It was only a few weeks back when Age of Empires IV was launched. Early this week, the game’s first patch came live. Today, we get a glimpse of what’s being planned for Winter 2021 and Spring 2022.
Just a quick review, Patch 7989 went live this Monday. It introduced fixes to the Xbox Account linking as well as solved an issue with the Mongol Town Center behavior. While this is indeed a small patch, there are two larger ones arriving soon.
Plans for Winter
For Winter 2021, players can expect to see a lot of balance changes and helpful bug fixes. Here are some of the details:
- Make the choice to turn on and view in-game player scores.
- It was decided that in-game scores are going to be made available for those who want them. This is based on community feedback.
- The Chinese Dynasty button has been moved as well as the user interface.
- They’re now in a less prominent position on the screen.
- The ability to view the map post-match.
- With this update, players would be able to pan across the map of a completed match after the game is finished.
- Refinements were made to the in-game mini-map to improve readability. These include:
- Reducing the size of icons.
- Ensuring the Wonder icon on the minimap matches the icon displayed in the HUD.
- Increasing the size of the Primary Town Center in comparison to other Landmarks.
- Adjusting the color of certain resources.
Balancing and Bug Fixes
- French Hulk ship tweaked to no longer rule the high seas.
- Crossbowmen, Spearman, and Elite Crossbowmen now pose a greater threat to Cavalry.
- Significantly reducing the cost of the Chinese civilization’s Repeater crossbow.
- Fix to HRE Prelate unit to allow them to continue inspiring after being pushed.
- Mongol “Superior Mobility” adjusted to ensure the speed modifier is appropriately applied.
- Fix issued for the Rus civilization to eliminate infinite Relic duplication.
Sneak Peak
While it’s still a long way off, we got a sneak peek at what’s coming in Spring 2022. The first is the User Generated Content and tools that allow players to bring their ideas to life. Basically, the game is going to have a mod maker.
Spring 2022 also sees the beginning of Ranked Seasons. It’s going to last 12 weeks and let players fight head-to-head, climb the ranked ladder, and earn exclusive in-game rewards based on performance.
Age of Empires IV is available on PC.
