Albion Online News

Breaking news: Albion’s most aggressive vegetable has escaped again. Reports confirm that Bob, a notoriously cranky pumpkin with a history of seasonal disturbances, is once more on the loose. Eyewitnesses describe him as “round, orange, and extremely punchable.” Citizens are advised to proceed to the Hallowed Ground dungeon immediately… preferably carrying sharp objects!

[h3]Claim Spooky Rewards[/h3]
The Hallowed Ground can spawn randomly in T4–T8 regions throughout the open world. Look for pumpkin-decorated portals to enter Bob’s lair and face him for a chance to earn eerie rewards. Victorious adventurers may uncover Jack-o’-Donkey and Horse Macabre mount skins, as well as Allhallows Treats that grant a temporary Fame boost for non-PvP activities. But be warned: these treats don’t last forever, so enjoy them before they rot!



Event times:

• Albion Asia: October 23, 00:00 UTC – November 12, 23:00 UTC
• Albion Americas and Europe: October 24, 10:00 UTC – November 13, 10:00 UTC

[h3]Trick or Twitch[/h3]
Three new off-hand vanity skins have joined the Noble Twitch Drops lineup: the mischievous jack-o’-lanterns!

• Snack-O’-Lantern: happily stuffed with snacks
• Burp-O’-Lantern: a little too full for comfort
• Grump-O’-Lantern: as moody as Bob himself

To celebrate Allhallows, Noble Drops will be continuously active from October 24, 10:00 UTC to November 14, 9:30 UTC, featuring boosted drop rates for these new lanterns. Watch your favorite AOCP streamers, collect your chests, and let the pumpkins handle the trick while you claim the treats.

Our first public playtest last week for the upcoming Realm Divided update was a great success, with hundreds of players clashing over Fortresses and Provinces and giving the team invaluable insights into how the new features play. We’ll be building on this with an expanded playtest this Friday, October 24 at 15 UTC, and we want you to join!

The first playtest was so popular that players were queuing to join, so this time we’re increasing the server capacity to make sure more people can get involved and give us an even better picture of how large-scale faction fights will play out. And in addition, this time all five royal factions will be involved. Once again, large amounts of Gold will be given away to each factions’ top contributors, and additional Gold codes will be raffled away amongst participants.

For full details, and information on how to join, check out this forum post. See you on Friday!

Following our peek into the Faction Camps coming with Albion’s next update, today we’re taking a look at another new feature that’s in development: Faction Chests.

Here’s what Art Director Stefan Warias said about the ideas behind their visual style:

There are a few different chests in Albion Online, and it was important to make these clearly identifiable as a Faction Warfare objective. With the Faction Warfare rework, we’re thematically looking at an organized, ongoing military conflict, and these new chests communicate that.

They’re made out of sturdy metal and have a heavy, almost aggressive appearance – with sharp rivets, like a safe, protecting them from opponents and the impact of combat. Cuts and imperfections reflect the handcrafted, medieval style of Albion, while also reinforcing that the chest is being fought over in a battlefield.



Charred banners of all factions, struck by arrows, lie beneath it to connect the different city factions with the chest and communicate that the chest is the reward for the victors, while the Faction Warfare banner form is reflected in the lid to provide another visual tie to this feature.

We’ll reveal more about Faction Chests and the other features in the forthcoming update soon. Stay tuned!

Albion Online’s next content update, Realm Divided, is coming soon. Scheduled for November 24, this update focuses on revamping Faction Warfare, making it an active, ever-shifting campaign where every player can make a difference. From mighty Faction Fortresses to a new system of Provinces, Realm Divided is set to usher in a new era of conflict across Albion’s Royal Continent.



The territorial mechanics of Faction Warfare are being reworked with a brand-new system of Provinces. These provide focal points for faction activities, making it easier to find battles and objectives on the Royal Continent. Players earn war supplies for their side by participating in faction activities within the Provinces, driving their cause forward. This culminates in a dramatic battle for a Faction Fortress, with the attacking side attempting to besiege and capture the Fortress. The success or failure of this attack determines the shape of the broader war across the Provinces, with every player having a part to play.



Faction Transports are rolling onto the scene, making it easier for players to reach the frontlines of faction conflict and throw their weight into the battle. And there are new objectives within active regions, too. Faction Camps, overrun by bandits, offer rewards to those who can fight off the competition and claim them for their faction, while Faction Chests provide spontaneous opportunities for faction-flagged players. Meanwhile, brand-new vanity rewards can be earned to show off your prowess in fighting for your faction’s cause across Albion’s battlefields.

If you want to experience these features first-hand before the update launches, and have the chance to earn rewards at the same time, join our public playtest! Get the info here, and help shape this new era in Albion’s fierce faction conflict.

A new Dev Talk is here! In this video, Game Director Moritz Bokelmann takes a first look at Albion’s next major update, Realm Divided, scheduled for November 24. This update focuses on revamping the game’s Faction Warfare systems, making it an active, strategic, and ever-evolving source of Royal Continent PvP.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Goals[/h3]
Faction Warfare has long been a core element of gameplay on the Royal Continent, and offers many players their first taste of open-world combat and group PvP. However, in some ways it’s struggled to fulfil its potential, with fights too scattered and infrequent, and travel times too long.

The next update aims to improve the Faction Warfare experience in several key ways:

• Make it an active, ongoing conflict
• Tie together Albion’s economy, travel, strategy, and combat
• Bridge casual and large-scale PvP
• Allow players of all levels to have an impact

[h3]Provinces[/h3]
Realm Divided reworks Faction Warfare’s territorial mechanics into a new system: Provinces.

• Provinces are made up of several different regions on the Royal Continent
• These create clear frontiers between factions, reorganizing the old frontline system
• A system of rotating territorial wars leads to connected, meaningful battles
• Players are drawn into large-scale conflict, with consequences for the wider campaign

[h3]Faction Fortresses[/h3]
Within each Province stands a Faction Fortress, which provides control over the area.

• These bring Fortification gameplay to the Royal Continent
• Players of all levels can now participate in large-scale sieges
• Capturing or defending a Fortress can push the frontier forward, or help repel the enemy
• Each Fortress fight carries weight, influencing the momentum of the broader war

We’re excited for you all to experience the new era of Faction Warfare first-hand, and on October 17 we’ll be running a public playtest to get your feedback on these developments. Click here for details, and join in for the chance to earn rewards and help shape the new update – the more the merrier!

Stay tuned for more Dev Talks coming soon, where we'll take a more detailed look at the new Faction Warfare features on the way when Realm Divided launches.