In a new series, writer Will Borger joins our AlbionTV[www.twitch.tv] crew as he tries to work his way up from rookie Albion Online player to hardened warrior. This is part one of his journey.

By Will Borger

The first week of Albion Online’s current season feels like a dream. We were winning then, you see. Our merry band was crushing it, walking around the Crystal Arena like we owned the place and beating other teams like they owed us money. We were, at one point, 18-1. That seems like a very long time ago. I don’t remember the last time we won a game. Part of it, of course, is me. I don’t know what I’m doing, and the schedule of a freelance writer who spent the last month wracked with illness and overloaded with deadlines that leave me little time to practice doesn’t help.

But the real issue, of course, is that I don’t know what I don’t know. I don’t know what the weapons that aren’t mine do. I don’t know what abilities I need to watch out for. I don’t know what visual cues I need to look for that tell me when, for example, people are immune to damage. It would be a bad idea to attack them at that point, right? Well, you don’t know what you don’t know.

And then there’s the positioning game. It’s easy to get out of position in Albion, and I’ve been guilty of it more than a few times. Being out of position usually means you’re dead. But it’s hard to be in position when you don’t know what the other team is doing, what their builds are, and so on.

I can’t expect the team to carry me. I never really did - games like this are too dependent on everyone pulling their weight - but if I’m struggling and another member of the team is struggling? That’s bad news, and not something I can necessarily fix.

Then there’s the stuff beyond your control. We’re an hour-long show, and I don’t always know who I’m going to get for teammates. There’s not a lot of time to practice with them. A decent, well-coordinated team that knows each other can beat a better team. I’m not saying we’re not well-coordinated, but, well… maybe watch our last stream, where everyone is yelling about whether or not Shozen is at fault for one play (he was: love you, Shozen).

Speaking of stuff beyond my control, sometimes we fight one team over and over and over again in the arena and they have our number. Not much you can do there, either, except laugh as you get one-shot by a meme build or stunlocked to death or, my personal favorite, stunned and then one-shot. As we say in fighting games, “It can happen to you.”

You may read this column and think “Wow, Will, you sure are making a lot of excuses,” but that’s not the case. I’m trying to figure out what I need to do to improve: what I can do, and what’s beyond my control. Talking out loud, as it were. I can’t control my teammates or how well they play. I can’t control who we draw in the arena. But I can control how much I practice, what I know, how well I position myself, and how much damage I do (more or less). Maybe I need a new weapon. Maybe I just need practice. Maybe the answer is somewhere in between, but I’ll need to play more to find out.

Before our last show, I said “When you hit rock bottom, the only place left to go is up.” It’s not entirely true: you can stay at rock bottom forever. You can get a jackhammer, and start drilling down deeper if you’re really determined. I don’t mind losing in Albion Online, or any game. We’re making capital-C Content down here, after all, and despite it all, I’m having fun. More importantly, it teaches me what I’m doing wrong. You don’t learn at 18-1. But you do down here. And I don’t plan to be down here forever.

Want to see how Will's journey unfolds? Follow his journey every Saturday at 19 UTC on AlbionTV[www.twitch.tv].

Albion Europe’s first ever Guild Season started on May 4, and things are hotting up on the new server. The action moves into another gear this weekend with an Invasion Day, which we’ll be broadcasting live on AlbionTV[www.twitch.tv]!

Join hosts Lewpac, Shozen, and Bogul at 17:50 UTC on May 25th to watch events unfold. With Albion Europe teeming with life as players old and new work to develop their characters, this is sure to be an intriguing occasion. So join us at the weekend to see how things shape up!

For the full season schedule, see this forum post[forum.albiononline.com].

Season 23 is underway, with Albion’s guilds building up their Fortifications, raising Siege Banners, and unlocking valuable Territory Activity Chests. And this weekend the action ramps up on Albion Asia and Americas, with an Invasion Day!

We’ll be broadcasting the action from both servers live on AlbionTV[http//%27https] for you. At 13:50 UTC on Saturday 18 May, join Robinhoodrs, Shozen, and Bogul for the action on Albion Asia. Then, at 00:50 UTC on May 19, Robinhoodrs, Shozen, and Tazzik will bring you coverage of Albion Americas. So tune in this weekend to see some fierce fighting!

For full season schedules, see this forum post[http//%27https].

Albion Europe[albiononline.com] opened its doors to the world on April 29, and tens of thousands of players, new and old, have been pouring onto the server, gathering resources, battling fierce (and sometimes defenseless) mobs, and banding together into guilds and alliances. So, we took a look at the numbers behind the new server to see exactly what’s been going on since launch and put them together in this shiny new infographic (click to expand):

[assets.albiononline.com]As you can see, the new server is absolutely teeming with life and we’re thrilled to see so many of you building up this unique world. So thanks again to everyone who’s made this such an exciting development, and we’ll see you out in the wilds of Albion Europe!

Since the launch of Albion Europe[albiononline.com] on April 29, player numbers in Albion have been soaring. And on May 1, the game passed a new milestone with 350,000 daily active users!

(Note: for the purposes of this chart, "users" refers to active accounts.)

The previous record across all platforms of 300,000 daily active users came following the launch of Albion Asia in April 2023, but this has now been broken by more than 50,000. This makes the launch of the new server one of the most momentous events in the game’s history, with Albion Europe alone accounting for over 150,000 players daily. On Steam, too, a new peak player count record was set, with over 27,000 concurrent players across all servers.

Albion is now flourishing more than ever across the globe, with new players, experienced players, and returning players alike bringing the world to life. So thanks to our community’s continued support in making Albion what it is, and here’s to the future!

Remember when we started giving away Miststalkers[albiononline.com] for free to everyone who logged into Albion Online? How are you enjoying yours? What? What do you mean you don’t have one yet?

Then let me say it again. Until 10:00 UTC on May 6 you can get a free Miststalker skin just by logging into Albion Online on any platform.

Once again, this is a free Swiftclaw skin for everyone.

Got it? OK, great. Then go pick up your free mount skin now, before this offer ends!

 

Every day, intrepid souls are stepping onto Albion’s shores to write their stories in a brand-new world, including on the new Albion Europe[albiononline.com] server. But every story needs its chroniclers, and among these adventurers are six brave bards. Yes, it’s none other than masters of power metal Dragony!

Dragony honored us by creating a brand-new song inspired by Albion Online. “The Untold Story” captures perfectly the spirit of possibility and adventure that lies at the heart of the game, and the accompanying music video does the same. Check it out here:

The band said:

“We’re no strangers to video games, and we've taken inspiration for quite a few of our songs from some of our favorite games over the years!

Then last year something extraordinary happened, and the fine people from Sandbox Interactive approached us with the idea of writing an original song for the game - an offer we of course had to accept!

It's been an absolute pleasure working with the people of Albion Online to create a song that captures the spirit of adventure and the freedom to write your own story that is the core of the gameplay of Albion Online, and we hope you enjoy the song - and the game - as much as we do!”

Indeed we do, Dragony. So take inspiration from “The Untold Story” and create your own tale in Albion now, wherever you play!

We’re also excited to say that Siegfried and Christoph from Dragony will be joining us for a live chat with the AlbionTV[www.twitch.tv] crew to discuss the song, the video, and their love of games. So tune in at 19:20 UTC on May 3 and learn more about the inspiration behind this tale of adventure!

Move aside, peasants! There’s a new boss in town, and he’s rolling through in a brand-new, top of the line Luxury Cart.

The Luxury Cart is the soft-top model in our Ox line, and features plush red seating, an ale-holder, and wooden rims. We’re only offering these elite rides for one month, and as part of this limited-time offer we’re throwing in a pathetic servant to haul you around as you carry your enormous stacks of valuables from the marketplace to the bank.



To get one of these highly sought-after vehicles, all you need to do is refer a single friend to the Albion Online dealership. But if you want to bring us even more custom, we’ve got even more rewards for you: a T7 Pile of Tomes worth 100,000 Fame for your third referral, and a T8 Pile of Tomes worth 200,000 Fame for your fifth. And for your first ever referral, you’ll get a T8 Pile of Tomes in addition to your Luxury Cart!

• Send your referral link, which you can find here[albiononline.com], to a friend. (You must be logged into your account on the website to view this page.)
• Your friend registers an account and starts playing Albion Online (preferably along with you!).
• The first time your friend purchases at least 30 days of Premium, they will trigger a reward for you.
• On top of that, for your very first referral ever, you'll receive a T8 Recruiter's Pile of Tomes, worth a massive 200,000 Fame.

This Referral Season lasts until 23:59 UTC on May 31, so invite your friends today to claim these rewards and become the envy of your guild!

The Disciples of Morgana have re-emerged from the shadows... and for the entire month of May, you can take the Morgana Challenge to collect fantastic rewards. Earn points for open-world activities, unlock chests to get valuable loot, and claim your very own Morgana Raven mount.
MORGANA RAVEN: This month's Challenge brings back the popular Morgana Raven, a fearsome, fast-moving flying mount with an area-of-effect Fear spell. (Note: the Morgana Raven requires the same terrain pathing as all other mounts, and cannot fly over gaps or obstacles).
 

AVATAR RING: Adventurers who rack up enough total Challenge Points will also earn the Morgana Challenge Avatar Ring, a menacing, fiery frame that will give your avatar an aura of dread. This non-tradable item permanently unlocks this avatar ring for one character.
 

SEASONAL SPECIALS: All month long, reach weekly goals to unlock Morgana Challenge chests. These chests contain valuable rewards like Adventurer's Tomes and Silver bags, along with unique Morgana-themed furniture items.


As always, you can earn Challenge Points by gathering, fishing, farming, and killing monsters. Points count simultaneously toward a daily bonus, a weekly unlockable chest, and the monthly mount. So log in, head out into the open world, gather points, and claim your rewards!