[2022] Season 16 Schedule and Changes

Season 16 Schedule and Changes

Guild Season 16 kicks off on Saturday, June 11th. Read on for all the details!

Contents:

1. Important Dates
   
2. What's New This Season
   
3. Detailed Season Schedule
   

1. Important Dates

• 11.06.2022 (Saturday): Season starts, Invasion Day #1, all Territories Reset
  
• 12.06.2022 (Sunday): Scoring starts (by time zone)
  
• 13.06.2022 (Monday): Territory Battles Start
  
• 09.07.2022 (Saturday): Invasion Day #2 - Energy/Season Point Storage Payout, all Territories Reset
  
• 06.08.2022 (Saturday): Invasion Day #3 - Energy/Season Point Storage Payout, all Territories Reset, Territory scoring doubles, Might and Favor for killing Siphoning Mages doubles
  
• 03.09.2022 (Saturday): Scoring of Territories Ends, Energy/Season Point Storage Payout
  
• 04.09.2022 (Sunday): Final 5v5 Crystal League Matches
  
• 05.09.2022 (Monday): Season Ends at 9:59 UTC, Offseason period begins
  

2. What's New This Season
For the full list of Season 16 changes, including Crystal League schedules and all Castle/Outpost changes, see this forum post: Changes for Guild Season 16

Castle / Castle Outpost Overhaul
For Season 16 we overhauled Castles completely, and vastly improved the Castle visuals in two entirely new layouts.

• Castles and Outposts no longer generate passive Season Points
  
• Instead, opening Castle and Outpost chests grants Might to all players from the guild in proximity to the objective
  
• Castles and Outposts also have a new Might Level in the Conqueror’s Challenge, which is how they now generate Season Points
  
• Castles now spawn high value chests throughout the entire week:
  
  • Every 3 hours, every Castle and Castle Outpost has a chance to spawn a chest.
    
  • This chest has a random value, which is broadcast globally one hour before it can be opened. Since all these spawns still stay synchronized, the largest power blocks can’t contest all chests without splitting up, which also allows mid-sized guilds to contest these objectives.
    

Additionally, we also modernized Castle fight mechanics. For example, the demolition hammer can now be used without pre-equipping it, like a gathering tool.

Crystal League Changes / New Crystal Arena
Competitive 5v5 battles have always been an important endgame feature in Albion Online, and the 5v5 Crystal League is intended to offer this playstyle. However, in its current form it has been too difficult to get new players into this content. To introduce more players to this exciting game mode we are adding the new Crystal Arena with our Into The Fray Update. And once new Crystal teams form in the Crystal Arena, they can now start playing in the new 5v5 non-lethal Crystal League. This is an entire Crystal League added which only has non-lethal matches, but also the full 9 level experience. This should make the process of getting new teams into the Crystal League much smoother and increase overall participation.

Non-Lethal 5v5 Crystal League Added
A knockdown-rules 5v5 Crystal League now runs alongside the full-loot League:

• Uses current Crystal League system but changes all matches to knockdown rules
  
• Rewards are reduced from the full-loot League, but still sufficiently reward progress
  
• Season Point cap is shared with full-loot League
  
• Players can qualify for the Crystal League Championship through the non-lethal League
  
• Matches happen at different times than the full-loot League, allowing participation in both
  

General 5v5 Crystal League Changes (apply to both Lethal and Non-Lethal modes)

• 5v5 Crystal Realm map adjusted:
  
  • East and west capture points moved slightly northwards
    
  • Objects added to map for additional choke points and structure
    
• New mechanic added to 5v5 matches, Double Healer Penalty:
  
  • Teams with two healing Staffs get an additional healing reduction debuff, even if the two healers are not healing the same target
    
  • Penalty applies in all 5v5 matches, including Arena and Crystal Arena
    
• Only Level 1 Tokens can be bought from the Energy Manipulator, Level 4+ Tokens are untradeable
  

20v20 Crystal League Changes

• Match Adjustments:
  
  • Base Respawn time: 10s → 15s
    
  • Runestone Channel Time: 10s → 7.5s
    
  • Points per Death: 2 → 3
    

The goal of these changes is to make matches more accessible. Shorter channeling of Runestones makes them easier to claim, while higher Respawn times and points per death reduce the number of deaths per match, reducing gear costs. Additionally, this makes mass strategies, like sacrificing numerous players to secure Runestones in non-full loot matches, less successful.

• 20v20 matches are now scheduled across fewer time slots, with more teams playing simultaneously, to reduce no-shows
  

New Crystal League Skin
A new Crystal Gladiator Wardrobe Skin can be won in all Crystal League matches:

• Wardrobe pieces are non-tradeable and consists of 4 pieces: Helmet, Armor, Shoes and Cape
  
• Winner chests have a rare chance of dropping pieces – the higher the level, the higher the rate. (With a 0% drop chance in daily matches)
  

Might Level Adjustments
We additionally made it easier to progress in certain Might Levels, where guilds hadn't progressed as much as we would have liked.

• Corrupted Dungeons:
  
  • Might Level Requirement per Level: 6,000 → 4,000
    
• Crystal Spiders:
  
  • Might for first Level: 30,000 → 20,000
    
  • Season Points - First Level: 30 → 20
    
  • Might Increase per Level: 45,000 → 30,000
    
  • Season Point Increase per level: 15 → 10
    
• Outland Treasures:
  
  • Might for first Level: 30,000 → 20,000
    
  • Season - First Level: 30 → 20
    
  • Might Increase per level: 45,000 → 30,000
    

3. Detailed Season Schedule
11.06.2022: Start of Season

• The Guild Season and the season-long Conqueror's Challenge and Guild Challenge start at 11:00 UTC
  
• Ownership of territories in the Outlands is reset, and they can be reclaimed by guilds starting at the following times:
  
  • Saturday at 18:00 UTC for territories with primetimes of 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, or 21:00 UTC
    
  • Sunday at 01:00 UTC for territories with primetimes of 00:00, 03:00, or 05:00 UTC
    
• Guardian bosses must be defeated to claim a territory (balanced for about 5 players)
  

12.06.2022: Territory Scoring Begins
Territory Scoring:

• Owned territories give points at the end of their primetime
  
• Exact values vary based on zone quality (proximity to center of Outlands) and can be viewed in each zone's local map
  
• Territory points can be further increased by leveling up towers. Details: forum.albiononline.com/index.php/Thread/122485
  
• Clicking a territory on the world map shows its daily point value
  

Siphoning Mages:

• Territory points are generated by Siphoning Mages, which spawn dynamically (1.5h, 2h, 3h, 6h) until the maximum of four are present
  
• Mages can be killed by any player outside the territory owner's alliance
  
• Since the beginning of Season 14, killing Mages no longer gives Season Points directly, but instead gives Might (which generates Season Points indirectly via the Conqueror's Challenge)
  

Note on Castles:

• Beginning with Season 16, Castles and Outposts no longer generate passive Season Points and are not tied to the season calendar
  
• Instead, opening Castle and Outpost chests grants Might to all players from the guild in proximity to the objective
  
• Castles and Outposts also have a new Might Level in the Conqueror’s Challenge, which is how they now generate Season Points
  

13.06.2022: Territory Battles Start

• For details of open-world territory control, see: forum.albiononline.com/index.php/Thread/122485
  

09.07.2022: Invasion Day #2

• All territory claims are dropped at 10:00 UTC
  
• Territories become reclaimable and Guardian Bosses spawn
  
• Territories with a primetime starting at 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 21:00 UTC become claimable at 18:00 UTC on Saturday
  
• Territories with a primetime starting at 00:00, 03:00, 05:00 UTC become claimable at 01:00 UTC on Sunday
  

06.08.2022: Invasion Day #3, POINTS DOUBLED

• DOUBLE POINTS for Territories, and double Might and Favor for killing Mages, for the rest of the season
  
• All territory claims are dropped at 10:00 UTC
  
• Territories become reclaimable and Guardian Bosses spawn
  
• Territories with a primetime starting at 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 21:00 UTC become claimable at 18:00 UTC on Saturday
  
• Territories with a primetime starting at 00:00, 03:00, 05:00 UTC become claimable at 01:00 UTC on Sunday
  

03.09.2022: Last Call for Territory Battles

• Point scoring ends for each territory at the end of its downtime, and territories cannot be challenged afterward
  
• Final 20v20 Crystal League Matches
  

04.09.2022: Final 5v5 Crystal League Matches

• Final 5v5 Crystal League Matches of the season
  

05.09.2022: Season Ends, Offseason Period Begins

• The season officially ends right before maintenance (9:59 UTC) and a winner is declared