[img]//assets.albiononline.com/uploads/media/default/media/9e84ebc0711a79cb9eb8264690acb0d7f67610f2.jpeg[/img] The [url=https://albiononline.com/en/update/Queen][b]Queen Update[/b][/url], released January 20, 2020, was by far the most successful Albion Online content update since launch, confirmed by consistent population growth since January and a record-high of over [b]500,000 monthly users[/b] for the month of April. Nearly six months in the making, Queen was nothing less than a complete revisioning of Albion's high-level endgame, although the new features and systems it introduced affected players of all levels and playstyles. On a more bittersweet note, player numbers have also been affected by the lockdown and quarantine measures worldwide. We know many in the Albion Online community have been touched by the current pandemic, and are facing numerous present and future challenges. Games in general have seen a tremendous surge in popularity over the past months, and Albion Online is no exception – and as unfortunate as the reason behind it may be, we're grateful for those in our community who have stepped up to support each other, help out new players, [url=https://albiononline.com/en/news/over-40000-raised-for-charity][b]raise funds for charity[/b][/url], and make the Albion community even stronger during these uncertain times. For us, as the developers of the game, increased player numbers mean [b]increased responsibility to all our players[/b] to ensure the game's performance remains optimal, and that gameplay remains fun, accessible, and fresh. To make sure we keep up with the increased resource demands of a growing population, we're designating [b]dedicated performance developers[/b] to make sure the game runs as smoothly as possible, and implementing [b]game design changes, balancing, and improvements[/b] with a larger player base in mind (such as the recent increase in Solo Randomized Dungeon spawns with Patch 11). [img]//assets.albiononline.com/uploads/media/default/media/3f62750de37449b1711f0b1a93cc50fb439ded80.jpeg[/img] Another positive effect of this uptrend (which started even before the Queen launch) is that it allows us to further expand our development team. Those looking to join the Sandbox Interactive team, or who know others who might be interested, can check out a list of available positions on our [url=https://albiononline.com/en/jobs][b]jobs page[/b][/url]. Thanks for your loyalty to, and support of, Albion Online over the past year. We're happy to welcome new players to the world of Albion, and very excited to bring some [url=https://albiononline.com/en/news/devtalk-whats-next][b]major new features[/b][/url] to the ever-growing world of Albion.