[img]//assets.albiononline.com/uploads/media/default/media/d5e816188a7e73e41ead81d44cf12e0be68c8453.jpeg[/img] It might seem hard to believe, but today Albion Online marks [b]six years [/b]since its official launch in 2017! The last twelve months have been truly momentous, with a [b]new server [/b]added, [b]record player numbers [/b]reached, and the gameworld further expanded and improved. While we celebrate this with a special [url=https://albiononline.com/news/living-legacy-2023][b]event[/b][/url] 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, [b]Living Legacy[/b], which saw statues of Albion's past season winners come to life and roam the open world. [previewyoutube=YlCnHz4g0B4;full][/previewyoutube] The festivities continued with a special [b]Anniversary Stream[/b] 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, [url=https://albiononline.com/update/beyond-the-veil][b]Beyond the Veil[/b][/url], went live. This brought mysterious and magical new realms to the game, foremost among them the [b]Mists[/b], a new land of danger and opportunity. The update also introduced the lost city of [b]Brecilien[/b], a whole new [b]Fey Armor [/b]line, [b]Pristine Resources[/b], and numerous other features and improvements. [img]//assets.albiononline.com/uploads/media/default/media/c6e340d3c0662d0acf5017a4374d00c0c7af3c5c.jpeg[/img] [h3]Year-End 2022 Honors[/h3] 2022 was wrapped up with Albion Online receiving the MassivelyOP [b]"Best PvP" [/b]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". [img]//assets.albiononline.com/uploads/media/default/media/ccf38b08bde7a99f327f373a395bf8b8c2bd83e1.jpeg[/img] [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, [b]Albion East [/b][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. [previewyoutube=iUTHkUlxJ4A;full][/previewyoutube] Prior to the server’s full launch, a [url=https://albiononline.com/news/closed-beta-is-here][b]Closed Beta[/b][/url] was held. This included a unique, three-week long [url=https://albiononline.com/news/closed-beta][b]Beta Guild Season[/b][/url], allowing players to experience an intense, condensed season with permanent rewards for the most successful. [b]S I A M[/b] marked their place in Albion’s history by taking the crown for this season, before the new server [url=https://albiononline.com/news/albion-east-live][b]opened its doors[/b][/url] to everyone! [img]//assets.albiononline.com/uploads/media/default/media/795e9a78079b9de172b47e3f72d935ed2ac7b148.jpeg[/img] [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 [url=https://albiononline.com/news/east-launch-stats][b]first two weeks[/b][/url] of the server saw nearly [b]two billion resources gathered[/b], nearly [b]three million PvP kills[/b], and, sadly, [b]2,680,889 dead rabbits [/b]- numbers which increased even more rapidly as the weeks went on. [url=//assets.albiononline.com/uploads/media/default/media/74977842feacf13f91677f6a8a0611193dd3569f.png][img]//assets.albiononline.com/uploads/media/default/media/84e7f07d3615d751f62c0188733eff8ee1f6af76.png[/img][/url] But most notably of all, the server launch saw Albion Online smash its [url=https://albiononline.com/news/albion-player-record][b]all-time player record[/b][/url], with an astonishing [b]300,000 active users [/b]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: [url=https://albiononline.com/news/knightfall-is-here][b]Knightfall[/b][/url]. [previewyoutube=xhLxGK0MvnA;full][/previewyoutube] 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 [b]new treasure objectives[/b], along with a brand-new dungeon: the storied and atmospheric [url=https://albiononline.com/news/dev-talk-knightfall-abbey][b]Knightfall Abbey[/b][/url]. Brecilien saw the arrival of a trader, [b]Eralia Wayfarer[/b], offering never-before-seen wares to those with sufficient standing. And swift, magical [b]Mystic Owl [/b]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 [url=https://albiononline.com/news/devtalk-shapeshifter][b]Shapeshifter[/b][/url] 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. [previewyoutube=U2bXBopsnk0;full][/previewyoutube] 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 [url=https://albiononline.com/news/living-legacy-2023][b]Living Legacy[/b][/url] 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! [previewyoutube=0GkBBVDtqIo;full][/previewyoutube]