Welcome adventurers to a balance update for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition! This one will focus on some nice civilization changes. Enjoy!
Thank you for sharing in yet another major milestone for Age of Empires with us! We hope you enjoy all the changes and look forward to sharing in all the adventures yet to come!
—The Age of Empires Team
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 13.38085.
If you are unable to launch the game after downloading the update, make sure you add (or re-add) the Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition client or folder as an exception to your firewall and antivirus program.
That’s it; you’re ready to play!
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 13.38085.
That’s it;you’re ready to play!
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 13.38085.
That’s it; you’re ready to play!
Please note that custom mods may not be compatible with the latest game update. If you are experiencing issues launching or playing the game after downloading the new build, try disabling your installed mods before trying again.
Still having trouble? Visit our support site!
Civilization Balance
General
- Bosniak: Removed unit promotion feature and damage multiplier against shock infantry
- Giant Grenadier: Ranged damage decreased to 36 (from 42)
- Grenadier: Added a negative melee attack multiplier of 0.15x against Shock Infantry
- Guard of Honor, Legendary Native Warriors (Brazil Revolution): These cards now properly cost a shipment each
- 2 Bank Wagons (South Africa Revolution): Bank build limit increased by 2 (from 1)
- Several recently added technologies now get properly researched upon starting the game in Post-Industrial and Post-Imperial Age.
Chinese
- Tea Export (I): Export trickle reduced to 0.35 e/s (from 0.4)
French
- Aerostatic Corps (IV): No longer sends an Advanced Hot Air Balloon
- French Revolution (IV): Now also activates the Edict of Nantes card to enable Grenadier training in the Church
- Napoleonic Era (French Revolution): Costs reduced to 1789f 1815c (from 1789f 1804w 1815c)
- Sister Republics (French Revolution): Costs reduced to 1000f (from 1500f)
- Hundred Days (French Revolution): Now takes 60 seconds to arrive (up from 40 seconds)
- Sansculotte: Initial gather rate for wood changed to 0.5w/s (up from 0.4w/s) and for mines to 0.66c/s (up from 0.5c/s)
Germans
- Hire Pandours (III): Cost increased to 1000c (from 500c)
- Mercenary Camps (III): Now delivers 3 Uhlans as intended
Indians
- Crushing Force: Damage improvement for elephants reduced to +15% (from +20%)
Italians
- Imperial Bersaglieri (V): Corrected the armor bonus to 5% (up from 0.5%)
- Redshirts (IV): No longer affects the entire team.
Lakota
- Cooperation (II, Tribal Marketplace Big Button): Now correctly costs 250 food and 250 wood and lowers the cost of support cards by 25% as intended (up from 15%).
- 3 Axe Riders (II): Reverted unit count to 4 (from 3)
- 5 Club Warriors (II): Reverted unit count to 6 (from 5)
- TEAM Great Lakes (I): Now correctly reduces the costs of the Legendary War Boats, Improved Cordage, and River Raids technologies in Native American Docks
Ottomans
- Azap:
- Ranged damage reduced to 6 (from 8)
- Melee resistance flipped to ranged resistance
- Deli:
- Attack speed slowed down to 1.2 (from 1.00)
- Movement speed reduced to 6.8 (from 6.9)
- Hitpoints increased to 315 (from 310)
- Nizam Fusilier:
- Unit no longer benefits from Counter Infantry Rifling
- Melee damage multiplier against Cavalry increased to 3.0x (up from 2.5x) to match the strengths of Musketeers
- Nizam Fusilier units and shipments now respect a build limit of 20 (up from 15)
- Janissary: Janissary shipments now properly respect the available population space
- Levy: Fixed an error that allowed Ottomans to access a second Levy ability spawning Militiamen when starting a game in the Post-Industrial or Post-Imperial Age
Portuguese
- Feitorias (I): Reduced effectiveness of Town Center resource rates reduced by -50%
Russians
- Sovnya (III): Melee damage improvement for Streltsy reduced to +4 (down from +10)
- Economic Theory (I): Added to homecity
Spanish
- Spanish Gold (III): Now adds the appropriate amount of +330 coin (instead of +300) to Exploration Age cards after aging up with the Logistician politician
Swedes
- Hakkapelit:
- Hitpoints reduced to 210 (from 240)
- Melee damage reduced to 22 (down from 30)
- Melee damage multiplier now applies to Heavy Cavalry instead of all Cavalry
- Added melee damage multiplier of 0.6x against Infantry and Villagers
- March of the Hakkapelits: Hakkapelit speed increase reduced to 0.15 (down from 0.25)
- Contract Irish Brigadiers (II): Sends 9 Irish Brigadiers (up from 8) and is now available in Age 2 as intended
Ongoing
Investigation
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!
What’s on the Horizon?
COMING UP…
- A Special Event
- More balance changes, more bug fixes, and more fun!
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.