Albion Online News

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.

Accessibility to high-level content is one of the cornerstones of the upcoming Into the Fray update, both in terms of the open-world experience and Albion’s 5v5 play. In this Dev Talk, Game Director Robin Henkys takes an in-depth look at some of the ways this will be addressed - with new Portal Towns, a Journey Back ability, new Arena and Crystal League modes, and more.

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Read on for a summary of the video, and watch our previous Dev Talk on Magic Staffs here.
[h3]Portal Towns[/h3]

• Replace the existing Outlands portal regions
• Each Royal City has a corresponding Portal Town in the Outlands
• Each Portal Town shares a Bank and Marketplace with its corresponding Royal City, allowing Outlands-based players a more convenient access point for these
• Each Portal Town features a number of exits into the Outlands
• Invisibility Shrines are now more prominent, and their Invisibility effect lasts longer

[h3]Journey Back Ability[/h3]

• Designed to encourage players to venture deeper into the open world
• Journey Back is an ability on all mounts except for battle mounts
• Transports the player to their last-visited City or Hideout, after a medium-length channel
• Using this ability costs a Silver fee, determined by the distance traveled and the value of goods and equipment carried
• Cannot be used in the following cases:
  • After trading with another player
  • After taking items from a Bank or player-placed chest
  • When returning from a trade mission
  • When positioned within a large group of players
  • When subject to the Disarray or Outlaw penalties

[h3]Other Convenience Improvements[/h3]

• New on-death tutorials and survival tips
• Lost Equipment Loadout saves the last equipment you wore before death into a loadout, for quick regearing
• Training Dummies for combat practice added to Player Islands (from Level 1) and Guild Islands (from Level 3)
• UI improvements like tooltips for region exits, a Muted Players UI, searching and filtering in crafting UIs, and an improved Party UI

[h3]Crystal Arena[/h3]

• A new competitive, non-full-loot, 5v5 Arena mode
• Players can sign up solo or as a group, and will be auto-matched with an opposing team of a similar skill level
• Winning matches earns Rank Points, which determines a player’s Arena Rank
• Rewards for winning a match scale up as a player’s rank increases, and players also earn rewards when they reach a new level (once per season for each level)
• Rewards include a new gladiator-themed wardrobe set, exclusively given for Arena participation

[h3]Non-Lethal Crystal League[/h3]

• Will run parallel to the existing, full-loot Crystal League
• Provides an additional pathway to the Crystal League Championship
• Offers rewards, though less than the full-loot League

[h3]Other Changes[/h3]

• Rewards for both Crystal League modes now include the new Crystal Gladiator wardrobe set
  • This is exclusive to the Crystal Leagues and is non-tradable
• Adjustments made to the Crystal League map
• New Double Healer Penalty debuff in the Crystal League
• New Custom Matches UI allows you to challenge another party with a specific map and set of rules
• General Arena rewards have been improved

With these accessibility improvements to high-level action in the Outlands, Crystal League and Crystal Arena, we can’t wait to see both new and experienced players try them out when Into the Fray launches on June 8. Stay tuned for our next Dev Talk, where we’ll discuss Victory Emotes, Dynamic Events and all the changes and improvements coming to Castles. See you then!

With the Into The Fray update around the corner, it’s time to saddle up and get ready to join the fight. And as luck would have it, for the next ten days you can enjoy a big discount on the fast, fearsome Darkfang!

This premiere mount skin transforms your Swiftclaw base mount into a battle-scarred beast with black fur and fiery, glowing eyes and mouth. As Albion’s adventurers pour into the open world, this speedy yet menacing creature is ideal for raiding Castles or joining in Outland fights.

Like all mount skins, once the Darkfang is unlocked it can be used by all characters on your account. The offer runs until 10:00 UTC on Monday, May 30, and is available to all players using the native client, Steam client or Google Play. Check out the in-game store now and take advantage of this deal before it ends!

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June 8 marks the launch of Albion’s newest content update: Into the Fray. This update brings significant changes for new and experienced players alike, with fully reworked Magic Staffs, improved Castles and Castle Outposts, and new Crystal League and Arena modes bringing broad improvements to combat. New Portal Towns smooth the experience of entering the Outlands, and Daily Events encourage players to broaden the scope of their gameplay and bring additional dynamics to Albion’s economy. With all of these features and more, Into the Fray will make Albion’s thriving world more accessible and engaging for every kind of player.

[h3]Join the Fight[/h3]


A comprehensive rework of Magic Staffs breathes new life into this weapon line, with powerful visuals and animations alongside new and reworked spells. Castles and Castle Outposts have new graphics and layouts along with changes to their chests and timers, making fights more immersive, unpredictable, and competitive. A new, ranked Arena mode - the Crystal Arena - offers players a way to hone their 5v5 skills in a competitive but accessible setting, with the promise of lucrative rewards as they progress, and a non-lethal Crystal League now runs alongside the full-loot League.

[h3]A World of Riches Within Reach[/h3]


New Portal Towns in the Outlands act as extensions of the Royal Cities, with Bank and Marketplace access along with visually reworked Invisibility Shrines. Resources have received a graphical overhaul, with increased distinction between tiers and enchantment levels and greater readability within their environments, making gathering easier and more enticing. New Daily Events offer bonuses on a wide range of activities, encouraging players to diversify their gameplay and adding new dynamics to Albion’s economy.

[h3]Quality-of-Life Improvements[/h3]


A new Activities UI provides a convenient overview of all ongoing events. Victory Emotes allow players to mark kills with a visual flourish, while Twitch Drops are now available to the community. Lost Equipment Loadouts give players an easy way to regear after death, facilitating a quick return to the action. A new Journey Back ability helps cut down on long travel times, Gathering Tomes offer additional gathering Fame, and Training Dummies are available on Player Islands for combat practice.

For more details on what’s coming with Into the Fray, check out the official update page.

In our last Dev Talk, Game Director Robin Henkys introduced the upcoming Into the Fray update and gave an overview of its major features, including a major Magic Staff Overhaul. In today's video, he is joined by Combat Designer Michael Schwahn to give more details of this massive, from-the-ground-up rework of this entire weapon line.

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Read on for a written description – and if you missed the last Dev Talk, you can watch it here.
[h3]Background[/h3]

• In 2021, the War Gloves weapon line launched, with spells and abilities that felt crisp, impactful, and fun
• Some old favorites started feeling outdated in comparison, so have been revamped
• This rework is for one of the largest weapon groups in the game, Magic Staffs
  • 6 weapon lines: Fire, Holy, Nature, Cursed, Arcane, Frost
  • Over 220 items and 90 spells
  • Over one-third of all current weapon options
• Most of the rework will launch with the upcoming Into the Fray update, with the rest coming in a subsequent patch

[h3]Overview[/h3]
Goals:

• Bringing the gameplay experience of Magic Staffs to a whole new level
• Making Staffs fun to use while also rewarding strategic high-level gameplay
• Giving Staffs a powerful and mighty feel on the battlefield

These were accomplished through:

• Massively upgraded visuals (both graphical and VFX)
• Fully reworked player animations
• New audio effects created specifically for each spell
• Last but not least, numerous new and reworked abilities

[h3]Visual, Animation, and Audio Improvements[/h3]

• Redesigned and modernized Staff models
• More distinct shapes and colors for better readability during gearing and combat
• Greater distinction between One- and Two-handed Staffs, both through length and animations:
  • One-handed Staffs are now held towards the enemy; their action feels swifter, like a light sword
  • Two-handed Staffs are held upright; the caster conjures quick attacks from the offhand and heavier attacks from the full staff
• VFX overhauled to make spells feel more impactful and polished
• Completely re-imagined sound design, with all-new sound effects for each line

[h3]Gameplay Improvements[/h3]

• Numerous entirely new spells added
• Older spells reworked:
  • Improving underused spells
  • Adding more depth to simpler spells
• Examples of updates to specific staff lines follow

Fire Staffs

• Pyroblast made more nuanced as a channeled skillshot
  • The longer the channel, the more damage it deals
  • Causes additional knockback when fully charged
  • Caster can break channel at any time for a less powerful shot
• Other new spells: complete rework of Ignite, new E-spell for Infernal Staff

Holy Staffs

• Many smaller adjustments to make abilities more dynamic
  • Now possible to move (slowly) while channeling Holy Beam
  • Desperate Prayer now adds a buff to the caster if used on a target above 40% health
  • Reworked Smite, can now be cast at the ground to hit multiple enemies

Nature Staffs

• Thorns reworked into multi-castable ground area that slows enemies and gives stacking damage buff
• New W spell, Brambleseed: throw to deal instant damage, and after a delay knock enemies airborne and deal additional damage
• Both abilities make solo PvE and PvP more interesting and fun

Cursed Staffs

• Field of Death replaced with Anguished Soul: conjure a ghostly creature that inflicts fear and magic damage
• New Q-slot ability added, many existing abilities improved

[h3]"Into the Fray" and Beyond[/h3]

• The next update includes changes to Fire, Holy, Cursed, and Nature Staffs
• Arcane and Frost Staffs will follow in a later patch, with changes including:
  • Arcane: Energy Bolt and Energy Beam replaced with more dynamic and interesting damage spells
  • Frost: new Q spells that do not depend on cast speed

We’re looking forward to sharing more about Arcane and Frost Staffs once the update is released at the start of the next season. For now, stay tuned for more Dev Talks on Portal Towns, the Castle Rework, and more!