Summer update announced for June 22
06/14/2023 - Following ArcheAge's Spring Update, Kakao Games and XLGAMES are pleased to announce their second content update for the MMO in 2023. The summer update includes an all-new transformation skill, the Daru, which brings game-changing abilities, 10vs10 flag wars, and the beta for a global arena where players from around the world can compete for victory.
Starting June 22, this update will change how players perceive and play ArcheAge in the long run. On top of that, there are also a lot of usability improvements and skill balancing!
At the top of the headlines are the cute Daru, the newest transformation skill in ArcheAge. The Daru abhor combat, love money, and feature a number of skills that make them excellent merchants, farmers, cattle herders, auction house operators, and more. Using the 'Daru Transformation Scroll' (which players receive in a key quest), players can access the abilities. Once the scroll is activated, players take on the Daru's form, stats, and style. By becoming the cute pacifists with the blue skins, players can:
- Take the shape of the Daru
- Increase movement speed while riding a donkey when the Trade Pack is applied
- Breathe under water
- Increase their swimming speed by 20
- Use the Daru Speciality Preservation Bag 7 times a week
- Deal extra damage during the "Big Reel In" in the Mirage Isle fish festival
But these benefits come at the cost of previous race skills, combat skill usage (except basic skills), and the ability to enter instances. The Daru are great for exploration, gathering, mining, farming, and so much more, making them perfect for players who want to enjoy the world of ArcheAge. This gives players a whole new perspective on ArcheAge - literally.
Factionless flag furor
But the Daru aren't the only new addition to ArcheAge. Once players have explored the world enough, they can take part in the Flag War, which pits two teams of ten players against each other. No factions, just flags, while players are automatically divided into a red and a blue team when they enter the arena.
At the beginning of the game, flags appear in certain areas of the game. The task of the players in each team is to score points by bringing the flag to their base. Grabbing the flag reduces movement speed and prevents players from using gliders and magithopters. However, they can still sprint to avoid their opponents.
The first team with 250 points wins, with each flag in the base earning 10 points and each enemy killed earning 2 points. Players also receive buffs in the Blessing area (randomly distributed: Movement Speed Increase, Damage Reduction, Immunity to Debuffs, and Invincibility) and they can also hide in glowing camouflage bushes to avoid being seen by their opponents, giving them the upper hand in battle.
Global reach
Starting in June, the "Make a Splash" global arena beta service will also be available, where players from the four service regions of Korea, Asia, North America, and Europe can form teams and participate in the arena together. The global arena will be represented as a globe icon in the instance UI. Once the beta is over, the arena will be improved and the instances will be expanded so that adventurers from different regions can have fun with the content.
Source: Press release