Tag: Season 4

Union Update – DevStream and gamescom

Posted on by Ubi-Thorlof

Hey Anno Community,

On Tuesday we revealed DLC 11 in our DevStream with Game Designer Dominik, International Product Manager Lisa and Community Developer Oliver. We dived into almost all aspects and features of “Empires of the Skies”: From the new mines and the various airship types over airship combat to finally the Airship platform and its modules.

Not to forget the post offices that are part of the mail system, as well as the drop actions, allowing you drop various goods over your own or other players’ islands: propaganda, water, sea mines, bombs and care packages.

And we also gave you a first look at the scenario, “Clash of Couriers”, that throws you into a Grand Postal Derby.

If you missed the live stream, you can now watch the VOD of the stream here.

Over the next weeks, you can expect DevBlogs with more insights on the individual aspects of “Empire of the Skies”.

Anno at gamescom

After two years of “online only”, the video games trade fair gamescom is back this year with a physical event in Cologne!

Amongst other Ubisoft games, we will also be at there at the Ubisoft Community Lounge with presentations and Q&A sessions on August 25th-27th. If you happen to be at gamescom, feel free to visit us, chat and ask your questions.

Please note that our panels will be held only in German! But we’re happy to chat with you in English, of course.

Due to regulations, seats in the Community Lounge are limited. You can book one either in advance or try to sign up directly on site. The following links lead you to the sign-up for the 3 days:

We’d be happy to meet some of you there 🙂

Union Update – We’re entering the “Empires of the Skies”

Posted on by Ubi-Thorlof

Hey Anno Community,

 

We know you have been (im)patiently waiting for news on DLC 11 – Empire of the Skies – and we can now say: It’s time, we’re on the road to release!

In fact, we already kicked it off last Thursday: Have you ever seen such happy airships before?

Over the next weeks you can expect more news, teasers and of course the usual DevBlogs with details on the airships, the new scenario and of course DLC 11 itself while we’re nearing the release at the end of August. Follow us on Twitter to not miss out any news!

Something else you shouldn’t miss: Our DLC 11 live stream!

Mark August 9th in your calendars (that’s in exactly one week), since we’ll be showing off DLC 11 and its scenario in our live stream starting at 5PM CEST/UTC+2.

We’re looking forward to seeing you all in the chat next week on twitch.tv/ubisoftbluebyte

Cosmetic DLC 9

We did say we wanted to give you an update on Cosmetic DLC 9 – the winner of the community vote – before we really started with our DLC 11 coverage.

Some of you may have already seen it in late July when we posted it on our social channels: Our Art Team wants to share a first glimpse at what they’re currently working on for the “Old Town Pack”. Having seen your comments during the vote, we’re sure a modular medieval city wall should make many of you quite happy, no? While the concepts for all ornaments in the pack are ready, we’re still working on the 3D models. More on Cosmetic DLC 9 later, after the release of “Empire of the Skies”.

Development of Anno 1800 – Season 4 is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action within the framework of computer games funding.

Vote for 2022’s third Cosmetic DLC!

Posted on by Ubi-Thorlof

Hey Anno Community,

 

As we announced earlier this year when we talked about Cosmetic DLC plans for 2022, we still want to leave the third of this year’s CDLCs up to your vote!

While the first released on February 15th (the “Seasonal Decorations” Pack) and the second one (the “Industrial Zone” Pack) will release in June, the third one is planned for Autumn.

And for this, we are planning to once more put the decision on the topic into the hands of you, our Anno Union community!

 

In total, we’re presenting you with three possible Cosmetic DLC topics. As you will see, we also considered your feedback on topics that you would like to see more ornaments about.

And now enough of the introduction, here are the 3 themes you can vote on! Keep in mind that those are only our current plans for the Cosmetic DLC topics. The exact content and scope depend on the theme of the pack which we will further explore as soon as the result is clear.

And now enough of the introduction, here are the 3 themes you can vote on! Keep in mind that those are only our current plans for the Cosmetic DLC topics. The exact content and scope depend on the theme of the pack which we will further explore as soon as the result is clear.

 

 “Nature Pack”: Ornaments that can be used in larger inner-city parks or maybe as part of a bigger recreational nature park outside the city. It would focus on nature objects like special trees, natural monuments, rock formations and maybe places for hikers to rest.

“Eldritch Pack”: Century-appropriate gothic elements for your cities with darker and potentially slightly spooky ornaments. These could be gargoyles, twisted trees, graveyard pieces and other gothic architecture.

“Old Town Pack”: The age of industrialization is upon us, but that doesn’t mean forgetting about the more medieval roots of your cities from previous Annos. This pack would focus on leftovers from older times for your city centres.

Of course, all of us on the Anno 1800 team have our own favourites that we are crossing fingers for (did someone say “Eldritch Pack”?) and we sat down to discuss our Cosmetic DLC plans and this year’s candidates:

 

That’s not all, though: Three Anno characters will do their best to convince you for their personal favourite – keep an eye on our social channels Twitter and Facebook for their takes!

As before, the Cosmetic DLC will be a standalone purchase for the price of 4,99€ and will not be part of the Season 4 Pass to give our players maximum flexibility over their Anno 1800 experience.

 

The voting will run for two weeks and end on Monday, May 16th at 11:59pm CEST / 5:59 PM EDT. You can click on any of the images to view them in full size. Happy voting, and stay safe!

[totalpoll id=”16703″]

*Please note that as before, all content will be cosmetic and will not change Anno 1800’s gameplay. The names of the packs are “working titles” and might change later on.

Union Update: It’s “Seeds of Change” Release Day

Posted on by Ubi-Thorlof

Hello Annoholics!

The long wait is over: It’s release day! Today we are releasing DLC 10 “Seeds of Change” as well as the *shiny* new scenario “Seasons of Silver”.

With the new DLC you will be able to revolutionize your agricultural sector in the New World using the new Hacienda. And if you’re looking for a challenge: Join Vasco Oliveira on his search for silver!

Want to know more? We got you covered! You can read all about DLC 10 in our dedicated DevBlog right here. To find out more about the brand new scenario go check out our latest DevBlog.

 

To help you get into the right mood, definitely check out our dedicated DLC 10 trailer below!

From today on, DLC 10 “Seeds of Change” including the scenario is also available to buy separately from the Season 4 Pass! Head over to our store to find out more.

In addition to the new DLC we are also releasing GU 14, you can find the full Release Notes here.

Twitch Drops

As always, the release will be accompanied by a Twitch Drop event. Don’t forget to tune into your favourite streamers on Twitch till April 20th to receive two new ornaments! For more information about the Twitch Drops event check out our dedicated Union Update from last week.

Community Challenge

To kick off the new season we have prepared a community challenge for you! Planting the “Seeds of Change” takes a lot of work and a lot of fertiliser. So, the residents of the New World have asked for your help: The community must come together and reach a global target of 60.000 fertiliser modules built! As a reward, two new company logos will be unlocked for everyone. So, what are you waiting for? Get fertilising!

The community challenge will run for a period of 2 weeks and we will keep you updated on your progress throughout.

And, if you like challenges like this you’ll be excited to know that this is just the first of several. We have planned more challenges for DLC 11 and 12 so keep an eye out for those!

Free Week & Friend Referral

Do you love Anno 1800? Then why not share the love with your non-Annoholic friends: Anno 1800 will be free-to-play from April 12th till 20th! The free week includes the full base game without the DLC and will be savegame and multiplayer compatible.

 

And you know the most exciting part? Like announced earlier this, if you get your friends to play the game, both of you will get the latest Cosmetic DLC , the “Seasonal Decorations” Pack, for free if your friends purchase the game.

Just head to this website and invite one of your friends who doesn’t own Anno 1800 yet!

And that is it for this week’s Union Update! We hope that you will enjoy the new DLC and scenario and cannot wait to see how your New World changes. What are your thoughts on the new content? Let us know in the comments below! And, as always, if you have any other questions or thoughts feel free to share them with us below.

Development of Anno 1800 – Season 4 is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action within the framework of computer games funding.

DevBlog: “Seeds of Change”

Posted on by UbiCecce

Hello Anno Community,

Last week was packed with news, revealed during our Season 4 unveiling stream. If you missed that, don’t worry! You can find a detailed overview blog here on the Anno Union. As we are getting closer and closer to the release of the first DLC of Season 4, it is time for us to give you an overview of the content that you will soon be able to experience first-hand.

As you probably guessed from the title, this DevBlog focuses on the first DLC of Season 4 “Seeds of Change”: its features, mechanics, and anything else you need to know to be fully prepared for your upcoming adventure in the New World!

White stucco walls, topped with red clay tiles; heavy wooden doors and shutters; a spacious courtyard, shimmering in the sun — the unmistakeable features of the hacienda.

By day, this place is bustling with activity: carefully cultivated crops cross the courtyard by the cartload, brewers engage in animated conversation about whether oak or acacia wood makes for the best rum cask, and rugged farmers haul sacks of fertiliser to the fields — granted a wide berth by white-trousered hacendados.

In the evening, when the day’s work is done, a gentle serenity descends. Gathering round fountains or leaning against the pillars of colonnades, the townspeople relax in the soothing light of dusk, sharing a comforting cup of atole or conversing with the curious parrots perched atop the adobe walls.

Life is good here.

The heart of “Seeds of Change”: The Hacienda

Heart of this DLC is the Hacienda: A special building that can only be constructed in the New World. Why is it special? You might ask. First of all, it functions as a central hub for different production buildings, or “modules”, that can be placed around the Hacienda itself. In addition, the Hacienda allows you to enact island-wide edicts, while it also functions as a warehouse. It can be unlocked once you reach the Obrero population tier. However, there is something important to keep in mind: You can only build one Hacienda per island.

Radius

Another important factor to always keep in mind for the Hacienda is the radius. In order to function, each Hacienda module must be placed within the Hacienda radius: this means that buildings that are placed outside the range will be automatically paused. But do not worry! This radius can be extended with population: the more your population grows, the more the Hacienda range will expand.

Modules

The Hacienda has various optional buildings that can expand its functionality. These buildings are called modules and serve different purposes: highly productive Hacienda Farms, additional storage buildings, space-efficient residences, and the Hacienda Brewery. They can be selected from the Hacienda menu and in order to function, these modules must be built within the Radius and must be connected to the Hacienda by roads, either the special Hacienda roads or the normal ones – it’s your choice! Let’s go through each modules, shall we?

Space-efficient residences

There are two different residence modules, one for each tier: Jornalero Quarters and Obrera Quarters. Both buildings can house significantly more residents but are also bigger than their standard counterparts (4×4 instead of 3×3).

Highly productive Farms

One of the most interesting modules is the Hacienda Farm, which allows you to cultivate a wide range of crops, including non-local ones such as grain. Hacienda Farms offer high space efficiency, requiring fewer farm modules than their standard counterparts: no matter which crop you choose, they will always require 64 farm modules. After you have built a Hacienda Farm, you can select the crop you would like to start growing from the Recipe Book. Just like the other modules, Farms must be built within the Hacienda radius to function properly; however, the crop modules can be placed outside the range: this allows you to save up quite a lot of space! The Farm’s production can be boosted by two features: the well-known tractor barns from Bright Harvest, and fertiliser, which comes from an additional module.

Brewery

The Brewery is quite useful, since it gives you the chance to produce some goods previously unavailable in the New World. For example, Beer, which you would normally need to import via Trade Routes, or the new and spicy Hot Sauce. Just like with the Hacienda Farms, you need to select the desired output from the Recipe Book.

Storeroom

The Hacienda Storeroom will be a huge help, especially when boosting the productivity of your farms with tractors and fertiliser. By placing them in the Hacienda’s range, they will increase the overall storage capacity of your island. In this way, you will have the option to increase storage capacity on land, and not only via harbour storage building. Quite handy, isn’t it?

Fertiliser Works

This is where the magic happens. This module will allow you to produce fertiliser, which is then consumed by farms as an additional good that boosts their productivity. Just like the Hacienda building, the Fertiliser module has an influence radius, in this case used to collect… dung, of course. However, how is Fertiliser produced and used? It’s time for us to dive into this new process (not literally, though).

Dung & Fertiliser

To acquire Fertiliser, you must construct animal farms within the radius of the Fertiliser Works. Besides their usual goods, those animal farms will start “producing” Dung, which will be later transformed into Fertiliser in the Fertiliser Works. Fertiliser acts as a normal good, and it is then transported to your warehouse. From there, you can use it on your island’s farms or transport it to other islands – and to the rest of the world! To enable the use of Fertiliser in your farms – both standard and Hacienda ones – you need to attach the fertiliser module to them, just like you would normally do with tractor barns or silos. The farm will then start consuming Fertiliser as an additional good, increasing its productivity. If this is still not enough for you and you would like to boost your productivity even more, then tractors are the way to go: by building a tractor barn adjacent to the farms, the number of fields required by the farm will go from 64 to 96 and the productivity will be boosted to 400%!

Tutorial Menu

Need a hand with modules and understand how the Hacienda works? Do not worry, we have the perfect solution for you. Just like the previous DLC, you can access an in-game Tutorial Menu by clicking the “?” symbol in the top left corner of the object menu you want to know more about: here you will find an overview of all the new mechanics and features.

Edicts

Another important feature of the Hacienda is the possibility to enact policies that will affect the whole island on which the Hacienda has been built. Only one decree at a time can be active, by selecting it from the specific Hacienda menu. You can choose from a range of edicts and revise it as necessary. Here are a couple of examples:

  • Dietary Education Initiative: reduces residents food consumption
  • Local Assemblies: Hacienda Obrera Quarters produce influence

Some of the edicts, however, require a specific level of Attractiveness of your island (e.g., it’s the case for the Local Assemblies mentioned above). Therefore, don’t forget to make your cities beautiful, Annoholics!

Ornaments

Speaking of making your cities beautiful: “Seeds of Change” adds 11 Hacienda ornaments that can be placed on your island and give the perfect Hacienda vibe to your cities: Flowerbeds to make your cities even more colourful, colonnades and walls to elegantly frame the Hacienda, and pools for a splash of crystalline blue.

This is all for today’s DevBlog – but we got more coming this week! We will publish another DevBlog on Thursday, this time about the first Scenario of Season 4: “Seasons of Silver”. Make sure not to miss it!

We hope you are excited as we are for the release of the first DLC of Season 4! As a reminder, “Seeds of Change” will be released on Tuesday, April 12th at 6pm CEST / 9am PST. If you have any question about a specific feature of the Hacienda or would like to know more, please feel free to leave a comment below or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook and official Forums.

Happy city-building!

Development of Anno 1800 – Season 4 is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action within the framework of computer games funding.

Announcing the Season 4 Pass

Posted on by Ubi-Thorlof

Hey Anno Community,

Earlier today we used our latest Dev-Stream to finally lift the curtain on the highly anticipated Season 4 Pass for Anno 1800, which will add three exciting new DLCs to the game throughout 2022. As mentioned, when we first teased Season 4 at the end of last year, the three new DLCs will focus on your New World region, giving you new optimisation opportunities, a new resident tier to attract and new islands to settle.

Each DLC will also ship with a scenario, providing brand new challenges outside of the main campaign or sandbox game.

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DLC 1 – Seeds of Change (releasing April 12th, 2022)

Season 4 kicks off in just two weeks with the first DLC – “Seeds of Change” – that allows you to revolutionize the agricultural sector of the New World.

To make this possible, you’ll first have to build the powerful Hacienda, which will become the agricultural hub of your New World empire. Construct and expand your own country estate with new ornaments as well as various highly efficient modules.

Those allow you, for example, to brew beer directly in the New World and house your population in more space-efficient residences. Benefit from the adoption of island-wide policies through the Hacienda and produce high-quality fertiliser to boost your local farms and even export it to the Old World.

The new scenario, Seasons of Silver, you will follow Vasco Oliveira’s story into a different part of the New World where you will need to face harsh weather conditions while fulfilling ever increasing silver production quotas.

DLC 2 – Empire of the Skies (planned for Summer 2022)

This summer, our second DLC, Empire of the Skies, will usher in the Age of Airships.

Using the latest construction materials from the New World, you can build a variety of new specialized airships.

Optimize your logistical network by transferring goods and workers between your islands in the New World, and keep your people connected with the new mail system.

Your tactical planning will also take on a whole new dimension as you and your competitors vie for aerial mastery.

Empire of the Skies we will also come with another new scenario. More details on this later this year.

DLC 3 – New World Rising (planned for late 2022)

Season 4 will come to its grand finale towards the end of the year.

With the third DLC, New World Rising, you will not only experience the industrial and economic boom of the New World first-hand, but also let your residents embrace their cultural roots and welcome a new population tier.

Discover a highly demanded feature introduced with New World Rising – newly discovered islands offer crucial additional building space to further expand your empire.

You get to enjoy the sight of colourful, thriving cities and build an iconic monument as the ultimate landmark for a self-confident identity of your New Worlds residents.

And like the two previous DLC, “New World Rising” is also accompanied by a scenario.

Bonus Content

While all DLCs will once again be available for stand-alone purchase, there are a few benefits for buyers of the Season 4 Pass. You will receive three exclusive ornaments upon the release of DLC 10, each of them themed after one of our new DLCs: the Ornamental Fountain, the Airship Monument and the Splendid Gateway. Buyers of the Season 4 Pass will also be able to get all three DLCs for 24,99€/$, which represents a saving of around 10€/$ versus individual purchases.

New ways to buy Anno 1800 for Season 4

While the Season 4 Pass is the best way to enjoy all the new content for our existing Anno 1800 players, we also want to offer new ways to users who want to jump into the age of the industrial revolution in time for Season 4. That is why we have created two new editions of the game that will be available through Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games Store, starting today. At the same time, we are removing the previously available Gold Edition and Complete Editions for new buyers (existing owners will, of course, keep all their content, and still be able to re-download it in the future).

All these bundles below will be available from April 12th onwards.

Anno 1800: Complete Edition Year 4 – 119,99 €/$

The best way to jump aboard Anno 1800 is the new Complete Edition Year 4, which includes the full version of Anno 1800, the Digital Deluxe Edition upgrade with the Anarchist character, as well as all four Season Passes. This edition represents savings of around 50€/$ versus buying all included content individually.

 

Anno 1800: Gold Edition Year 4 – 79,99€/$

If you just want to dive right into the new Season 4 content and worry that all previously released DLCs may overwhelm you, the Gold Edition Year 4 is the right choice for you. It includes the full version of Anno 1800, the Digital Deluxe Edition upgrade with the Anarchist character, and the Season 4 Pass. This edition represents savings of around 15€/$ versus buying all included content individually.

 

We are, of course, also still offering the classic standard version of the game for 59,99€/ $, giving to anyone looking to build their personal industrial empire the maximum flexibility in how they want to get started.

 

“Cosmetic Pack” Bundle – 24,99€/$

In addition to these editions, you can now also buy all six Cosmetic DLC of the previous years in a dedicated Cosmetic DLC bundle. This bundle is perfect for all beauty builders and includes the “Holiday” Pack, “Amusements” Pack, “City Lights” Pack, “Vehicle Liveries” Pack, “Pedestrian Zone” Pack, and “Vibrant Cities” Pack.

Thank you all for your tireless passion and support for Anno 1800, which has not only allowed us to reach over 2M players by the end of 2021, but also to support the game with a fourth year of new content and free game updates that will improve the game for our community!

 

Stay safe,

The Anno 1800 Team

Development of Anno 1800 – Season 4 is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action within the framework of computer games funding.

We cordially invite you once again

Posted on by Ubi-Thorlof

So, here I am, writing this invitation to you to join us once again to the unveiling of a new season of content for Anno 1800.

 

We gave you a glimpse at Season 4’s content in December, now it’s time to talk in detail about our plans for this year’s three DLC and their focus on the New World.

So, mark March 29th in your calendars and set an alarm for 5PM CEST/UTC+2. And then join us on twitch.tv/ubisoftbluebyte for one hour of news and gameplay for the first of the three DLC.

 

Until then, keep an eye on our social channels for some first teasers and information on Season 4 and especially the first DLC.

We’re looking forward to seeing you all next week!