What’s the longest ranked game you’ve ever had? Is it longer than 56 hours?
We’ve all had matches that seem to go on forever, but has one ever lasted for over two days? That’s the problem pro Age of Empires streamers Rubenstock and Andrei “Andre_2i” find themselves in, as the two battle it out in a near 60 hour ranked match.
At the time of writing, Romanian player Andre_2i and Finnish pro Rubenstock had been in-game for 56 and a half hours (by in-game timer). News of their Age of Empires II match first hit the mainstream as esports reporter Jake Lucky reported it on his Twitter.
With both players now asleep and AFK letting the game run, there’s little action right now. The ranked match has seen both players restart their streams multiple times but remain in-game.
How did they get here?
Both players are locked in a stalemate, with neither willing to give up. All resources, every single piece of wood, stone, gold, and food, have been harvested. All Monasteries have been destroyed, so there is no Relic victory on the cards. There are no buildings that can build free units and only a tiny chance that a Castle could be defeated.
Admittedly, Andrei’s position is slightly worse. With no units that would be able to kill a Castle and just four Villagers, he cannot physically win the game. But he can lose. Rubenstock has a dozen Villagers, a Camel, and a Hussar or two. He previously had more Camels and Hussars, but those units were killed in an unsuccessful attempt to end the match at around the 50-hour mark.
Both players are waiting for the other to forfeit. And if Rubenstock can catch Andrei AFK, he’ll could potentially defeat his opponent. Otherwise, it’s just a waiting game.
A loss in Age of Empires but a victory on Stream
The 56-hour match brings more attention to competitive Age of Empires at a point when the game is seeing a revival. Age of Empires IV was released in October 2021, and the competitive AoE scene has gone from strength to strength thanks to events like the Red Bull Wololo.
But whoever wins, with the eyes on both players’ streams and the increased followers and subscriber numbers, both players are going to come out of this match better off. So really, it’s down to who is willing to lose their MMR.
You can watch Andre_2i’s perspective here, while Rubenstock’s view can be watched here. The pair will be here for a while, so catch this record match while you can! And if you want to view some highlights check out this dedicated website.