Most play on Steam.
only 2 friends played via Xbox Live/Microsoft Store.
Everyone uses Windows 11.
Everyone has already formatted and reinstalled all drivers (we also did this test).
However, from time to time, this error that I will highlight here always comes back. Formatting and reinstalling everything didn’t solve it.
Well, I have a report to make.
Honestly, it’s a very annoying thing and it’s been happening for years and it seems like the developers aren’t interested in fixing it or can’t fix it.
I’ve seen this problem happen in the option of: private matches or custom matches, where you invite a friend or family member to play together.
The Beginning:
About two or three years ago, I played Age of Empires IV with friends in private matches.
We liked playing 4 players vs 4 AI on a high difficulty.
Sometimes we played internal PVP, where we played with 3 to a maximum of 6 people.
The first matches worked very well.
After a few months, a big problem started.
It was no longer possible to play with friends in private matches.
And the reason?
Some players would always drop out of the match because the game would close on its own or a black screen would appear. Even if the remaining players continued the game, this error would happen a few minutes later for another player.
We couldn’t finish ANY GAME.
Many of these players abandoned Age of Empires IV.
Recently, less than a year ago…
The last friends of mine who still wanted to play also ended up giving up.
For the same reason.
Black screen or sudden game crash (the game closes by itself).
Now, in these last few days…
I’ve been trying to play with my family… but I can’t finish any game.
A black screen appeared.
Honestly, I’m going to make something very clear here!
The ONLY GAME on my Steam list that has problems is Age of Empires IV.
Currently I’ve stopped playing Age of Empires IV because I CAN’T PLAY.
I have to depend on luck and the game’s goodwill.
Sometimes I can play normally for a while, but suddenly, out of nowhere, I can’t anymore.
It’s the year 2026, and this instability problem should have been fixed by now!
I say it again!
THIS IS THE ONLY GAME on my Steam list that has black screen or sudden crashes.
It’s extremely unpleasant.
I wasted over an hour on Thursday and couldn’t finish a single match.
I can’t play with my family.
Is this game a joke?
They say Age of Empires 4 uses the same engine as the Company of Heroes games.
I can play Company of Heroes 2 and Company of Heroes 3 without any problems with my friends and family… however, with Age of Empires 4, I simply have to rely on the game’s goodwill to not stop working.
What is the problem with Age of Empires 4?
Most people who stop playing don’t come to this forum to report their frustration or disappointment!
Because they simply migrate to another game.
This year, 2026, will be an important year for me, due to many new games that I’m excited to play.
And if I end up ABANDONING and NEVER buying any DLC for this game again, it’s not because I got tired of the game, it’s because this game is unstable!
It’s extremely unpleasant to arrange, schedule a time, manage to get people together to play the game, and then the game simply keeps crashing and preventing you from completing a single match!
THIS IS A SHAME!
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH AGE OF EMPIRES 4?
IS THERE A PLAN TO FIX THESE BUGS, ERRORS, AND INSTABILITIES?
Or will Age of Empires 4 be broken forever, relying solely on luck to play private games?