Age of Empires IV Official Companion Book

The Perfect Companion for playing Age of Empires IV
Age of Empires IV marks the long-awaited continuation of a beloved series―a new era in historical strategy games is finally here. Future Press is proud to present a companion book to accompany this landmark in the genre, created in close collaboration with the teams at Relic Entertainment and World’s Edge studio. We’ve carefully put together a mixture of art, strategic guidance and behind-the-scenes content that is certain to enrich your time with the game. Across 400 pages, the book dives into the game’s civilizations, units, buildings and maps, blending strategy with developer commentary and artwork.

Stats and Strategies
Age of Empires IV offers a rich strategic battleground in which every building, unit and map has its own tactical considerations, all within the unique frameworks of the game’s eight civilizations. Everyone, from RTS beginners to Age of Empires experts, will find the mixture of detailed stats and tactical advice invaluable as they dive into this incredibly deep game.

The Art of Age of Empires IV
Every chapter in the book is peppered with concept art and early renders, giving an insight into the game’s creation and artistic direction, and renowned digital artist Craig Mullins’ gorgeous series of Age of Empires IV and franchise artworks are featured in an extraordinary interview showcase section.

Developer Commentary
The book is infused with developer commentary, resulting from interviews with various members of the development team, all carefully placed to add background and context. Learn how three teams collaborated across art, narrative, audio, game design and balance to create a rich and ambitious RTS game with a unique approach to historical presentation.

The end of an era goodbye to Overwatch

Overwatch has been a game that was constantly changing, from power-ups to nerfs with new heroes and maps.

Finding a group of humans that were compatible was almost impossible but that for me was the most fun.

In 2019 Overwatch 2 was announced and it was all crazy with delays, stories, and administrative chaos at Blizzard.

But after all this, here we are... And even though I've already played the beta, I reserve my opinions on Overwatch 2 for the following publication.

Those of you who follow me know that Bastion is my favourite character and I know very well that not everyone shares this point of view.

After I have played 4213 games, with a used time of 525 hours I reached silver level 56, of those 525 hours, I played 385 as Bastion.

The amount of memories I have is immense, from the most ridiculous deaths to the most impressive feats (these last ones happened little) the hours spent with friends and in lan centre playing, ordering pizzas or ramen, drinking all kinds of energy drinks to give the 100%, great moments...

Season 13 and 14 was the only one in which I decided to go competitive and give it my all, it took a lot of time but I managed to rank silver in the division.

Here are some screenshots of my profile, as proof that I was there.

My favourite quote is:

Never accept the world as it appears to be, dare to see it for what it could be.

One of my favourite maps was Horizon, I find the idea that there is a permanent presence on the Moon for research fascinating.

Even when the taste disappoints me, I loved being able to buy Lucio's cereals

The album of 11 music songs by Lúcio was not bad at all and yes you could download it for free.

I hope to see you all in Overwatch 2

Farewell to the Stars: A Sorrowful Goodbye to the SOFIA Observatory

The night sky feels a little quieter today. With the official end of its scientific operations in late 2022, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) took its final flight, closing the curtain on a truly remarkable era of cosmic exploration.

Born from an ambitious collaboration between NASA and the German Space Agency (DLR), SOFIA first took to the skies for scientific observations in 2010. For over twelve years, this uniquely modified Boeing 747SP—carrying a massive 2.7-meter reflecting telescope—soared above 99% of the Earth's atmospheric water vapor, granting us infrared views of the universe that were once impossible to capture from the ground.

Saying goodbye to a mission that so deeply reshaped our understanding of the cosmos is far from easy. Among its most iconic achievements, SOFIA made the groundbreaking discovery of molecular water on the sunlit surface of the Moon (within Clavius Crater), revealed the hidden magnetic fields driving the core of our galaxy, and provided extraordinary insights into star formation and planetary atmospheres.

Today, the aircraft rests quietly at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Arizona, standing as a timeless monument to human ingenuity. SOFIA’s engines will no longer roar into the stratosphere, but the infrared light it gathered will continue to illuminate our understanding of the cosmos for decades to come. Thank you for teaching us to look beyond the clouds.