Effective September 1, 2021, the multiplayer service for the 2007 version of Age of Empires III: Complete Collection on Steam requires a patch to connect. The critical factor for this is that the ESO domain on which this multiplayer service previously resided is no longer under Microsoft’s control and has been repurposed by its new owners.
To continue accessing the multiplayer services, we created an AgeIIIESOPatch_Full patch that points to a new backend owned by Microsoft. Due to the age of the title, we have no way to automatically apply the patch for you and you will have to come to our website download linked below to apply the patch manually. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Download and install the patch manually using the steps below:
- Download AgeIIIESOPatch_Full and then run the application.
- Click Patch Game File in the Age of Empires III Patcher window that opens.
- Click Open to start the installation in the default Age of Empires 3 folder.
- If Age of Empires III is not installed in the default location, navigate to the folder where age3.exe is saved.
- Age of Empires III Patcher will show that the game is patched.
When Age of Empires III is opened again, a User Account Control prompt for age3.exe will appear. Click Yes to start the game.
FAQ
Q: Can I still use the same sign in information after download the patch?
You will continue to use the same sign in credentials for multiplayer regardless of eso.com availability.
Q: Is the patch required to play the game?
Yes, the patch is required to access multiplayer services.
If you experience any issues downloading or using the patch, please reach out to our Support team by Submitting a Request.