Steam app 221380 is the 2013 HD Edition of Age of Empires II, renamed Age of Empires II (2013) in August 2019 and Age of Empires II (Retired) in January 2024. It has received no updates since Definitive Edition shipped on 14 November 2019, and the store page states plainly that it will not be updated further. If you are buying Age of Empires II today, buy the Definitive Edition: this page is for people who already own HD and want to know whether it still runs.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
A build frozen since 2019
Development stopped when Definitive Edition launched on 14 November 2019, so HD sits permanently on its last patch. Nothing added to Age of Empires II after that point exists here, including every new civilization, balance pass and quality of life change.
31 civilizations across three expansions
The 2013 base release shipped 18 civilizations. The Forgotten added five on 7 November 2013, The African Kingdoms added four on 5 November 2015, and Rise of the Rajas added four more on 19 December 2016, taking the full HD roster to 31.
Steam multiplayer lobbies and Workshop
Multiplayer runs through Steam rather than the original 1999 matchmaking, so lobbies, friend invites and Steam Workshop mods all still function. The population is a small fraction of Definitive Edition's, so expect to arrange games rather than queue for them.
Original Age of Kings and Conquerors campaigns
Every single player campaign from The Age of Kings and The Conquerors is present in its original form, including William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Saladin, Genghis Khan, Barbarossa and Attila the Hun. Definitive Edition rewrote and re-recorded several of these, so HD is the closest thing to the 1999 and 2000 releases on modern hardware.
Pre Definitive Edition unit pathing
Unit pathing, formation behavior and hitboxes are all the pre 2019 versions. Large groups of siege and cavalry snag on terrain in ways Definitive Edition specifically fixed, and that is the most noticeable difference in an actual match.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our Age of Empires II (Retired) combat guide.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britons | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Franks | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Mongols | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Aztecs | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Vietnamese | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our Age of Empires II (Retired) builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Longbowman | The Britons unique unit, an archer with the longest reach in the game once Yeomen and the elite upgrade land. | Static Britons archer lines that outrange the answer |
| Throwing Axeman | The Franks unique unit, ranged infantry whose axes ignore the usual archer armor class. | Anti infantry support behind Frankish cavalry |
| Mangudai | The Mongols unique cavalry archer, fast and carrying a bonus against siege weapons. | Hit and run raiding and deleting enemy siege |
| Jaguar Warrior | The Aztecs unique infantry, built specifically to shred other infantry. | Countering enemy infantry masses in Aztec pushes |
| Rattan Archer | The Vietnamese unique unit from Rise of the Rajas, an archer with high pierce armor that beats other archers head on. | Winning archer versus archer fights outright |
Longbowman: The Britons unique unit, an archer with the longest reach in the game once Yeomen and the elite upgrade land. Britons also get extra Town Center range and shepherds who work faster.
Throwing Axeman: The Franks unique unit, ranged infantry whose axes ignore the usual archer armor class. Franks are better known for free Farm upgrades, cheaper castles and Knights with 20 percent more hit points.
Mangudai: The Mongols unique cavalry archer, fast and carrying a bonus against siege weapons. Mongols also get faster hunters and siege units that move 50 percent quicker than everyone else's.
Jaguar Warrior: The Aztecs unique infantry, built specifically to shred other infantry. Aztecs start with 50 extra gold, train military units 11 percent faster and their villagers carry 5 extra resources.
Rattan Archer: The Vietnamese unique unit from Rise of the Rajas, an archer with high pierce armor that beats other archers head on. Vietnamese also reveal enemy starting positions at the beginning of a match.
Full breakdowns in our Age of Empires II (Retired) weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Arabia | All skill levels, the default 1v1 map | Fast games and the clearest test of build order timing |
| Black Forest | Casual and team games | Long booms, siege heavy endgames, safe teching |
| Gold Rush | Team games and free for all | Concentrated central gold and constant midgame skirmishing |
| Migration | Casual and team games | A safe early boom plus naval control of the crossing |
| Fortress | Team games | A guaranteed safe start and clean Castle Age power spikes |
Arabia: The open, sparse default competitive map where walls are expensive and early aggression is standard. HD's older pathing shows itself here first, because army movement across open terrain never stops.
Black Forest: Dense forest with narrow chokepoints, the classic map for booming behind walls for forty minutes. Games routinely reach Imperial Age with full trade lines running.
Gold Rush: A central gold pile ringed by open ground, which turns the middle into a permanent fight. Whoever holds the center gold usually wins the late game.
Migration: Every player starts on their own island and has to build transports to reach the mainland. It is the map that most rewards knowing what your civilization's navy can actually do.
Fortress: Each player starts inside a pre built stone wall enclosure, which makes early aggression expensive. Games settle into siege and trebuchet duels instead of feudal raids.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Check whether you already own HD before spending anything. Definitive Edition sits at app 813780, is still patched, and goes on sale regularly, while the $19.99 HD listing buys a build that stopped receiving updates in 2019.
- Everyone in your lobby needs matching DLC. A player without Rise of the Rajas cannot join a game where someone picked Vietnamese, and there is no graceful fallback.
- The multiplayer population is small. Public lobbies can sit empty for a long time, so treat HD as a game for a specific group rather than a matchmaking queue.
- Expect 2013 pathing. Large groups of siege and cavalry snag on corners in ways Definitive Edition fixed, so move armies in smaller stages rather than one enormous blob.
- The original campaign scripting is intact. William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Saladin, Genghis Khan, Barbarossa and Attila play the way they did in 1999 and 2000, before the Definitive Edition rewrites.
- Steam Workshop still works here. Roughly a decade of user made campaigns, data mods and terrain packs installs the same way as any other Steam game, and almost none of it was ported forward.
- Saves and mods do not carry over to Definitive Edition. If you switch, treat it as a fresh install rather than an upgrade path.
- HD balance froze with Rise of the Rajas in December 2016. Tier lists and build orders written after 2019 describe Definitive Edition civilizations and will mislead you here.
- Metacritic scored HD at 68 back in 2013, largely for shipping the 1999 game at a higher resolution and not much else. The three expansions are where most of the added value ended up.
- If you only want the campaigns, the base game covers it. The expansions add civilizations and new campaigns but are not needed to replay Age of Kings or The Conquerors.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying HD as a first Age of Empires II purchase. Definitive Edition has more civilizations, fixed pathing and a live population, and it is the version Microsoft actually supports.
- Assuming HD and Definitive Edition players can play together. They are separate Steam apps with separate multiplayer and nothing crosses between them.
- Following modern build orders. The civilization reworks that came after 2019 never reached HD, so guides written for Definitive Edition give you wrong timings and wrong bonuses.
- Buying only one expansion and then finding half the lobby cannot host what you wanted. DLC ownership has to match across every player in the game.
- Expecting the Definitive Edition civilizations. Burgundians, Sicilians, Poles, Bohemians, Bengalis, Dravidians, Gurjaras, Romans, Armenians and Georgians were all added after HD stopped being updated and will never appear here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still play Age of Empires II (Retired)?
Yes. It installs and launches, Steam multiplayer lobbies still work, and Steam Workshop mods still install. It simply has not received a patch since Definitive Edition arrived on 14 November 2019.
Should I buy this or the Definitive Edition?
The Definitive Edition, app 813780. It has far more civilizations, fixed pathing, ongoing patches, a much larger player population and frequent sales. HD only makes sense if you or your whole group already own it.
How many civilizations does the retired version have?
31 with all three expansions installed. The 2013 base release had 18, The Forgotten added five, The African Kingdoms added four and Rise of the Rajas added four more.
Are the campaigns different from Definitive Edition?
Yes. HD keeps the Age of Kings and Conquerors campaigns as they shipped in 1999 and 2000. Definitive Edition rewrote several missions and re-recorded the narration, so the two versions are not the same experience.
Why is it called Retired?
Microsoft renamed the Steam listing to Age of Empires II (2013) in August 2019 and to Age of Empires II (Retired) in January 2024. The store page itself says the product will not be updated further.
More Age of Empires II (Retired) Guides
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Best Builds
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Tier List
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Walkthrough
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Beginner's Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Tips & Tricks
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Weapons Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Combat Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Boss Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Maps & Locations
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Crafting Guide
- Age of Empires II (Retired) Classes & Characters
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If you enjoy Age of Empires II (Retired), check out these related guides:
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- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
- RimWorld Guide: strategy game with similar mechanics
