Crystal Raiders kicked off 2024 with a bang for Albion Online, bringing Territory Raiding, a reworked Conqueror’s Challenge, and the opportunity to compete for Crystal Weapons. But it also marked the start of Albion’s new update schedule, and it’s already time to introduce the next major update: Foundations. Game Director Robin Henkys sat down to share some insights into what’s in the pipeline.
Fortifications
Crystal Raiders has seen the Outlands become more active among a more diverse range of guilds, thanks to the new mechanics it brought to Guild Seasons. At the same time, Territory Raiding can be difficult to defend against, particularly for smaller guilds.
With this in mind, the Foundations update will introduce a new territory feature: Fortifications.
- Guilds can build and improve fortified walls and gates in territories to hold attackers at bay
- Higher tiers of Fortifications will be harder to break down, allowing more time for the defenders to rally their forces
- Territory Guards will also be reworked, and will be able to be upgraded to unlock new abilities
Fortifications stand to benefit the game in a variety of ways:
- As upgrading Fortifications will require stone, this will catalyze Albion’s stone economy
- Defenders will have to make strategic choices when upgrading Fortifications
- It won’t be possible to upgrade an entire Fortification in one go
- Defenses will reset after a successful invasion, and at the end of a Guild Season
- These choices will then guide attackers’ tactics, and bring greater variety to territory battles and raids
- This system will be further expanded in the future with more choices for both attackers and defenders
Daily Reward Chests
To add a further incentive for guilds to strengthen their territory defenses, their value will be increased:
- Territories will give Daily Reward Chests
- The contents of these chests increases based on player activity in the territory and surrounding regions
- This will encourage guilds to be active in and around their territories
- It will also discourage guilds from attacking players doing PvE activities near their territories
- Guilds may even look to protect such players from potential attackers
Further Additions and Improvements
The Foundations update will of course include additional features, for example:
- The next batch of Crystal Weapons
- A much-anticipated Spectator Mode which will allow players to watch Custom Matches
- This will open the door to community-organized tournaments
Raiding and Fortifications will receive ongoing refinements and additions beyond this update, and new Crystal Weapons will of course continue to be developed. But beyond that, we will look to improve existing game features in a forthcoming update, and we welcome your suggestions and feedback!
In the meantime, thanks for watching and stay tuned for more on Foundations soon!