Albion Online News

Summer is in full swing, and the Divine Challenge is back! For the entire month of August, earn points for open-world activities, unlock chests to get valuable loot, and claim your very own Divine Owl.
[h3]Simply Divine[/h3] DIVINE OWL: This month's Challenge brings back this ghostly white flying mount with a brisk base move speed. This mount has a special ability, Foresight, which creates a shield that gives a temporary speed boost when broken. (Note: like all mounts, the Divine Owl can only move in navigable ground areas and cannot fly over obstacles.)
 

AVATAR RING: Adventurers who rack up enough total Challenge Points will also earn the Divine Challenge Avatar Ring, which will frame your chosen avatar in a heavenly golden aura. This non-tradable item permanently unlocks this avatar border for one character, or can be traded to the Vanity Merchant for one Vanity Token.
 



SEASONAL SPECIALS: All month long, reach weekly goals to unlock Divine Challenge chests. In addition to valuable rewards like Adventurer's Tomes and Silver, you'll also have a chance to unlock mystical furniture items like the Mage Statue, Magic Rune Circle, and Glass Sphere.
 
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 / avatar ring reward. So log in, head out into the open world, gather points, and claim these rewards while you can!

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[h3]Zones in Albion[/h3]

The world of Albion is made up of four different zone types – blue, yellow, red, and black – each with different PvP rules and consequent effects on your reputation. Losing fights in different zones has varying consequences, which we will explore below.



[h3]Flagging for Combat[/h3]

Flagging signals to other players that you are looking for a fight. In yellow and red zones, flagging allows a player to attack unflagged players. To be clear, a flagged player can always be attacked by anyone in yellow and red zones. This means both flagged and unflagged players can attack a flagged player. Flag at your own risk!

Yellow and red zones have different consequences for losing a fight, and possible rewards for winning.

In a yellow zone, a player who drops to zero HP can only be knocked down, not killed. If this happens to you, your equipped items lose 5% durability. A little bit of Silver will also drop next to your body. However, no gold or silver is ever lost from your inventory - the Silver that drops on knockdown / death is generated by the system based on the value of your equipment that lost durability.



Red zones are much less forgiving. When your HP is reduced to zero by a player in a red zone, you die. All your items drop on death, and you respawn with no equipment at either your pre-set Home, or your last visited city. Some of the items you were carrying will trash, while others will lose durability but be lootable by whoever can pick them up.

The same death rules apply in black zones (also known as the Outlands). However, players do not need to be flagged in black zones - PvP is always turned on! You will be able to attack or be attacked by anyone not in your guild, alliance or party.

[h3]Consequences of Attacking Unflagged Players[/h3]

So, what’s stopping bandits from running wild in the Royal Zones? Reputation. In short, flagged players who attack unflagged players lose reputation. Lose too much reputation, and you get kicked out of lower zone types, or out of the Royal Continent entirely until your reputation recovers!



[h3]How to Flag for PvP[/h3]

At the top left of the screen, to the right of your name, is a small blue shield. To flag, simply click on this shield.



Once you click this button, you must remain still for 15 seconds. During this time, you charge up a bar. When it’s full, you’re flagged! This lets other players around you know you’re flagging. Likewise, if a player near you is doing this, beware: they are preparing to attack!

[h3]Faction Warfare[/h3]

Faction Warfare involves a special kind of flagging: faction flagging. While faction flagged, you gain faction points for gathering, killing creatures, or claiming outposts. These increased bonuses are offset by the fact that people flagged under a different city’s faction can attack you.

To faction-flag, you must find the Faction Enlistment Agent in any of the Royal Cities (Martlock, Lymhurst, Fort Sterling, Bridgewatch, Thetford, or Caerleon).



[h3]Zerg Markers[/h3]

Now that you know how to flag for combat, let’s talk about zergs. Zergs are larger groups of players, ranging from 10 all the way to the hundreds! Zergs often roam the Outlands and Royal Continent hunting for players to fight.



Luckily, Albion Online has a useful system to mark Zergs on the minimap so you can see them coming. Red zerg markers start appearing on the map when 11 or more players travel closely together. In the Roads of Avalon, these zerg markers start appearing at 8 players. The more players there are traveling together, the larger the circle on the map!

[h3]Unrestricted PvP Subzones[/h3]

Some parts of the world, such as Treasure Sites, are unrestricted PvP subzones. In these areas of the world, players who enter are automatically flagged for PvP and can freely fight anyone else in the subzone, unless they are currently flagged for the same Faction (Caerleon excluded). These areas are clearly marked by a glowing yellow circle on the ground. Cross the border at your own risk. Dropping to zero HP inside these areas due to PvP follows the zone rules: knockdown in yellow zones, death in red zones. Fighting inside PvP subzones does not affect reputation, as all players inside the subzone are flagged.

We recently kicked off a series of Dev Talks which take a look at a number of new features coming soon to Albion Online, starting with the all-new Shapeshifter weapons. In the next of these videos, Game Director Robin Henkys takes a look at Tracking, a new open-world activity.

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[h3]Goals[/h3]

As the open world is the heart of Albion Online, Tracking looks add a new element to gameplay here:

• Players are challenged to search the open world in pursuit of a target
• The focus is less on direct PvP combat, but rather to increase the amount of players roaming the open world
• This encourages chance encounters for different-sized groups

[h3]How does it work?[/h3]

Following Tracks

• Players must first craft a Tracking Kit, which lets them interact with tracks in the open world
• Reading a track reveals a location to search for further tracks
  • This may be in the same region or a neighboring region
  • Players will generally have to search a wider area for tracks, not a specific point
• There, players may find further tracks, the final target, or other random encounters
• Each tracking step has a time limit

Finding the Target

• Each step increases the chances of catching the target, which will usually then involve a fight
• Bringing too many players can scare off the target, meaning the chase must continue
• As only the hunters know the location of their target, larger groups cannot simply wait to contest them

[h3]What can be found?[/h3]

• Initially, rare creatures matching the Shapeshifter weapon forms can be tracked down and fought
• These can drop new Artifact Items
  • These can be crafted into Shapeshifter Artifact Weapons
• They can also drop new Alchemical Ingredients
  • These can be crafted into a set of rare potions
  • Part of a wider rework of potion enchanting
• A wider range of trackable creatures will be introduced in later updates

We hope you’re excited about all the new possibilities which Tracking will open up. In our next Dev Talk, we’ll talk about a new concept which may use ingredients from Tracking: Legendary Items. Stay tuned for that, and thanks for watching!

It might seem hard to believe, but today Albion Online marks six years since its official launch in 2017! The last twelve months have been truly momentous, with a new server added, record player numbers reached, and the gameworld further expanded and improved. While we celebrate this with a special event and Anniversary Sale, join us to take a glance back at the last year in Albion’s history!

[h3]One Year Ago: Albion's Fifth Anniversary[/h3]

We begin with a look back at the previous anniversary, which marked a huge milestone: five years since Albion Online’s official launch. The celebrations kicked off with the debut of a brand-new in-game event, Living Legacy, which saw statues of Albion's past season winners come to life and roam the open world.

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The festivities continued with a special Anniversary Stream where Albion's developers discussed creating the game, offered rare insights into early development builds, and gave a sneak peek at what the coming months and years might bring to the world of Albion.

[h3]Beyond the Veil[/h3]

In November, Albion's next major update, Beyond the Veil, went live. This brought mysterious and magical new realms to the game, foremost among them the Mists, a new land of danger and opportunity. The update also introduced the lost city of Brecilien, a whole new Fey Armor line, Pristine Resources, and numerous other features and improvements.



[h3]Year-End 2022 Honors[/h3]

2022 was wrapped up with Albion Online receiving the MassivelyOP "Best PvP" Award for the second year in a row, while also appearing on several best-of lists in 2022, including Rock Paper Shotgun's "30 Best Steam Deck Games" and MMORPG.GG's "18 Best Isometric MMOs".



[h3]Albion East[/h3]

2023 kicked off with the announcement of one of the biggest developments in Albion Online’s history: the launch of a second server based in Singapore, Albion East [https://albiononline.com/news/coming-to-asia]. This would offer a completely fresh version of the game which players would build from the ground up, along with massively improved ping for the Asia-Pacific region and game timers optimized for that region.

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Prior to the server’s full launch, a Closed Beta was held. This included a unique, three-week long Beta Guild Season, allowing players to experience an intense, condensed season with permanent rewards for the most successful. S I A M marked their place in Albion’s history by taking the crown for this season, before the new server opened its doors to everyone!



[h3]Record Player Numbers[/h3]

The launch of Albion East saw an unprecedented rush of players arrive, as they sought to progress their characters and guilds from humble beginnings and carve out their piece of Albion. The first two weeks of the server saw nearly two billion resources gathered, nearly three million PvP kills, and, sadly, 2,680,889 dead rabbits - numbers which increased even more rapidly as the weeks went on.



But most notably of all, the server launch saw Albion Online smash its all-time player record, with an astonishing 300,000 active users on April 2 across both servers! This eclipsed the previous record, set following the mobile launch, and confirmed that the new server was taking Albion to new levels of popularity and activity across the globe.

[h3]Knightfall[/h3]

While this astounding achievement took place, development of the game did not stop, and May brought with it the release of a major patch: Knightfall.

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This expanded on and improved the features from Beyond the Veil in significant ways, adding new layers of depth and gameplay opportunities. The Mists received new treasure objectives, along with a brand-new dungeon: the storied and atmospheric Knightfall Abbey. Brecilien saw the arrival of a trader, Eralia Wayfarer, offering never-before-seen wares to those with sufficient standing. And swift, magical Mystic Owl mounts could be raised from Owlets to transport players through the world.

[h3]Looking Ahead[/h3]

As Albion heads into its seventh year, anticipation is building for even more big developments over the coming months - including new Shapeshifter weapons, which will allow players to switch back and forth between Human and Shape forms with different abilities, bringing entirely new dynamics to combat in Albion.

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With this and more on the way, the next year shows no signs of slowing down. And of course, it is you, the players, who bring this world to life, and we’re eternally grateful for your continued enthusiasm and support for the game. The Living Legacy event is currently running, so you can mark this occasion in-game against sentient statues from Albion’s past to earn special rewards. And here’s a toast to you, the community, as we look ahead to another exciting year for Albion Online!

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With Albion’s sixth anniversary just around the corner, the celebrations continue apace. Decorations adorn the cities, adventurers enjoy some birthday cake, and the statues of Conquerors’ Hall are back out in the open world! For the next two weeks, you can fight these living monuments to Albion’s history in the Living Legacy event.

And to mark this special occasion, we’ve created a brand-new trailer:

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[h3]Rich Rewards[/h3]

In addition to last year’s enemies, this year's event also features statues from Seasons 16, 17, and 18 brought to life. All of these monuments to Albion’s victorious guilds can be found roaming around any Tier 5 or higher zone, carrying valuable loot like a Sixth Anniversary Riding Horse Skin, Anniversary Cake which grants a temporary Fame buff, a firework-firing Chromacannon, and much more. The statues come in three different sizes and strengths - and of course, the fiercer the foe, the greater the rewards. For full details, check out the patchnotes.



On top of these rewards, any character who logs into the game while the event is running will receive a special Sixth Anniversary Avatar and Avatar Ring to mark their participation. The Living Legacy runs until maintenance on July 26 on Albion East and July 27 on Albion West - so arm up, bring down these malevolent monuments, and earn your rewards!

[h3]Twitch Drops, Contests, and More[/h3]

For the duration of the event, we’ll also be running a special Twitch Drops campaign. This will run concurrently to our regular Twitch Drops campaign and have the same watchtime requirements, but will feature new Exclusive Chests as rewards. And to top it all off, we’ll also be hosting contests on our social media platforms - check this forum post for an overview of these.