Keyboard Layout
Mouse Controls
Controller Support
Empire 2 supports any standard Xbox or PlayStation controller via the Web Gamepad API. Plug in, open Settings (⚙), and toggle 🎮 GAMEPAD / CONTROLLER to enable. The setting persists across sessions. Mouse and keyboard remain fully functional alongside.
⚠ Bindings use the Web Gamepad Standard mapping. Off-brand controllers without standard mapping may have button indices in the wrong order.
Tips for New Players
Don't ignore the Outpost. The crafting benches, merchants, and skill trainers in the XU Outpost can dramatically accelerate your power. Visit before each new zone push.
Combo multiplier is everything. At x10 combo, your damage is ten times base. Learn to dodge-weave attacks rather than tank hits — preserving your combo is worth more than the damage you avoid.
Parry timing. Block just as an enemy swings (watch their tell animation) to trigger a perfect parry. The counterattack deals 3× your ATK and staggers most enemies.
Socket your gems early. Open inventory (I) and click the gem-socket icon on any equipped item to open the gem panel. Even common rubies in your weapon slots add meaningful ATK. Players who ignore socketing fall behind quickly.
Skills synergize. Don't just pick the highest-damage skills. Pair a gap closer (Leap Strike, Blink) with a burst skill (Execute, Nova) and a sustain tool (Heal Pulse, Fortify) for survivable aggression.
Boss phases telegraph their escalation. When a boss enters a new phase, there's a 2-3 second window before the new attack pattern begins. Use this to heal, reposition, and check your mana.
In multiplayer, zone entry matters. All enemies are server-side and persistent. If your party is in Patrol Zone but you're in the Outpost, enemies in Patrol Zone are still active — they will be there when you arrive.
Level 100 isn't the end. The Ascendancy System begins at the cap. Farm AA Points in endgame zones to unlock abilities that dramatically reshape your combat identity.