What Happened to Age of Empires III (2007) Multiplayer Support?

Updated

Age of Empires III (2007) had its multiplayer services shut down on October 30, 2024 at 10am PT, and the game was withdrawn from sale on Steam. If you already own the original game, you can still play its campaign and skirmish content — only online multiplayer is gone. If you want to play AoE3 online, you need Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, which continues to support multiplayer and is available on Steam and the Windows Store.

What exactly changed

According to Age of Empires III Heaven, two things happened to the 2007 original:

  • Removed from sale. The game is no longer available for purchase on Steam. The stated reason is that the underlying technology is no longer supported.
  • Multiplayer shut down. Online multiplayer services ceased on October 30, 2024 at 10am PT.

The site notes that single-player content remains available to anyone who already owns the game, and that online multiplayer is the only area that is no longer available.

What you can still do with the original

If the 2007 game is already in your library:

Feature Status
Campaign Still playable
Skirmish Still playable
Online multiplayer No longer available

So the original isn't bricked — it just became a single-player game.

How to keep playing multiplayer

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition continues to be supported for multiplayer, and the site lists it on both Steam and the Windows Store. It also has four DLC additions that expand the civilizations and campaigns.

A few practical points from the site's coverage:

  • A free trial of the Definitive Edition is available on Steam if you want to try it before buying.
  • The base game includes The WarChiefs and The Asian Dynasties content, plus the Swedes and Incas.
  • The site has reported the Definitive Edition discounted on Steam (for example, 65% off during a late-2024 sale running to December 4), with DLC discounted individually and as a bundle. Treat any specific discount as time-limited and check the current store page rather than assuming a price.

If you're deciding what to do

  • You own the 2007 game and only play campaign/skirmish: nothing changes for you; keep playing.
  • You own the 2007 game and want online play: move to the Definitive Edition, since the original's multiplayer is permanently off.
  • You don't own either and want AoE3 online: the original can no longer be bought, so the Definitive Edition is the only route — and you can test it with the Steam free trial first.

One caveat worth knowing: the Definitive Edition is a separate product from the 2007 release, so owning the original does not carry your multiplayer access over to it.