Albion Online News

Into the Fray Patch 2 is live! This patch brings updates to the Crystal League, some significant UI and audio improvements, a number of combat balance changes, and more. Read on for a summary…

[h3]Crystal League Changes[/h3]
Time slots for Crystal League battles have been updated with this patch, for non-lethal 5v5 and for Levels 1-3 20v20. Level 2 and 3 tokens for both the Lethal and non-Lethal League can once again be purchased from the Energy Manipulator, and old Level 2 and 3 tokens can be used again. Season-bound Level 2 and 3 tokens can be salvaged for their Silver purchase price, while Level 4 and 5 tokens are tradable again.



[h3]Quality-of-Life Improvements[/h3]
This patch continues to add to the significant quality-of-life improvements introduced since the Into the Fray update, with new changes including:

• Laborer Journals can now be purchased in bulk
• Active gathering yields are now displayed in the Character Details UI
• Daily Production Bonuses (from Dynamic Events) are now included in the Local Production Bonuses UI on the zone map
• Sounds created by remote players in Cities, particularly chests and player/mount footsteps, have been reduced
• …and more

[h3]Combat Balance Changes[/h3]
Improvements have been made to some of the reworked Magic Staff abilities, for example:

• Grudge (Cursed Staffs) Damage has been increased, and the Cursed Tar hit delay reduced
• Thorns (Nature Staffs) area Damage has been increased, and the Rejuvenating Flower growth interval reduced

Additionally, Corrupted Dungeons have seen adjustments, with Mephits made more effective at preventing players from kiting excessively. Some heavily used weapons in this game mode  have also been toned down to diversify the meta here.



[h3]Other Changes and Improvements[/h3]

• Castle chests now include rarity effects on the world map
• Castle world map icons now indicate when they are under attack
• Crystal Arena rank icons now display a tooltip showing ranking points
• …and more

For a full rundown of all the changes in this patch, check the official patchnotes.

The dead just won't stay buried! For the entire month of July, take the Undead Challenge to unlock fantastic rewards. Earn points for open-world activities, unlock chests to get valuable loot, and claim your very own Spectral Direboar.

[h3]Live Your Best Afterlife[/h3]
SPECTRAL DIREBOAR: This month's Challenge brings back the popular Spectral Direboar, a ghostly mount with a unique spell, Glimpse of the Other Side, which renders you temporarily invisible. Use it to evade your enemies... or to launch a sneak attack! 

AVATAR RING: Adventurers who rack up enough total Challenge Points will also earn the Undead Challenge Avatar Ring, featuring a spooky skull-themed design that will strike fear into the hearts of your foes. 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 Undead Challenge chests. In addition to valuable rewards like Adventurer's Tomes and Silver, you'll also have a chance to unlock spooky furniture items like the Candelabra, Lantern, and Memorial of the Fallen, as well as rare and valuable Undead Vanity Skins.

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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The recent Into the Fray update brought new life to Magic Staffs and opened up high-level combat to more players than ever. Those looking to survive and thrive in this new era will have to master a diverse array of skills. For those looking to show off their prowess in the heat of battle, next week will introduce not one, but two new vanity bundles especially designed for users of elemental magic… and their swiftest mounts.

Whether you're storming the newly designed Castles, conquering territories, or adventuring alone or in small groups across the open world, these combination costume and mount skin bundles will make sure you stand out on the field of battle.

Keep your eyes open for more details next week!

The first patch for the Into the Fray update is now live! This patch brings changes and improvements to the Arena, Crystal Arena, Portal Town travel, spells and UIs, and more. Here’s a summary of some of the changes:
[h3]Arena and Crystal Arena[/h3]
This patch brings some improvements to the Arena and the brand-new Crystal Arena. Firstly, players are fully healed at the end of a match and have all cooldowns reset, so that you enter the next fight at full health. Players’ max load now receives a significant increase while in an Arena match. Waiting times in the queue have been significantly reduced, particularly for premade 5-player teams, to get you into the action even quicker. And the highest Crystal Arena Rank Points that a player has reached in a season is now displayed in the Character Stats UI.


[h3]Quality-of-Life Improvements[/h3]
This patch builds on the Into the Fray update with some helpful Quality-of-Life improvements, including:

• Players can now travel to Royal Cities and islands from Portal Towns with luggage
• Clicking a capturable orb, for example in the Crystal League, while mounted now dismounts a player rather than displaying an error message
• Various spell and UI optimizations

[h3]Other Changes and Improvements[/h3]

• The time it takes for Castle and Castle Outpost chests to despawn has been increased from 5 minutes to 30 minutes
• "Enrage" buff of Elite Castle Guards no longer stacks
• … and more

For a comprehensive list of changes, read the official patchnotes.

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]Castles Re-Envisioned[/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]Crystal Arena and Non-Lethal Crystal League[/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 Balancing[/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]Unlock the Behemoth[/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 on AlbionTV[/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.