The New Servers Are Coming!
Update 2/5/2016: We’ve added new information to this post, as well as a way to sign up for the server beta! Changes include an update on the plan for handling multiplayer data from matches played during the beta test, and a new date for the beginning of the beta test window.
All of you Age III fans might want to sit down, because we’ve got some big news: We’re upgrading to new servers for Age of Empires III! This is happening very soon, and you can sign up below to help beta test the new servers! The first test session for the new servers will begin on Friday, February 12, but you can sign up now using the tool at the end of the post!
Want more info? Allow me to break it down!
Why the upgrade?
Way back in September, we promised to bring our servers up to modern standards. The hardware that’s been hosting Age III has been near the end of its life cycle for a while, and this has caused problems for our dedicated player base. We knew it was time to move on to server hardware that worked with more modern systems; it was just a matter of finding the right tools for the job!
What will this fix?
Primarily, this will fix the stability issues that have been caused by our aging hardware, so the ESO service should be much more reliable. That’s not all, though! There are a host of other issues that this upgrade will address, including making it much less difficult to recover lost passwords.
How will it affect me?
For the most part, it won’t. It will take a few weeks to fully implement the transition, but you’ll still be able to play online during that time. We found a way to keep the multiplayer data from the old servers during the beta test, so you won’t lose any progress* from multiplayer matches played on the current community servers during the test. However, we WILL wipe multiplayer data from the beta servers after we make the final transition.
*We may still have to wind the clock back by up to 24 hours when we fully implement the servers, but we will give you as much warning as possible in that case. Previously, everyone was going to lose up to a few weeks of game data, so a loss of only 1 day is a great improvement!
How can I help?
We will need players to test the servers and make sure they’re really up to snuff. You can sign up by entering your name and email below. We will begin the first test session on Friday, February 12. We will update this blog with a more specific time (and alert the beta testers via email) as the date draws nearer. The first test session will run until approximately February 15, and we’ll evaluate the need for further tests after that. follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates!
SIGN UP NOW!
To join the beta test, simply enter your name and email below. You will receive a confirmation email containing instructions for joining the new server once our test period begins. We will also shoot you a brief reminder each time a new test session begins, and a final email at the end of the beta.
Thanks to everyone for their help! We can’t wait to make our game and our community even more awesome!
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