This weekend's Age of Empires 4 technical stress test open to all Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. This weekend's Age of Empires 4 technical stress test open to all Charge! News by Wesley Yin-Poole Deputy Editorial Director Updated on 15 Sep 2021 2 comments This weekend's Age of Empires 4 technical stress test is open to all. Following a closed beta, the upcoming strategy game goes live for all this Friday, 17th September at 6pm UK time until Monday, 20th September at 6pm. Watch on YouTube The idea is to scale test the game's servers and systems with as many players as possible ahead of the 28th October release date. You do not need an invitation. The build is available in the Xbox Insider Hub app (from the Microsoft Store) or Steam, but you can get either whether you're an Age of Empires Insider or not. Of note: the build is meant for those who meet or exceed Age of Empires 4's minimum spec. During the event, the game will automatically detect and select the correct settings based on hardware, including settings specifically included for min spec devices. The focus is on multiplayer, but you can play against the AI via the multiplayer custom lobby, and try out Mission Zero (the tutorial). Four civilisations are available: the English, the Chinese, the Holy Roman Empire and the Abbasid Dynasty. "Given this is a Technical Stress Test, we encourage you to play against others participating," Microsoft said. "The more data we get from different match-ups across various servers, the more action our development team will be able to take to prep our systems for the big day." Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store