Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition gets yet another massive update adding a new line of warships and 'significant changes' to naval mechanics

Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition gets yet another massive update adding a new line of warships and ‘significant changes’ to naval mechanics | PC Gamer Skip to main content Open menu Close main menu PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES US Edition UK US Canada Australia Subscribe Sign in View Profile Sign out Search Search PC Gamer Games Hardware News Reviews Guides Video Forum More PC Gaming Show PC Gamer Clips Software Codes Coupons Movies & TV Magazine Newsletter Affiliate links Meet the team Community guidelines About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine SubscriptionWhy subscribe?Subscribe to the world’s #1 PC gaming magTry a single issue or save on a subscriptionIssues delivered straight to your door or device From$1Subscribe now Don’t miss these RPG Three years after its last update, the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance gets a new patch that includes a new caparison for your horse RPG Avowed’s massive anniversary update adds new playable races, but they don’t get any unique dialogue because there were ‘no dedicated narrative people available’ Strategy ‘It’s my favorite feature’: Dawn of War 4 is adding a way to multi-attack enemies using a dragbox Survival & Crafting Seafaring survival sim The Last Caretaker gets a big update that adds a speedy jet ski and lets you customise your base-boat Third Person Shooter Arc Raiders’ next update adds hurricanes, and players think the teaser is hiding a new Arc enemy too Fighting The best Smash Bros.-like on Steam just added a character who can shop for items and go fishing in the middle of a match, in case you thought fighting games were too one-note RPG Huge new Avowed update adds New Game Plus, playable dwarves and Orlans, and quarterstaffs Action Just in time for Hollow Knight’s 9th birthday, Team Cherry rolled out its first update in years, including better support for ultrawide monitors and the Steam Deck screen Action Underrated hack ‘n’ slash Blades of Fire heads to Steam with a 2.0 update, bringing new game plus and ‘expanded death and mutilation variations’ for you sickos out there Action Absolum’s first update dares you to unravel the threads of fate, introducing rule modifiers, corrupted biomes and improved mounts into 2025’s best beat ‘em up Third Person Shooter Nobody is doing live service better than Helldivers 2 because Arrowhead makes expansions, not just updates Sim Medieval physics romp Besiege has spent a decade letting us conquer the land and sea, so naturally its next expansion is heading to the final frontier RPG The best Elder Scrolls game that isn’t an Elder Scrolls game is getting a big patch in February and free DLC in March Strategy Civilization 7 players can once again play as a single civilization in a massive overhaul update that’s ‘tentatively’ coming in spring: ‘Together, these updates are similar in scope to an expansion’ Action MindsEye was one of the most catastrophic game launches of 2025 but the studio refuses to quit: Its ‘most significant post-launch update’ is now live and an expansion is coming later this year PopularNEW: PC Gamer Clips!Arc RaidersBest PC gearFalloutGame Quizzes Games RTS Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition gets yet another massive update adding a new line of warships and ‘significant changes’ to naval mechanics News By Rick Lane published 21 February 2026 The Last Chieftains DLC is also available now. 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From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered. Signup + Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter There’s something in the water in PC gaming right now. Specifically, ships. Lots of ships. Earlier this month, Facepunch Studios weighed anchor on Rust’s massive naval update, adding player-made boats and a vast offshore region for survivors to explore. Now, Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition is getting in on the seafaring action, with its latest update careening Microsoft’s refurbished vessel to scrape the barnacles off the hull of its naval mechanics.The elegantly named update 169123 is a typically hefty patch from developer Forgotten Empires, addressing a wide range of bugs and balance issues. But the most significant change is the addition of the Hulk-line, a new main ship type designed to counter fire ships.There are three tiers of ship in this line, namely Hulk, War Hulk, and Carrack. All three are fast, durable vessels equipped with grappling hooks for close-range combat. Their high speed and armour means they can effectively withstand the heat belched out from fire ships, though they are vulnerable to long range attacks from ships like galleys. Related articles Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord gets free patch alongside War Sails DLC that’s so big, the 17,000 word update run more than twice the length of Age of Empires 2’s ‘legendarily long’ patch notes Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition gets a massive update introducing Steam Workshop su