ANNO Online to Commemorate Anniversary with In-Game “ANNOversary” Event Kicking Off August 13th
Ubisoft® and Blue Byte® are celebrating the 15th anniversary of ANNO®, the award-winning and long-running PC strategy game series. To celebrate the occasion, fans will be treated to a special “ANNOversary” in-game event — featuring new quests, rewards, and currencies — to be held within the latest installment in the franchise, Anno® Online.
Developed by Ubisoft Blue Byte, Anno Online is a free-to-play, browser-based world-building strategy game that challenges players to build and manage a medieval kingdom and trading empire. Anno Online is currently in Open Beta and is available to anyone that signs up or logs in with their existing Uplay account via the game’s official web site www.anno-online.com.
ANNO History
The very first ANNO® game – ANNO® 1602 – was released in 1998 and was followed by five additional main games as well as multiple adaptions, expansion packs and ports. The series has taken fans of the world-building strategy genre through adventures in several eras of history as well as on voyages the sci-fi future. The latest iteration of the franchise is the highly popular browser game ANNO Online. The ANNO series has sold more than 5 million copies to-date worldwide with the last PC retail iteration, ANNO® 2070, surpassing 1 million units sold in sales, two-thirds of which have come from non-German-speaking territories.
ANNOversary Event
Series veterans will be pleased to see that Blue Byte has implemented objects from all previous ANNO games into the ANNO Online event. During the event, residents of the kingdom are traveling to settle new islands and need to stop by the player’s island for provisions. Players will be charged with helping these residents repair their ships by completing new quests.
In addition, the king’s cartographer has discovered a mysterious island covered with ruins from an unknown civilization. Players will be asked to help him solve numerous mysteries and unearth hidden treasures available in this new land. To unlock sectors on this island, player needs to finish a series of quests given by the cartographer:
- Buff Adventurer’s building (quest)
- Finding missing persons (quest)
- Help with costs (quest)
- Explore important ruins via Exploration spot mechanics: Players will have to explore spots on the map by investing time and resources, but they will be rewarded with unique rewards.
Also commemorating the brand’s anniversary, two exclusive in-game currencies will be made available: “ANNO Planks” and “Doubloons.”
ANNO Planks: Players can obtain this new currency by completing in-game quests and also when participating in community activities such as fan fiction and art competitions. According to the amount of ANNO Planks players will possess, several achievements will be unlocked and with each stage a reward will be provided. Additionally the top players will be rewarded with an exclusive “Hero of the Event” reward.
Doubloons: Players can obtain this new currency when completing in-game quests. It will allow players to get three new buildings, two buffs and one premium ship:
- Enhanced marketplace (max TWO per player): offering a larger influence area than the media marketplace.
- Old Tree (max ONE per player): this building is a nice artifact from the Original Anno 1404. In it, players can create and collect various items every day.
- Scout’s hideout (max ONE per player): this building will reduce the time needed to explore new sectors.
- Oriental Ship (max TWO per player): capable of carrying only oriental goods, but in enormous amounts per trip.
All players who have played during the event will automatically be rewarded with an exclusive 15th anniversary statue at the close of the event.
Join the fun and start playing ANNO® Online for free now at www.anno-online.com
ABOUT ANNO ONLINE
Based on the critically acclaimed Anno 1404®, Anno Online delivers the franchise’s proven and popular strategy-simulation gameplay along with the series’ highly-detailed animation and graphics, for the first time in a browser-based title. Players will build and develop great medieval cities using the detailed economic system enjoyed for years by Anno fans. As they satisfy the population’s needs, they will unlock new buildings and face more demanding inhabitants, eventually needing to discover and claim additional islands and connect them with trading routes.
In Anno Online, players start on a deserted island with only two buildings (a harbour and a warehouse) and make the best of their resources to build, manage and expand their territory in order to develop a commercial empire. Trade by ships remains an essential component of the game, and will offer multiplayer possibilities that will further enhance the deep economic system of Anno Online.