Key Highlights:
- A new Public Update Preview is available for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition on Steam.
- It fixes critical bugs affecting gameplay and stability .
- Changes have been made to the new Red Bull Wololo multiplayer maps.
- Other improvements include performance boosts and UI tweaks.
Fans of the epic real-time strategy game Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition can get ready for an exciting new update.
The developers have just released a Public Update Preview on Steam, packed with cool changes and improvements.
Quick Links:
AOE 2 (DE) PUP Steam Patch Notes
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Game | |
| Stability & Performance | – Fixed various crashes. – Addressed performance issues on Windows 10 and earlier systems. – Resolved crash loading old Return of Rome saves in Single Player. |
| Settings | Clamping mouse to window now works with multi-monitor setups on any monitor. |
| Graphics | Animated Profile Icons now move correctly in the Player Icons menu. |
| Gameplay | – Fixed foragers not dropping off food to nearby mills. – Fixed units repeatedly attempting to attack neutral objects. |
| Maps | |
| Cliffbound | Added measures to prevent villagers spawning trapped in forests (Empire Wars). |
| Dunesprings | – Relics are more evenly distributed. – Player starting gold deposit reduced (7 to 5 tiles). |
| Golden Stream | Middle area scales better on larger maps. |
| Hollow Woodlands | – Player town centers and water are now more evenly spaced. – Resources adjusted for better balance. – Reduced chance of villagers spawning trapped in forests. – Neutral huntable animals now spawn in groups of 3 (instead of 4). |
| Isthmus | – Fixed bug allowing players to wall across unbuildable terrain. – Unbuildable terrain width increased. – Fixed stone not generating on small islets near map edges. – Islets now generate more evenly between water bodies. – Increased islet size for more resources and easier building. – Fixed islets not generating properly on larger maps. – Fixed unit behavior around the central pyramid. |
| Karsts | Player starting stone deposit reduced (5 to 3 tiles). – Minor visual adjustments. |
| Mountain Dunes | Map elevation scales better on larger maps. |
| River Divide | Shorefish now consistently spawn on player’s side of the river. |
| Sandrift | – Fixed incorrect terrain appearing on the map. – Fixed forests not generating correctly for all players. |
| The Passage | – Fixed some forests acting like removable straggler trees. – Fixed unretrievable relics on shallows. – Fixed resources spawning too far from town centers. – Docks now spawn further apart in Empire Wars. – Dock and watch tower only spawn in Empire Wars. – Fixed player-specific resources not generating on larger maps. – Fixed forests not generating correctly for all players. |
| Shrubland | – Added measures to prevent villagers spawning trapped in forests (Empire Wars). – Relics are more evenly distributed. – Fixed inaccessible relics in forests. – Fixed uncapturable relic in Capture the Relic mode. – Slightly reduced number of forage bushes. – Player starting gold deposit reduced (7 to 5 tiles). – Fixed relics spawning trapped between forage bushes. |
For those unfamiliar with the strategy title, Age of Empires II lets you lead a mighty civilisation from the Dark Ages all the way to the Imperial Age.
You’ll gather resources, build armies, research technologies, and battle against other rulers to claim supremacy.
The Definitive Edition is a remastered version that brings this classic strategy game to modern PCs with enhanced graphics and new content.
And now, it’s getting even better with this latest update preview!
Bug Fixes and Stability Improvements
One of the main focuses of this update is squashing those pesky bugs that can ruin your conquest. The developers have fixed several critical issues affecting gameplay stability, ensuring your empire doesn’t come crumbling down due to random crashes or freezes.
They’ve also addressed some performance problems, especially for players using older Windows 10 systems or earlier versions. No more sluggish battles or jerky camera movements – just smooth, seamless real-time strategising!
Multiplayer Map Adjustments
Remember those snazzy new Red Bull Wololo maps that were added recently? Well, the devs have been listening to player feedback and have made some important tweaks to improve the multiplayer experience.
For instance, on the Cliffbound map, they’ve prevented villagers from getting trapped inside forests during Empire Wars games. And on maps like Dunesprings and Shrubland, resource distribution and relic placement have been adjusted for better balance between players.
Other maps like Golden Stream, Karsts, and Mountain Dunes have had their terrain and elevation scaled properly for larger map sizes too. No more unfair advantages or lopsided starts!
UI Refinements and More
But that’s not all – this update also brings some nice quality-of-life improvements to the user interface. Animated profile icons in the Player Icons menu now move correctly, and multi-monitor setups can finally clamp the mouse cursor to the game window properly.
There are also some cool gameplay tweaks, like fixing an issue where foragers wouldn’t drop off food at nearby mills, or units repeatedly (and fruitlessly) attacking neutral objects they couldn’t actually interact with.
Console Improvements On the Way
Not a PC player? No worries – the developers haven’t forgotten about you console commanders either! While this specific update is only available on Steam for now, they’ve confirmed that fixes for radial menu and button functionality issues on Xbox are planned for the next console patch.
As you can see, the Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a game that keeps getting better and better with regular updates like this one. The developers are committed to listening to the community, squashing bugs, and fine-tuning the experience.