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Albion Online News

Dev Talk: Castle Changes and Dynamic Events

Into the Fray, Albion's next major content update, launches on June 8. In our last Dev Talk before the update goes live, Game Director Robin Henkys discusses the huge changes coming to Castles, the new Dynamic Events system, and Twitch Drops, which include Victory Emotes.

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[h3]Castles[/h3]
Castles have been an iconic element of Albion Online since the early Alpha. With Albion’s Fifth Anniversary coming up, they have been reworked to make them even more fun and appealing:
  • Overhauled graphics: new gates and destruction effects, new interiors
  • New layouts allowing for more varied tactics and multiple fronts (2 different layouts depending on biome)
  • Demolition Hammers now used directly from inventory like tools, capture mechanics now similar to Faction Outposts
  • Updated rewards: instead of scoring Season Points regularly, Castles and Outposts now have a chance to spawn chests regularly
  • Chests provide Might and update a guild's Might Level, generating Season Points and creating new opportunities for smaller guilds


All in all, you can look forward to more action around Castles all throughout the week – and if you liked the previous system, the massive weekend loot chests remain in place.

[h3]Dynamic Events[/h3]
A new Activities UI provides a one-stop overview of all the game's timed activities. It offers two event types:

1. Activity Events
  • Shown in the upper left
  • Give temporary bonuses to existing activities (e.g. Fame in Randomized Dungeons, increased Faction Points, Fame and Loot in Hellgates)
  • These bonuses are randomized and last several days, with the next bonuses visible 24 hours in advance


2. Daily Production Bonuses
  • Shown in the upper right
  • Give daily changing production bonuses to two different item or resource lines
  • Globally increase resource return rates for producing these items on that day
  • Bonus is usually moderate, but on rare occasions can become significant
  • Rewards crafters for diversifying their crafting capabilities, adds additional market fluctuations for traders
We’re very much looking forward to seeing how both Activity Events and Daily Production Bonuses affect daily life in Albion, as we have many ideas for how we could expand on these concepts in the future.

[h3]Twitch Drops[/h3]
Albion Online has a dedicated group of content creators, and to support them and grow the Albion Online community, we’ve integrated Twitch Drops.

  • Players can link their Twitch account to their Albion account and earn rewards for watching official content creators
  • Up to 7 Community Reward Chests can be earned per week – contain a wide variety of vanity items and unlocks
  • Unlocks include existing vanity skins and entirely new exclusive variations
  • Can be salvaged into Community Tokens, which can be spent at the Vanity Merchant in each 'y
[h3]Victory Emotes[/h3]
Victory Emotes are a new type of audio-visual expression of your victory over another player, played at the location of your defeated opponent at the moment of your victory.
  • Each time an emote is played, it consumes a single charge
  • Charges can be earned from Community Chests, crafted with Community Tokens, or bought with Gold
  • Premium players can also trade Victory Emote Charges earned from Community Chests via the in-game marketplace
  • Launching with a small selection, will be expanded in the future
  • Can be turned off in Settings at any time.


And with that we conclude our look at the features coming to Albion Online with the “Into the Fray” Update. We’re very ex'ed about all the improvements coming to Albion Online with this update and are looking forward to seeing you in-game on June 8th, when “Into the Fray” releases.

The Crystal League Championship Starts Saturday



The wait is almost over: the Crystal League Championship is this weekend! Starting Saturday at 17:00 UTC, tune in to AlbionTV to watch all the action live. Winners will receive huge Gold rewards and rare mounts, with the first-place team walking away with the ultra-rare Sabertooth Rex Swiftclaw Skin.



Join hosts Shozen, Lewpac, and Tazzik as they bring you live coverage and commentary on these high-action fights. Here's the weekend's schedule:
  • Saturday, June 4: 17:00 - 20:45 UTC
  • Sunday, June 5: 17:00 - 21:45 UTC
Check out detailed brackets below (click to expand):



(Note: the above end times are approximate, depending on how long matches run.)

For team breakdowns, full rules, and the final schedule, keep an eye on this forum post.

Refer One Friend and Claim the Summer Fawn Skin

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Spring has given way to summer in Albion, and a sprightly creature can be seen bounding across all of Albion’s biomes. A new referral season is upon us, and from now until August 1 you can claim the Summer Fawn mount skin when you refer a friend!

This skin transforms your Stag base mount into a magical, graceful beast in touch with its natural surroundings. With a dashing harness and saddle, the Summer Fawn will carry you faithfully as it leaps across hill and dale. And as always, once you’ve unlocked this skin it can be used by all characters on your account.

You can also earn huge amounts of Fame for your third and fifth referrals: three referrals scores you a T7 Pile of Tomes worth 100,000 Fame, and five referrals gets you a T8 Pile of Tomes granting a colossal 200,000 Fame. And as always, your first-ever referral grants an additional T8 Pile of Tomes along with the mount skin.



The current referral season lasts until maintenance on August 1, so refer a friend now and claim your rewards!
[h3]How to Earn Seasonal Referral Rewards[/h3]
  • Send your referral link, which you can find here, to a friend. (You must be logged into your account on the website to view this page.)
  • Your friend registers an account and starts playing Albion Online (preferably along with you!).
  • The first time your friend purchases at least 30 days of Premium, they will trigger a reward for you.
  • On top of that, for your very first referral ever, you'll receive a T8 Recruiter's Pile of Tomes, worth a massive 200,000 Fame.

The Knight Challenge Returns



Who says chivalry is dead? For the entire month of June, take the Knight Challenge to collect fantastic rewards. Earn points for open-world activities, unlock chests to get valuable loot, and claim the powerful and imposing Gallant Horse mount.
[h3]Knight Moves[/h3]
GALLANT HORSE: This month's Challenge brings back the powerful Gallant Horse, a noble mount with a combination speed boost / immunity spell that leaves foes in the dust. Ride fearlessly into the wilds of Albion on the back of this mighty steed!

AVATAR RING: Adventurers who rack up enough total Challenge Points will also earn the Knight Challenge Avatar Ring, a bold, plate-armor-themed ring that will give your avatar an aura of nobility. This non-tradable item permanently unlocks this avatar ring for one character – or you can trade it at the Vanity Merchant for one Adventurer's Token.

SEASONAL SPECIALS: All month long, reach weekly goals to unlock Knight Challenge chests. These chests contain valuable rewards like Adventurer's Tomes and Silver bags, plus knight-themed furniture like the Stone ThroneRound TableKnight Statue, and Regal Carpet.

As always, you can earn Challenge Points by gathering, fishing, farming, and killing monsters. Points count simultaneously toward a daily bonus, a weekly unlockable chest, and the monthly mount. So log in, head out into the open world, gather points, and claim your rewards!

Season 16 Arrives June 11



Albion's sixteenth Guild Season kicks off June 11, with big changes to Castles and Castle Outposts, a new Crystal League mode, Might Level adjustments, and more.
[h3]A New Era of Castle Fights[/h3]
Season 16 updates Castles and Castle Outposts, with improved layouts to encourage fighting on multiple fronts, and reworked visuals to make them more varied and visually appealing. Instead of generating passive points, Castle and Outpost chests now grant Might to those who claim them, and appear dynamically on a new timer. And a dedicated Might Level in the Conqueror’s Challenge still allows big Season Point payouts.


[h3]5v5s for All Levels[/h3]
Season 16 brings two new 5v5 modes for players of all levels. The new Crystal Arena offers a ranked version of the classic Arena, with matches played in the Crystal League map with knockdown mechanics. And the new Non-Lethal Crystal League provides access to the full 9-level experience, but without the full-loot kills of the regular League. Both modes have unique rewards as well, including Gladiator Wardrobe Skins. And of course, the classic 5v5 and 20v20 full-loot modes are still available for players looking for hardcore endgame content.


[h3]Might Level Adjustments[/h3]
To keep seasons balanced, progress has been boosted in several Might Levels where guild progress was somewhat behind the curve. Corrupted Dungeons, Crystal Spiders, and Outland Treasures now offer faster level progress, giving guilds more overall Season Points and more ways to stay competitive.


[h3]Unique Season Rewards[/h3]
Players who gain enough Might will receive unique Avatar Sets, as well as the coveted Behemoth and valuable Fame Buffs. Might is earned through a huge range of activities in the Conqueror's Challenge, and there are additional bracket rewards for guilds who reach at least Iron Rank. And as always, the season's number-one guild will become a permanent part of the world of Albion with their very own statue in Conquerors' Hall.





For the full list of season rewards, check out this forum post.
[h3]Watch the Season Kickoff Live[/h3]
The season kickoff on Saturday, June 11 will be broadcast live on AlbionTV starting 17:30 UTC, with hosts Shozen, Lewpac and Bogul bringing full coverage of Invasion Day.

At 18:00 UTC all territories will be reset for guilds to claim. Those in the North and South American time zones can tune in for the second round of territory resets on Sunday at 00:30 UTC, when hosts Shozen, Robinhoodrs and Tazzik cover the next round of invasions. All open-world fights are broadcast live with a 15-minute delay.

Check out AlbionTV's latest Invasion Day coverage:

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For the complete Season 16 Schedule, see this forum post.