat to default to On when launching.

Fixed the conditions preventing players from unlocking the 'Tour d’ltalie' achievement.

New naval gameplay features including 4 new ships, technologies, and animations.

Using object-data-attack-delay in AI scripts can no longer cause a crash.

Refreshes the Pachacuti campaign to align with new DLCs.

Fixed Central Asian Monk death sprites not showing properly on certain angles.

Fixed the Accessibility Narrator not providing information on the 'Vote Results' tab under the Multiplayer Menu.

Added new graphics for Javelina.

Trade Cogs can now trade for Gold, Wood, or an equal amount of both.

Various civilizations receive specific adjustments to ship access and bonuses.

Resolved a rare out-of-sync issue that could occur when starting on certain maps.

Hulks are fast ships with high armor, upgrading to War Hulks and Carracks.

Explore medieval South America and play as three captivating new civilizations, each with their own unique units and technologies.

Heavy infantry that attacks faster the longer it remains in combat.

Elite Muisca soldiers that excel against ranged soldiers and regenerate when a nearby Guecha Warrior dies.

The Muisca civilization features unique bonuses, units, and technologies.

Advancing to the next Age costs less gold, settlements cost less and heal nearby units, and more.

Increases movement speed for Archer-line and Champi Warriors.

Slingers gain additional range and train faster.

New structures representing the Muisca civilization.

Start with additional resources, villagers can garrison in Settlements, fallen units return a percentage of their cost, and upgrades cost less food.

The Tupi civilization features unique bonuses, units, and technologies.

Foot archers and fortifications deal poison damage over time.

Champi Warriors and Slingers attack faster.

Inexpensive archers that train in pairs, allowing for rapid deployment.

New Tupi Castle and Wonder introduced.

Heavy infantry units that deal area damage with a massive club.

Introducing three new civilizations and campaigns set in medieval South America, launching in February 2026.

Three new civilizations and campaigns featuring folk heroes, launching in February 2026.

Refinements made to building designs to enhance clarity and recognition of age progression.

Addition of new units including Regular/Elite Guecha Warrior, Regular/Elite Temple Guard, and campaign heroes like Lautaro and Guacolda.

Improved 3D models and animations for new units and buildings, focusing on historical authenticity and visual appeal.

Introduction of a new architectural set inspired by Inca, Mapuche, Muisca, and Tupi cultures.

Introduction of new animals such as Capybara and Tapir, enhancing the game's environment.

The Mapuche civilization features unique units, bonuses, and technologies reflecting their historical resistance against Spanish invasions.

Bolas Rider is a ranged cavalryman that hurls bolas to slow down opponents, excelling in hit-and-run tactics.

Malon allows Bolas Riders, Slingers, and Skirmishers to deal pass-through damage.

Introduction of the Mapuche Castle and Wonder as part of the new civilization.

Butalmapu decreases the cost of team unique units.

Kona is a lance-wielding cavalryman that deals bonus damage to wounded foes and improves during battle.

The Last Chieftains expansion is available for pre-order with a limited-time discount.

A unique Tupi unit trained in pairs, known for high attack speed and poison damage.

A powerful shock infantry unit for the Muisca that increases attack speed in combat.

The starting scout for the Inca, known for high speed and strong pierce armor.

A swift Mapuche warrior that hurls a bolas from horseback, effective against mounted units.

The Last Chieftains introduces the Mapuche civilization with unique units and abilities.

The Last Chieftains introduces the Tupi civilization with unique units and abilities.

A mobile skirmisher for the Muisca with high pierce armor and health regeneration ability.

A strong infantry unit for the Tupi, effective against dense formations of melee units.

Ferocious animals used by Europeans in campaigns, effective against ranged and wounded warriors.

A fast-moving cavalry unit for the Mapuche that deals increasing damage to injured targets.

The Last Chieftains introduces the Muisca civilization with unique units and abilities.

Introduction of European War Dogs, Gunpowder Kegs, and Wooden Forts for enhanced gameplay.

Introducing The Last Chieftains, featuring three new campaigns focused on South America's native heroes.

Make choices that affect the narrative and gameplay in the El Dorado campaign.

Follow Lautaro as he leads the Mapuche against Spanish invaders in a story of resistance.

Updated graphics to recreate authentic locations in South America for the new campaigns.

Experience the Tupi's struggle against rivals and European powers in a quest for survival.

Play as three new civilizations with unique missions and narratives.

Updated the Pachacuti campaign to modernize the Inca civilization experience.

Join Pacanchique and Azay in a tale of love and conflict amidst the Muisca's civil war.

The new civilizations will be available for ranked gameplay.

Three new campaigns featuring characters like Lautaro, Pacanchique, and Arariboia.

Announcing the next DLC for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, launching February 17, 2026.

An array of new flora, fauna, and atmospheric visuals to enhance the experience.

Introducing three new civilizations with unique units and technologies.

New assets like Champi Warriors and Slingers for increased immersion in South American history.

Each new civilization has unique units such as Kona, Guecha Warrior, and Blackwood Archer.

Players can make important decisions that affect the outcome of campaigns.

The Empire Wars 1v1 ladder will be reset from January 2nd to 18th, 2026, for the Red Bull Wololo: Londinium event.

The in-game ladder will start on January 2nd, 2026.

Players will need to complete 10 games before their Empire Wars 1v1 rating is shown on the leaderboard.

The leaderboard will be temporarily reset to ensure an even playing field for all competitors.

Qualification for the tournament will only be available to players on the cross-play-enabled ladder.

A controller-only ladder will be available for Xbox and PS5 players, but it will not be eligible for qualification.

Bringing Age of Empires Mobile to PC with optimized controls and enhanced visuals, launching in early 2026.

New expansions featuring a campaign inspired by Chinese history and new base civilizations, releasing in 2026.