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2023: Albion's Year in Review



2023 is almost over - and what a year it’s been! With the launch of a second server, record player numbers enjoying the game, and some hugely ambitious new features added, this year saw Albion take huge leaps forward like never before. So join us as we take a look back at some of the major events of the past twelve months…
[h3]Albion East[/h3]
The year started with a momentous announcement: Albion Online was to open a brand-new, second server called Albion East. Located in Singapore, this promised to make Albion more accessible for a host of new and experienced players, who could enjoy better connection speeds, optimized event times, and of course the experience of a fresh start in an untouched version of the world.

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February 20 saw the Closed Beta open for Albion East, with players competing in a special, condensed Guild Season to earn unique rewards. Then, in March, the new server officially opened its doors…
[h3]A Global Phenomenon[/h3]
Following a special, five-day early access period for Founder Pack owners, Albion East threw its doors open to the world on March 20. Its popularity surpassed all expectations and saw Albion smash its previous player record with 277,000 active users across both servers on launch day. And soon after, on April 2, the 300,000 mark was broken, as Albion teemed with life like never before.



With players flooding into the new server, Albion East was soon built up from an untouched land into a fully-flourishing world, with its own thriving economy, and guilds and alliances vying for control of the Outlands.

And hot on the heels of all this came the return of the Rites of Spring event. Only this time, there was a new, dangerous face in town to meet our adventurers.

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[h3]Knightfall in Albion[/h3]
May brought with it the release of a major patch: Knightfall. This unveiled further secrets and treasures within the Mists, including the magical new dungeon Knightfall Abbey, a decayed realm with beautiful, stained-glass windows which told stories of Albion’s past.

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Knightfall also introduced Eralia Wayfarer, a trader in Brecilien, and brought some brand-new items including Mystic Owl mounts. But while all this was going on, the team were hard at work on Albion’s next big update…
[h3]Wild Blood[/h3]
Away from the solitude of Knightfall Abbey, Wild Blood saw Albion unleash its primal side, introducing some massive new features like Shapeshifter Weapons, Tracking, new potions, and powerful Awakened Weapons.

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This update developed every side of Albion’s gameplay, from economics to combat, with some ambitious new mechanics added to the game. Players roamed the open world in pursuit of fantastical beasts, crafted their essences into powerful new items, and developed personalized weapons with unique traits forged through combat. After everything that 2023 had brought, Albion Online showed no signs of slowing down.
[h3]Looking Ahead to 2024[/h3]
And indeed, 2024 will get off to a flying start, with the recently announced Crystal Raiders update arriving January 8. This promises to revamp Guild Seasons, with exciting new territory mechanics and valuable rewards for individuals and guilds alike.

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This also marks the beginning of a new development cycle for Albion Online, with updates arriving more frequently, in sync with each Guild Season, and each focusing on a specific area of the game.

As we move into the new year, then, there’s a lot to look forward to on the way. For now, though, we want to thank you, the community, for being with us in 2023 and making this such a successful year. See you in 2024!

The Alchemist Vanity Bundle is Here!



The Alchemist Vanity Bundle has arrived! This brand-new premiere bundle is available to buy now, and includes a full costume set along with the Alchemist’s Packboar Mount Skin for your Direboar base mount.

With rare, mystical ingredients and extracts appearing on Albion’s marketplaces, some have devoted themselves to exploring the possibilities of these new discoveries. Sequestered away in peculiar lairs, they bring together long-forgotten knowledge with a taste for scientific invention, creating potent potions to let fly upon their enemies.

Laden with their paraphernalia, and wearing bizarre, illuminated goggles and timepieces, they head out into Albion’s open world to test their wares in combat. Accompanied by a trusty Alchemist’s Packboar to carry their equipment and sniff out danger and opportunity, they enter the battle - ready to unleash this strange fusion of the ancient and the modern to devastating effect.

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The Alchemist bundle includes the following vanity skins, which work on male and female characters alike:
  • Alchemist’s Glasses
  • Alchemist’s Armor
  • Alchemist’s Boots
  • Alchemist’s Backpack
  • Alchemist’s Packboar

As with past bundles, you can use all costume and mount skins with all characters on your account, on both servers, and they are never lost or destroyed. All items will be unlocked in the in-game "Appearance" menu after purchase.

Pick up this premiere bundle and embrace this strange science!

A Curious Character Prepares to Emerge



In the shadiest corners of Albion’s towns and cities, eccentric figures cloister themselves away, surrounded by esoteric books and curious apparatus. Soon, though, they’ll be ready to surface, and bring the strange fruits of their work into battle.

A new vanity set launches next week! Stay tuned to see what’s brewing…

Guide: Refining



Refining in Albion Online is the process between gathering and crafting. It consists of converting raw materials into a refined resource that can be used for crafting equipment, selling in the market, or distributed to dedicated crafters to help sustain your guild. Check out the Crafting and Marketplace guides for more information on how crafting and the marketplace work in Albion Online!
[h3]Refining and Albion’s Economy[/h3]
In order to craft equipment, you need to obtain refined resources. Prices continuously fluctuate in Albion Online due to its player driven economy; some players take advantage of this by finding the lowest prices for raw materials, refining them, then reselling them at a profit. Refined materials are in constant demand due to the Black Market buying equipment, players studying items, and PvP combat where equipment may break.

Raw materials can always be gathered in the open world. Gathering these materials in the correct ratios to refine higher-level resources poses a challenge and may not always be possible. Therefore, most refiners use the Marketplace to source raw materials in bulk.


[h3]The Refining Process[/h3]
Players can convert raw materials into refined products at a refining station. Refining a resource above Tier 2 will require a refined resource of the tier below, as well as an increasing amount of raw materials for each tier. The following table shows the quantities of raw resources required to produce a single piece of refined material:




Refined materials of tier below needed

Raw materials needed

Tier 2

-

1

Tier 3

1

2

Tier 4

1

2

Tier 5

1

3

Tier 6

1

4

Tier 7

1

5

Tier 8

1

5

Refining an enchanted resource requires an enchanted refined material of the tier below, except Tier 4 which uses regular Tier 3 material.

Stone blocks are an exception to this rule as they cannot be enchanted. Instead, when using enchanted rocks, the amount of refined materials needed and the amount of stone blocks created increases. Using Uncommon rocks requires twice the input of refined blocks, while providing double the output; Rare rocks four times the input and output; and Exceptional rocks eight times the input and output.



If you use Focus while refining, you will get back a fairly substantial quantity of resources during the refining process. Check out the Focus Points guide for more in-depth information on refining efficiencies!
[h3]Transmutation[/h3]
If there is ever a low supply of unrefined materials, you can buy low-tier resources (minimum Tier 4) and transmute them one tier or enchantment level higher. This can be done in the second tab at the appropriate Crafting Station. Resource transmutation thus places an upper limit on resource costs at the Marketplace, and allows players access to higher-level resources even when they are scarce. The cost of transmutation increases with tier and enchantment level, and is also affected by Global Discount and Station Taxes.


[h3]Where to Refine[/h3]
Once raw materials have been obtained through gathering, transmutation, looting, or the Marketplace, players can take them to the dedicated building for the material they want to refine. It’s very important to note that, depending on the crafting location, you may get a different resource return. This is because of Local Production Bonuses, and is particularly significant for refining. Below is a table showing the buildings and cities with the highest return rate for each resource:


Resource

Crafting Station

City with highest return rate

Planks

Lumbermill

Fort Sterling

Cloth

Weaver

Lymhurst

Stone Blocks

Stonemason

Bridgewatch

Leather

Tanner

Martlock

Metal Bars

Smelter

Thetford

These buildings can be found within cities, Hideouts, and on guild or personal islands. Cities will always yield the best return rates, but may require players to pay higher taxes for using player Crafting Stations. Make sure to check the tax rate before refining larger quantities.

Crystal Raiders Arrives January 8



2024 starts with a bang for Albion Online, with Crystal Raiders on the horizon. Albion’s latest content update launches January 8, re-envisioning Guild Seasons with new systems and new rewards. Territory Raiding introduces exciting dynamics to guild warfare, and Crystal Weapons are powerful, prestigious prizes for the strongest guilds. Hideouts have been rebalanced, and become harder to destroy the longer they stand, while Conqueror’s Challenge rewards are updated to encourage participation in a range of activities. And new Tracking targets represent valuable goals for open-world PvE. With all this and more, Crystal Raiders will make Albion more exciting, unpredictable, and vibrant than ever for individuals and groups alike.

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[h3]Constant Conflict[/h3]
Territory Raiding adds a new dimension to Guild Seasons, with the possibility to steal Raw Siphoned Energy from a rival guild’s territory outside of planned invasions bringing constant activity to Guild Seasons and giving smaller guilds new opportunities to strike. Meanwhile, guilds receive Season Points and Siphoned Energy each day based on their territories’ stored Energy. And Hideouts’ effects are more closely linked to territory ownership, while long-standing Hideouts are more difficult to remove - rewarding those who defend their Hideouts and territories vigilantly.


[h3]Rich Rewards[/h3]
New rewards bring greater incentives to individuals and groups throughout a season. Crystal Weapons are crafted from Artifacts earned from Conqueror’s Challenge chests, with the first three arriving with this update: the Infinity Blade, Rift Glaive, and Astral Staff, each with its own powerful spell. A Daily Might Bonus grants Might to players based on the amount of Energy their guild siphons each day, encouraging consistent activity by individual guild members. And the Conqueror’s Challenge awards a greater variety of chests based on both individual Might levels and a guild’s Season Ranking, offering hugely valuable rewards to those who participate in a range of Guild Season activities.


[h3]A Wealth of Improvements[/h3]
New, elite-level Tracking targets are being introduced which drop Silver and loot, broadening high-level group PvE options. A new Region Quality Overlay on the world map gives a convenient overview of the relative values of regions. Balance changes to weapons and spell reworks keep combat fresh and unpredictable. And UI and graphical improvements make Albion’s gameplay experience smoother than ever before.

Crystal Raiders marks the beginning of a new era in Albion, with more frequent and focused content updates keeping the game fresh for all types of players. For more on these changes, check out the official Crystal Raiders update page:

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