Almost a month after it first launched by pitting the peak of human muscle against medieval siege technology, Age of Empires 4 developers World's Edge and Relic Entertainment have outlined plans to grow the latest chapter in the real-time strategy game.

The Winter 2021 update will add over 100 balance updates, in-game player scores, more performance fixes, changes to the user interface of the Chinese dynasty, and mini-map adjustments.

According to the Age of Empires 4 team, balance changes will make Crossbowmen, Spearman, and Elite Crossbowmen a much deadlier threat to cavalry units, the Chinese civilizations Repeater crossbow technology will be more affordable, and the Mongol faction's Superior Mobility advantage will be adjusted to ensure the speed modifier is appropriately applied.

In the Spring 2022 update, user-generated content and tools will be added to the game, allowing players to sample unique maps and modes that the Age of Empires 4 community has created. Ranked seasons will also begin, with each season lasting 12 weeks and adding a chance to earn exclusive in-game rewards based on performance in competitive modes.

Beyond those two major updates, World's Edge and Relic Entertainment explained in an Xbox Wire post that player feedback will continue to shape the game, with the studios currently looking for some constructive responses on the following features:

Global Build Queue
Improvements to the Unit Stat card
Hotkey Improvements
Taunts and Cheats
AI Difficulty
Waypoint Indicators

In our Age of Empires 4 review, we scored the game 7/10 and remarked that its "more innovative ideas are overshadowed by a gameplay formula that rarely deviates from the revered legacy of Age of Empires 2."