This weekend's Age of Empires 4 technical stress test is open to everyone

Everyone is invited to join the Age of Empires 4 technical stress test this weekend.

The stress test will kick off this Friday, September 17 at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm UK, and run through Monday, September 20 at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm UK.

The technical stress test will differ from the closed beta that was held in August in three ways.

First, the goal is to scale test the servers and systems in preparation for the game’s release. The reason the test is being held over a single weekend is so as many people as possible can participate during this window to make sure that matchmaking, lobbies, and additional systems hold up.

Secondly, the test will not be gated behind an invite, and previous requirements won’t be necessary this time around. The build will be available in the Xbox Insider Hub app or Steam regardless of whether you’re an Age Insider or not.

And thirdly, if you meet or exceed the minimum specs, you are welcome to participate. Additional in-game settings have been added for the technical stress test which means that you’ll be able to play, again, if you meet the minimum specs. The game will automatically detect and select the correct settings based on hardware, including settings specifically included for minimum spec devices.

As far as content is concerned, most aspects of the game during the test will be focused on multiplayer, but you will also have the opportunity to play against AI through the Multiplayer Custom Lobby. You can also try out the game’s tutorial too if it pleases you. However, the development team is encouraging folks to play against others so that data from different match-ups across various servers can be logged and help prep the systems for release day.

During the test, the English, the Chinese, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Abbasid Dynasty civilizations will be available alongside five different maps.

To get started, on Friday, September 17, you should be able to access the build through the Xbox Insider Hub app on PC and through the game’s product page on Steam. Pre-sign-up is also available through both methods.

Those who played the closed beta should know some changes have been made since August. This includes tweaks to the camera distance which now allows for more visibility on-screen. Additional balance work also went into both the English and Chinese civilizations, and the team also fixed bugs that impacted visuals, audio, economy, and in-game settings.

Finally, unlike the closed beta, the technical stress test is not under an NDA.

The fourth installment in one of the most popular real-time strategy franchises out there, Age of Empires 4 is coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC, Windows Store, and Steam.

It will feature both familiar and new ways to expand your empire by building cities, managing resources, and leading your troops to battle on land and at sea. The game also features four distinct campaigns with 35 missions that span across 500 years of history from the Dark Ages up to the Renaissance.

There are various campaigns in the game such as Joan of Arc's quest to defeat the English, and you can command Mongol troops as Genghis Khan.

You can also hop online to compete, cooperate or spectate with up to seven others in PvP and PvE multiplayer modes.

If you are new to the series, there is a tutorial system that teaches the essence of real-time strategy and a story mode for beginners to play campaigns with relative ease.

It's out on October 28.