Karlsruhe, 20.06.2013 – Gameforge today announces that the integration work on AION’s upcoming update 4.0 is running at full speed. The German, French and English language versions are currently in the process of being localized; the Karlsruhe games provider has set August of this year as a planned release date.
“A game with a large volume of text such as AION requires an enormous localization effort, not to mention the technical requirements needed for each of the individual countries. It’s very important to us that when our players get the update, they are immediately able to play both in their native language and in the best possible quality at the same time. The necessary work towards this for 4.0 is progressing well and I’m confident that the update will be available on the European servers in August,” said Volker Boenigk, Executive Product Director for AION at Gameforge.
Booming sticks, gentle licks: engineers and artists
For the first time since AION’s launch in 2008, new classes are finding their way into the game. The engineer is ranged fighter who is extremely agile and mobility focussed: he primarily tackles his opponents with two Aether Revolvers or a mighty Aether Cannon. The engineer’s playing style changes according to the type of weapons he has. While the Aether Cannon causes an enormous amount of damage, but requires a considerable amount of time – revolvers make multiple shots and daredevil acrobatics possible.
The artist, on the other hand, is a little more on the quiet side: this class uses the power of music to inspire and heal allies as well as weaken enemies. Artists use all types of string instruments as their weapons.
All new in 4.0: maximum level, areas, instances and more
Aside from the new classes, update 4.0 introduces a whole series of new features to Atreia: the previous maximum level of 60 has been increased by 5 levels to level 65. Heroes can reach these levels in the new areas surrounding Katalam, which are divided into North, South and underground regions. Inside these areas, there are also six new instances each promising high-level heroes hours of continuing adventure. PvP fans will also be well catered for thanks to new fortresses and base combat.
Furthermore, fans can look forward to new emotes as well as an extended selection of hairstyles that give their heroes an individual look. The interface is also being given a revamp. The character creation screen, for example, has received a fresh, modern design.
Death & Betrayal
Although the Balaur Lady Tiamat has been eliminated, there’s no time to breathe a sigh of relief: Lord Beritra betrayed Tiamat and has now taken control of her dark secret – a weapon of unparalleled magnitude, which has the power to turn the tables in favour of the Balaur.
AION is Asian premium game development studio NCsoft®’s most successful MMO game and remains one of the most popular titles in South Korea. Millions of players all over the world populate the lands and territories of the fantasy world of Atreia. The game has been continually expanded and enhanced with countless updates. Aside from numerous features and functions, this includes standards of the MMO genre such as new instances, interesting reward systems and better level opportunities through quests and innovations. These innovations include the mentor system, where experienced players help out beginners and both sides benefit. AION has been free-to-play since the 29th February 2012, allowing players to experience the game in its entirety for free.
