The Free2Play MMORPG ArcheAge is taking the next fresh start. This time it’s setting sail with milestone patch 4.0.
In South Korea, ArcheAge 4.0 has been live since the end of July. At Gamescom in Cologne, Trion Worlds announced in an initial trailer that 4.0 “Conquer Bloodsalt Bay” will also come to Europe and North America.
ArcheAge 4.0 Trailer and Content: What does the next update bring?
ArcheAge 4.0 does not have a release date yet. It is expected to be released “soon” here in Europe and North America.
In South Korea, 4.0 was received “mediocre” by the community. Compared to 3.0, 3.5, or other “major milestone patches,” 4.0 is seen by ArcheAge fans more as a feature update. It focuses primarily on the seas and introduces new naval battles and cross-server arenas.
A highlight is the “Turtle Ship” with 7 cannons on each side.
You can read a list of what ArcheAge 4.0 brought to South Korea here in English.
ArcheAge: From Hype to Niche – What Went Wrong?
ArcheAge has had a mixed development history here in the West. It was released in 2014 and was considered a major contender. With its sandbox elements, the Free2Play title offered a change from well-known sandbox games like WoW. Additionally, Jake Song, the head of the Korean classic Lineage, is behind ArcheAge. Therefore, ArcheAge launched with a lot of pre-release accolades.
The hype around the release was enormous, but there were already early on a multitude of problems with hackers, cheaters, and bots. In its homeland of South Korea, cheat protection isn’t as crucial as in the West because players there must verify their identity to play. A ban has dire consequences there. Here in the West, the game wasn’t as well protected, leading to a multitude of issues: Especially cheaters who secured the limited construction plots and later sold them for high prices posed problems.
Moreover, some business decisions by the publisher angered players: essential resources ended up in the game’s cash shop, leading to an uproar. Technical issues during major events ensured that the hype around ArcheAge lasted only a few weeks. Fans are also frustrated with certain game mechanics in the endgame, like the regrading of items, although the same fans repeatedly emphasize how great and rich in features ArcheAge is overall.
In recent years, ArcheAge has made several attempts with elaborate patches and restarts to recapture the magic of once – but it hasn’t fully succeeded yet. However, maybe 4.0 can still turn the tide.
Currently, however, they are merging servers:
