ZENKOClosed beta

How challenges work in Age of Empires IV

Each Age of Empires IV challenge is a target for your next few ranked matches, like winning two of your next five, and you have 12 hours from the start to play them.

Before you play

Link your aoe4world profile

Every result is read from your aoe4world profile, so Zenko needs to know which one is yours. Only Steam accounts on PC can be linked, and challenges need at least 20 lifetime matches on the ladder they use.

  1. Open Age of Empires IV in Zenko
  2. Search your Steam name, or paste your aoe4world profile link
  3. Pick the profile whose rank, rating and last match you recognise
  4. Press Agree & Link Account

Each ladder counts on its own: 20 lifetime ranked games on it, then 5 of your newest 40 on that ladder, and its challenges appear. Quick match and custom games are not counted.

How it works

  1. Pick a challenge

    Each one is built from your own recent ranked matches. Enter with credits, or play it as free practice, with no credits involved.

  2. The 12-hour clock starts

    Your window opens when the challenge starts. Only ranked matches you begin in the next 12 hours can count.

  3. Play ranked

    Queue ranked 1v1 or team ranked, whichever your challenge names, on the account you linked. Other modes never use up your window.

  4. Get your result

    Hit the target and credits are added to your balance. Miss it and the challenge ends as a loss.

  5. If time runs out

    The matches you played decide it, and falling short is a loss. On an Off-Meta challenge, if you haven't lost a match, any entry is returned.

Where your result comes from

Your matches are read from your public aoe4world profile, which lists your ranked games. We only read it: we never change anything on your game account, and you never report a score. aoe4world shares each match result, your rating change, your civilization and how long the match lasted, so those are what a challenge can measure.

  1. You play ranked

    On your Steam account, as you normally would.

  2. aoe4world lists it

    The finished match appears on your public profile.

  3. Your result updates

    Zenko reads the match and checks it against your target.

What counts

Counts

  • Ranked 1v1 or team ranked matches, whichever your challenge names, on the account you linked
  • Your first matches after the challenge starts, up to the number it names, within 12 hours
  • A match still running when time is up, as long as you started it in time
  • How long your matches last: your average must stay above the minimum your challenge shows

Doesn't count

  • Quick matches, custom games and the other ranked ladder, which never use up your window
  • Matches you started before your challenge did
  • Matches beyond the number your challenge names
  • Matches played on any other account

When results appear

Your result updates as each finished match reaches aoe4world and is decided once the window fills or time is up. A challenge to win every game ends at your first loss, and a ladder climb needs all three matches played in time. Play no ranked matches in the 12 hours and it is cancelled, not lost.

When your challenge starts

Ladder rating835

Only ranked matches you start in between count, up to the number your challenge names

+23 rating

When the window fills or time is up

Ladder rating858