1. Albion Online
  2. News

Albion Online News

Behind the Banner: Krozakov

Behind the Banner is a series that shines a light on Albion's many diverse guilds, from fierce PvP warbands to tight-knit social communities. Each episode delves into the identity, playstyle, and goals of a different guild, offering a glimpse into what life is really like behind the banner.

  • Guild Name: Krozakov
  • Alliance: Full Reconecting [AREPA]
  • Guild Leader:  Ozich
  • Date Founded: July 2021
  • Size: ~200 members
  • Primary Language: Spanish, English
  • Server: Albion Americas
  • Discord: discord.gg/D5w2fMgAhH
Tell us about your guild.

Krozakov was founded under the leadership of Ozich (Neamhel). For a long time, the guild was mostly made up of moderators and close friends from Neam's channel. But since last year, members of his Twitch community have been joining in, and that’s when we really began to grow.

Our journey began with scouting and ganking in red zones, later establishing our first Hideout in the Outlands. From there, we moved into more organized roaming and gank ops. Over time, we joined the world of ZvZ and solidified our presence in Albion.

Today, Krozakov is more than just a PvP and PvE guild – it's a vibrant community. Our ranks boast content creators like PinchiTV, Netmak, Pegandolanota, Godsnows, and ElAlquimista_1989, who bring their energy and visibility to our name. We are committed to offering our members a complete experience, united by camaraderie and the unbreakable spirit of battle that defines us.



Why did you choose this name? Is there a story or meaning behind it?

The name Krozakov goes way back. It was born 18 years ago in a game called Argentum Online, when a group of friends wanted to challenge a larger clan named Kaláshnikov. Back then, anything that sounded Russian carried this vibe of power and try-hard intensity, so Krozakov was chosen to embody that same spirit of strength and determination.

What sort of activities do you focus on?

We mainly focus on ZvZ, Fame farming, and ganking. These activities reflect our guild’s fighting spirit and teamwork, and help us grow both as players and as a community.

What sort of members are you looking for?

We’re looking for active players with a positive attitude, camaraderie, and the desire to grow alongside the community. The players who thrive in Krozakov are those who enjoy teamwork, improvement, and good times both on and off the battlefield.



Where is your guild primarily located?

We are currently based in Bridgewatch, near Arthur’s Rest. We chose this region because of its strategic position for ZvZ content and its ideal location for our operations and alliances.

Do you have any rivalries or ongoing quarrels with other guilds?

We don’t really have any rivalries, but we do have a brotherhood with some guilds like Knight Blood.

What are some of your most memorable battles or activities?

Establishing our first Hideout was a defining milestone for Krozakov. It united many players under one banner and became the spark that ignited our path of growth and glory as a guild.

What does your guild do for fun?

We organize internal scrims, play other games together, and host community events on Discord. Even outside of Albion, we keep the camaraderie alive to strengthen the bonds of friendship that make Krozakov special.



What is your guild's approach to the game? Do you have any core values or beliefs that guide how you play together?

Krozakov’s path is forged in unity, guided by the timeless values of respect and camaraderie. These ideals are etched into the very spirit of our guild, binding us as brothers and sisters in arms, and driving us to face every challenge with honor and strength.

What are your goals for the future?

In the upcoming season, our goal is to enjoy the content together, sharpen our skills in battle, and preserve the unity that defines Krozakov. Looking further ahead, we dream of rising to greater challenges and carving our name into Albion’s legacy.

Anything else to share about your guild?

We’d like to send our regards to all the members who have been part of Krozakov in the past, and especially to those who stand with us today, making every day in Albion a memorable experience. And of course… KROZA RECULATA!

Want your guild to be featured next? Click here to apply.

A Festive Fame Rush Begins!



Gather close, adventurers. The Advent Calendar is rolling, and with it comes a gift of Fame to help you wrap up the year stronger than ever. A 25% Fame boost will be active all weekend, so every activity pushes your Destiny Board forward faster. Jump ingame to close out your annual goals, and get ready for the challenges still to come.

Fame Rush times:
  • Albion Asia: December 11, 23 UTC – December 14, 23 UTC
  • Albion Americas & Europe: December 12, 10 UTC – December 15, 10 UTC
Note: This boost does not apply to PvP kills, Tomes of Insight, or challenge progression.

Keep your eyes open for more Fame Rushes on the way! So keep an eye on the news, make the most of this one, and don’t forget to stop by the Albion Online Web Shop each day to claim your free gifts!

CLAIM YOUR GIFT

Deep Dive: ZvZ Performance



ZvZ fights are at the core of Albion Online, with guilds clashing in massive Outlands battles for territories to make their mark on the game’s history. We’re aware, though, that in large-scale combat there can be issues with performance, and this is something we take very seriously indeed. With that in mind, we thought we’d give you a look at what’s behind these problems and how we’re trying to tackle them. If you want a more detailed post that dives into all the specifics, check out this forum thread from our Technical Director Jon Davis. Otherwise, read on to learn more.

[h3]Analyzing Lag[/h3]
“Lag” is used as a catch-all term for a wide range of problems, and before we can tackle these issues we need to analyze their root cause.

Low FPS, stuttering, and input latency tend to be client-side issues, happening on the device itself. An unresponsive or frozen gameworld, on the other hand, points to server-side problems. This is often the case in ZvZ fights, where the sheer number of spells affecting a huge number of players causes a massive queue of events that the server needs to process. This queuing can then result in delays or freezes, as the server ‘pauses’ to process the calculations for each spell before moving on.



Network problems, meanwhile, can cause common issues like rubberbanding or characters that appear to be frozen on screen or suddenly teleporting. The problem here is a desynchronization between the client and the server, where your game's understanding of the world is not the same as the server's. This is often caused by local network issues, problems with your ISP’s network, or high traffic at peak times. Sometimes, however, the cause is server-side, as the server is so busy calculating everything going on in a massive fight that there is a delay in updating a character’s game state (like their position or health).

[h3]What Steps We’re Taking[/h3]
With all this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the ways we’re looking to tackle these issues.

Client Performance

In upcoming content updates we want to make some changes to the way assets and visual effects are loaded by the game client to reduce CPU and GPU spikes, as well as memory allocation. In addition, we want to optimize spell VFX to perform more efficiently, and the development team is already hard at work on this. We’re also looking at introducing spell VFX limiters, similar to what we have on mobile, to desktop and other platforms – though this is a huge undertaking and very much in its early stages.



Finally, we’re working on improving the way certain UI elements like health bars, damage indicators, and cast bars are handled on a technical level. This is a major cause of client-side lag, and by introducing a new system for these elements we hope to see very real improvements in ZvZ performance.

Server Performance

Combat in Albion Online is processed by our servers in such a way as to be able to handle such a complex system on a large scale, but in a massive ZvZ the number of events the servers have to process can result in lags. We’re working to analyze exactly where issues such as these occur, in order to eliminate bottlenecks and enable much smoother performance. By optimizing code patterns used across particularly demanding spells, we can greatly improve the efficiency of existing and future abilities.

We’re also looking to improve the way our servers send information about, for example, spells hitting players, or damage being taken. By aggregating the information sent by our servers, we hope to reduce bottlenecks and improve performance and stability.



Network Performance

Network lag is often caused by congestion on specific regional networks, and we’re constantly in communication with our hosting partners to identify and improve these issues. While these problems are often beyond our influence, you can help us to gather data by reporting problems you encounter in this forum thread. We’re also looking to display more detailed information about your connection, which can help you and us to better diagnose any network problems you experience.

Beyond all this, we’re also upgrading our Unity version, which should bring noticeable stability and performance improvements.

[h3]What You Can Do[/h3]
If you’re experiencing issues in ZvZs, there are certain steps you can already take to try and improve performance.

In the Game Settings, you can adjust the way your client displays visual effects, certain UI elements, and more. Changes here can greatly improve your client’s performance in certain areas. In addition, meeting certain hardware requirements, particularly when it comes to CPU and storage, can have a huge effect, as can your PC configurations. For specific suggestions on the above, see this post.



We hope that this has shed some light on how we’re looking to improve ZvZ performance, which is at the heart of Albion Online’s gameplay. It’s a complicated process and a long road, but we’re constantly working on this issue and we’ll continue striving to give you the best combat experience possible. Thanks for reading, and for a more detailed look at this topic, check out this forum thread.

Fight for your Faction and Win a Pin Set!



A Faction Warfare contest is running right now, and it’s calling brave warriors to fight for their cities! Until December 31 at 23:59 UTC, the players who earn the most Faction Points on each server will win exclusive prizes.

To take part, simply opt in through this form, enlist with your Faction, and hit the frontlines to start racking up points. Any Faction Points you’ve earned since December 1 will count, regardless of when you opted in. When the contest ends, the top 15 point earners per server can choose their reward: an exclusive real-world Faction Pin Set or the ingame Commander Vanity Set.



If you really want the pin set but you’re short on time for a full grind, you can still win! Post a Faction-flagged screenshot showing your character name in the forum thread, add a battle cry for your side, and you’ll be in a random draw for them. Or if art is more your battlefield, you have until January 2 to enter the Banners of War contest. Share your Faction art in this forum thread and let your creativity fight for the pins.

Fly your city colors with pride!

Creator Spotlight: prplebrries

Creator Spotlight is a series where we shine a light on Albion Online’s dedicated Content Creators by sharing their stories, unique perspectives, and favorite moments. Get to know them and, if you’re intrigued, follow their channels for more!



[h3]prplebrries[/h3]What is the main content you create on Twitch/YouTube?

I create ZvZ content on Twitch and YouTube.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
How and when did you get into creating Albion Online content?

I started uploading and streaming Albion content after I joined some Filipino and Polish guilds. Taking part in ZvZ battles with them gave me a real sense of excitement and teamwork, and that’s what inspired me to record and share my gameplay. At first, I was only compiling short clips and uploading them to YouTube, but when I saw that many viewers enjoyed my videos, I decided to start streaming on Twitch as well.

Do you have a favorite video of yours that you think everyone should have seen? Let us know why it's special!

Here’s one of my favorite videos:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Do you have any new content in the making that you would like to tease?

Right now, I’m focusing on ZvZ with my fellow Filipinos, but I’m also exploring the Depths and hope to share videos about it soon.

What advice would you give other players who are considering becoming Albion Online content creators?

The best advice I can give to those who are aspiring to become content creators is to start with the kind of content you feel most comfortable with, and of course, don’t forget to enjoy it!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]