[img]//assets.albiononline.com/uploads/media/default/media/ad18578bbd5379a49f0b6c28095cbcb6876448e1.jpeg[/img] [b]Guild Season 8[/b] saw major changes to guild warfare in Albion Online, as well as a massive change to the land of Albion itself in the form of [b]a whole new Outlands continent[/b]. The interplay of these new regions and systems presented both challenges and opportunities for guilds of all sizes and opened up the playing field for a new champion to take the crown. Congratulations to [b]Sex with Ex[/b] for emerging victorious among a highly competitive field of challengers and claiming their first-ever season victory! [img]//assets.albiononline.com/uploads/media/default/media/15231728415aaf88abf426d514ba3231c7b9ff07.jpeg[/img] Season 8 started on February 1, directly after the release of the Queen update. Veteran guild [b]Conflict[/b] took an early lead on Invasion Day, with last season's second-place winners [b]Black Order[/b], [b]HustlinHitmans[/b], three-time champions [b]Blue Army[/b], and last season's third-place winners [b]RAQ [/b]rounding out the top five. But already within the first week, newcomers [b]Sex with Ex[/b] had risen through the ranks to first place, where they would remain by fending off numerous challenges throughout the remainder of the season. With the new Crystal League in play, [b]Final Order[/b] managed to break into the top five over the following weeks until being supplanted by [b]Agresor[/b]. After the first Territory Reset (on Leap Day 2020), the top 3 stood at [b]Sex with Ex[/b], [b]Black Order[/b], and [b]Conflict[/b]. On March 6, the AO Daily Show aired [b]an interview with Arista[/b], GM of Sex with Ex, in which he shared their hardworking approach to staying on top in an open-world-based season - click [url=https://www.twitch.tv/videos/562909711?filter=highlights&sort=time][b]here[/b][/url] to watch. By mid-March, [b]Agresor[/b] had broken into the top three, on their eventual way to edging out [b]Black Order[/b] for second place overall. The final ranking was cemented after the Territory Reset on March 28, despite a last-minute push by Agresor to take first place by winning the final Level 8 and 9 Crystal League matches with hand-picked 5-man teams. Ultimately, the final Crystal League showdowns, while thrilling (and lucrative for the participants), weren't enough to upend the final rankings. Congrats again to [b]Sex with Ex[/b] and all the top-ten teams: [list] [*][b]1st place: Sex with Ex (514,195 points)[/b][/*] [*][b]2nd place: Agresor (316,337 points)[/b][/*] [*][b]3rd place: Black Order (239,612 points)[/b][/*] [*][b]4th place: Final Order (233,480 points)[/b][/*] [*][b]5th place: Hammer and Sickle (206,958 points)[/b][/*] [*][b]6th place: Conflict (202,008 points)[/b][/*] [*][b]7th place: Last Warn (190,959 points)[/b][/*] [*][b]8th place: Blue Army (190,358 points)[/b][/*] [*][b]9th place: RAQ (113,549 points)[/b][/*] [*][b]10th place: Crimson Imperium Reborn (112,291 points)[/b][/*][/list] [img]//assets.albiononline.com/uploads/media/default/media/29dea58b7452ff4a385138ceccc7e3aeb10d45e7.jpeg[/img][h3]Season 8: A Whole New Type of Guild Warfare[/h3] Season 8 started on February 1, following the unique [url=https://albiononline.com/en/news/avalonian-invasion-has-begun][b]Avalonian Invasion Standalone Season[/b][/url] that filled the gap between Season 7 and the introduction of the new Outlands that arrived with the Queen update. This season introduced two major new guild warfare mechanics: [list] [*][b]Open-World Territory Battles[/b] to determine territory control, replacing the former 5v5 "GvG" system, and[/*] [*]The [b]Crystal League[/b], which offered high-level 5v5 fights to elite and beginner teams alike, and allowed winning teams to both earn Season Points directly and to upgrade territories for more points and resources.[/*][/list] In addition to the new Outlands, the Queen update brought several major new features that opened up new gameplay options for guilds, including [b]Hideouts [/b]that gave guilds a home in the open world and [b]Elite Dungeons[/b] that offered large-group gameplay with equally lucrative rewards. [img]//assets.albiononline.com/uploads/media/default/media/884089b17cf05c7025ddad83a9b12051b7238230.jpeg[/img] [h3]Season 9 is Coming[/h3] Guild Season 9 starts on [b]May 16[/b], and builds on the foundation of open-world territory battles introduced with Season 8. The season will bring numerous improvements and changes, including: [list] [*][b]Point and Energy Storage[/b] in higher-level territories[/*] [*]Season Points from [b]Veteran and World Bosses[/b][/*] [*]More [b]Crystal League[/b] matches, and the ability to buy Lv.1-3 Tokens directly[/*] [*][b]Increased Energy Drain[/b] for large alliances[/*][/list] For the complete Season 9 schedule and details of what's new, click [url=https://forum.albiononline.com/index.php/Thread/128221-Guild-Season-9-Schedule-and-Changes/][b]here[/b][/url].