With “Age of Sorcery”, Conan Exiles received a substantial, free update – dark magic enters the realm of barbarians. In the trailer, you can see what new spells offer you. However, microtransactions, such as a Battle Pass, were also introduced, and that’s not well received by many.
What does the new update bring? With Age of Sorcery, the survival hit Conan Exiles truly steps into a new age. The update has been live since September 1st. The new dark magic is the highlight, but there are also massive changes to the game:
- Spell mechanics
- Battle Pass with free and premium paths
- Bazaar for cosmetic items
- More in-game events that rotate regularly
- Perks and attributes have been revised
- Overhauled building system
- New creative mode
- Transmog system to customize the appearance of items
- Balance adjustments
- Quality-of-life improvements
- Bug fixes
- Reworked animations
Everywhere in Conan Exiles has been tinkered with. If you want to see the changes in detail, take a look at the English patch notes (via funcom.com).
We from MeinMMO also had a chance to take a look at the update and conducted an interview with the developers. You can find an assessment of the content here:
How is the update received? Opinions after the update are quite divided and tend towards the negative. This can be particularly observed on Steam.
Player numbers have nearly doubled – from around 10,000 players at peak to about 20,000 – but the initial reviews fall below the usual average.
At the time of this article, there were 178 reviews after the update – 86 of them positive (48%), 92 negative (52%). This is well below the usual ratings for Conan Exiles. In the last 30 days, the average was 74% positive reviews (via steam.com).
The positive reviews generally come from players who want to express their overall enthusiasm for Conan Exiles. This is hardly about the new content, but about the survival hit as a whole.
The negative reviews, on the other hand, are almost exclusively about the new update. Again and again, one reads that the new content – the dark magic, the revised systems – are good for the game. In stark contrast to the new microtransactions.
One exemplary review from the loyal fan “SoulSchism”:
I love this game and have spent over 2,300 hours on it. […] But I have to write a bad review, but not because of the sorcery. Rather, it’s because of the bazaar and battle pass system.
Typically, a decor DLC pack costs around 10 dollars and is filled with all sorts of fun things. But when they split it into a battle pass and decoration, it can cost over 30 dollars just to get all the decoration items. Not to mention having to slog through a very poorly designed battle pass challenge system.
I love this game and I love it enough to say that this system will only alienate people and frustrate long-time fans.
SoulSchism on Steam
Additionally, some players are upset about bugs that came with Age of Sorcery. In some cases, the game crashes after the intro, while others cannot start the single-player mode anymore. Conan Exiles has always been known for its somewhat unpolished technology, especially after major updates.
Overall, opinions about the game after the update are balanced on Steam. However, the new monetization approach particularly bothers veterans who do not want to see such mechanics in a survival game.
If you want to take a look at the update or Conan Exiles in general, make use of the current sale on Steam. Moreover, the survival hit is included in the Xbox Game Pass.
If you have long been a member of PS Plus on PlayStation, you may already own the game – it was available in the subscription in early 2019. Crossplay is only available on PC platforms (Steam, Xbox, Epic), not with consoles.
Share your opinion about Conan Exiles and the new update in the comments. If you prefer to read about upcoming survival games, check here: 8 new survival games to look forward to in 2022 and 2023
