Age of Empires IV - Patch 16.2 Notes (18th June 2026)

AoE Official

Happy June! We hope everyone is looking forward to Raiders of the North, which was officially announced earlier this month and we can’t wait to tell you more about it in the months to come! In the meantime, we’re following up on our last patch with a few small changes based on your feedback, including enabling the option to switch between the Controller and Keyboard and Mouse (KBM) user interfaces on handheld devices.  

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Thanks again to our amazing community members, all of whom have helped to make Age of Empires what it is today!

—The Age of Empires Team

🢂 Download on the Microsoft Store

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 16.2.10884.

If you are unable to launch the game after downloading the update, make sure you add (or re-add) the Age of Empires IV client or folder as an exception to your firewall and antivirus program. That’s it; you’re ready to play!

🢂 Download on Steam

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 16.2.10884.

That’s it; you’re ready to play!

🢂 Download on the XBOX App for Windows 11

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 16.2.10884.

That’s it; you’re ready to play!

🢂 Download on PlayStation 5

• Under the games tab from the PlayStation Home Screen Locate the game and hover over it. Make sure not to select it!
• While hovering over the game press the Pause button (☰) on your controller.
• In the new pop up menu select the Check for Update option.
• If there is a new update available, this will automatically start the download. If your game is on the most recent version, selecting this option will confirm that information for you.

That’s it; you’re ready to play!

Still having trouble? Visit our support site!

Please Note: As part of updating to this latest build, any saved games and observable matches made on previous builds will be unable to be loaded or replayed.

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Build Spotlight

In our last patch (16.2.10604), we introduced controller support on PC as well as the controller UI for handheld devices like the ROG XBOX Ally and Steam Deck. Since then, we’ve heard from many of you that you’d like to be able to return to the KBM user interface or switch between the two with more ease. Starting today, you’ll be able to select between the two UIs in the in-game options menu on handheld.  

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Balance & Bugfixes

General Bugfixes

• Fixed an issue where the Crucible Perk point maximum message was displayed in error. 

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Civilization-Specific Changes

                        Abbasid Dynasty

• Fixed an issue that allowed the Armored Caravans and Medical Centers technologies to be researched multiple times. 
• Fixed an issue that caused the City Planning technology to not be applied in some cases. 

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Ongoing…

Investigation

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!

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.