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Distribution

Download CONTROL from the GitHub Releases page.

(extraction password: control)

What Is Distributed

Each release is one password-protected zip file:

File Description
AoE2Control.exe The launcher. It contains CONTROL and starts it in the running game.
release-manifest.json The release version and the SHA-256 hash of AoE2Control.exe.
LICENSE.md License.
THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md Open-source components in AoE2Control and their licenses.

The Discord server announces each release with the SHA-256 hashes of the zip file and the launcher. Compare them with your download.

Installation

  1. Extract AoE2Control.exe from the zip file.
  2. Start Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.
  3. Run AoE2Control.exe and click START.

When CONTROL runs, the launcher shows Ready and the CONTROL menu opens in the game. See Getting Started for the next steps.

Antivirus

Antivirus software may flag the launcher, because it loads CONTROL into another process and reads that process's memory, as some malware does. If Windows Defender blocks or deletes it, add an exclusion for the launcher.

Updates

A game update can break CONTROL. The launcher then reports Offset Error, Ready - Partially outdated or Ready - Requires update (see Headless Mode). Check for a new release when the game updates. The Discord server announces new releases.