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The Banishing of Icey Citadel

 


The Age of Empires III community had always been a volatile mix of nostalgia, passion, and unbridled chaos. But no one could have predicted the storm that erupted when the modder and streamer known as Icey Citadel became a martyr for his devotion to the game.

Microsoft’s DLC Debacle

It all started with Microsoft’s announcement—or rather, their lack of one. The long-awaited Danish and Polish DLC had been quietly shelved, leaving fans grasping for answers. The disappointment turned to fury, and fury turned to rebellion.

Enter Icey Citadel, a dedicated AoE3 player known for his over-the-top commentary and his custom mods featuring absurd yet oddly balanced mechanics. He had one rule for his streams: Never stop playing AoE3, no matter what.

“I don’t care if they cancel the DLC,” Icey proclaimed during a heated Twitch stream. “I’ll keep playing until my Hussars charge through the gates of Microsoft HQ!”

The chat exploded with applause. Little did Icey know, this would be the start of his downfall.

The Icy Defiance

While others raged on Reddit and flooded Discord with complaints, Icey doubled down. He hosted "The Forgotten Factions Tournament" in protest, featuring mods that added Denmark and Poland to the game. Viewership skyrocketed. His Danish Berserkers cleaved through Polish Hussars as his commentary turned theatrical.

“This one’s for you, AoE3 fans!” Icey shouted as his virtual trebuchets destroyed a castle. “They can take our DLC, but they’ll never take our mods!”

Microsoft noticed. And they were not amused.

The Discord Exile

The first strike came silently. Icey tried logging into the official AoE3 Discord to post his tournament highlights, only to be greeted by the chilling message:
"You have been banned from this server."

Confused, he turned to Twitter:
"Uh… did I just get banned from the AoE3 Discord for playing AoE3?"

The tweet went viral. Fans rallied behind him, flooding Microsoft’s accounts with demands to “Unban Icey!” and “Release the DLC!”

But the worst was yet to come.

The Corporate Backlash

The next day, Icey received an email. The subject line read: "Cease and Desist."

“What?” Icey muttered, clicking the message. Microsoft claimed his mods violated their terms of service. It didn’t matter that his tournament brought positive attention to the game—his defiance had crossed a line.

Icey streamed his reaction live, holding up the email like a sacred artifact. “They’re canceling DLCs, banning players, and now this? Are we the enemies here?”

The chat erupted with emotes of torches and pitchforks. Someone posted:
"They’re banning Icey for supporting AoE3. What’s next, banning trebuchets for being too cool?"

The Community Strikes Back

What followed was nothing short of legendary. Fans organized a virtual protest. Every custom game lobby on AoE3 was renamed “#FreeIcey.” Memes flooded social media:

  • A trebuchet labeled "Microsoft’s Policy Enforcement" hurling Icey over a castle wall.
  • Icey’s face edited onto Braveheart shouting: “Freedom!”
  • A Microsoft logo fighting against a Hussar with the caption: "Corporate greed vs. passion."

The Plot Twist

A week later, Icey received another email. This time, it was an apology—sort of.

"Dear Icey Citadel,
We regret any confusion caused by recent actions. Your mods have been reinstated, and your Discord ban has been lifted. Please continue to enjoy Age of Empires III responsibly."

Icey read the email aloud on stream, pausing dramatically for effect. Then he smirked. “Reinstated? That’s corporate-speak for ‘we messed up.’”

The chat cheered as Icey fired up AoE3 for another stream. “Let’s get back to what matters: conquering everything!”

In the end, Icey became a legend, a symbol of resilience in the face of bureaucratic nonsense. And while Microsoft never officially admitted their blunder, the community would always remember the day Icey Citadel took on the empire—and won.

Location: New York, NY, USA

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