This was unexpected: This weekend an Open Beta for Age of Empires 4 will start. We tell you when and how you can participate and what kind of content you can expect.
Good news for would-be strategists and those who would like to become one: For Age of Empires 4, a rather surprising open beta has been announced, which will already take place this weekend. We provide you with all the information: When exactly it starts, how you can participate and what kind of content you can expect.
Table of Contents
All info on the AoE 4 beta
From when to when will the Open Beta take place
The Age of Empires 4 Open Beta starts this Friday and ends the following Monday. The exact dates and times are as follows:
- Beta start: Friday, 17 September 2021 at 7pm German time.
- Beta End: Monday, 20 September 2021 at 7 pm German time
How do I participate
The new technical stress test for the strategy game is open to every PC player. You don’t need a separate invitation or anything like that. To participate in the Age of Empires 4 open beta, you have the following two options.
- via Steam: Go to the Steam page of Age of Empires 4. You can access the beta under the purchase options by clicking on “Request Access” under “Participate in the Age of Empires IV Technical Stress Test”
- via Xbox Insider Hub: In the corresponding app you will find the tab “Preview” on the PC and can request access to the open beta. The Xbox Insider app can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store.
Registration already available: You can already register for the Age of Empires 4 open beta before it starts on Friday evening.
What are the system requirements?
If you want to take part in the Age of Empires 4 Open Beta, your PC will of course have to meet the minimum requirements of the strategy game. These are quite moderate, so you should hopefully not have any problems:
- Operating system: Windows 10 – 64 bit
- CPU: Intel Core i5-6300U or AMD Ryzen 5 2400G
- GPU: Intel HD 520 or AMD Radeon RX Vega 11
- RAM: 8GB
- DirectX: Version 12
What kind of content can I expect?
This is what’s inside: On the official website the developers of Age of Empires 4 have already announced exactly what content awaits you. So be prepared for the following content in the Open Beta:
- the tutorial of the game “Mission Zero “
- Multiplayer matches against other players
- Matches against the AI via the multiplayer custom lobby
- four playable nations: China, England, the Holy Roman Empire, the Abbasid Dynasty
What has been improved since the Closed Beta?
What has been improved: A few weeks ago, there was already a closed beta phase for Age of Empires 4, which not every fan got access to. On the homepage, the developers name three specific aspects that have been addressed since then:
- The maximum distance to which the camera can zoom out of the map has been adjusted. This should give you a better overview while playing.
- The balancing has been adjusted, especially concerning the factions China and England.
- Numerous bugs were fixed that affected various aspects of the game. We are talking about visual and auditory errors, as well as bugs that affected the settings of the game or the in-game economy.
What else is there to know?
The developers want your feedback: Those responsible for Age of Empires 4 hope that as many players as possible will take part in the open beta. After all, the feedback and the technical stress test is immensely valuable to prepare for the final release on 28 October 2021.
That’s why the developers also want you to share as much feedback and game impressions as possible – ideally in the official Age of Empires 4 forums
No NDA: The Age of Empires 4 Open Beta is not subject to a non-disclosure agreement. So you can publicly exchange your game impressions and share them with friends and the world.
It should be exciting, for example, how the discussion about the graphics of Age of Empires 4 will continue. This has already been criticised by many players, but this is no reason for the developers to panic.
