It has now been two weeks since the implementation of the latest update to Dragon Lords and Xeno Wars. First of all, we want to thank you all for the feedback we have received – we are extremely happy to admit, that the overwhelming majority of it was very positive, and the data we have collected from the game seems to confirm that. The new features have become instantly popular – Nidhogg and Xenomorph have already been defeated over a thousand times, and the number of duels between players is simply astonishing.

Of course, as with any new feature, it will still require some tuning and tweaking. We have underestimated the players slightly it would seem, as the demon fight appears to be not quite as challenging as we had intended it to be – some of you have managed to defeat the mighty demon within just a few minutes! The demon has begged and pleaded with us – and we’re afraid that we will have to make the fight somewhat tougher.

We have also noticed some players are concerned with the number of relics which can be obtained by defeating the demon, we are considering shifting the balance slightly towards the other reward categories. The overall value of loot should not change, however we want to prevent the devaluation of drakonian relics – this would have a negative impact on many aspects of the game, primarily its economy.

This Sunday will see the launch of our next, month-long event, the first Season of the ranked duel ladder. This should shorten the waiting time for ranked PvP, as well as allow for much more precise matchmaking. One of the main issues in the early weeks of the dueling system was the matchmaking mechanic, which quite commonly resulted in unbalanced fights, favouring the higher level champion.

The introduction of cross-realm duels should alleviate this problem, and hopefully eliminate it completely. Ranked duels will also provide champions with experience – after all, practice is the best of all instructors, and what better way to practice, than by facing off against your peers?

The only realm which will be excluded from the PvP matchmaking will be Uroboros, due to its unique nature – we will think of something for that realm’s next cycle though, so that players focusing mainly on competing there do not feel left out.

Another adjustment which will be made due to the cross-realm system is the necessity of increasing the spirit cost of ranked duels on Hardcore realms from 5 to 8, to compensate for their faster spirit regeneration.

The top competitors in the ranked duel season will receive valuable rewards at the end of September, ranging from relics and potions, to avatars, titles and epic units.

We are also happy to announce that the next Tournament will begin in two weeks, on Sunday, September 14th. This edition will bring some changes to the reward system – we will be adding an all new VERY epic unit, the immortal Colossus, to the reward pool – the top contenders will have the opportunity to add some of those majestic, godlike beings to their armies for the period of three months.

We will also introduce a new version of the Tournament Trophy avatar, as well as the traditional custom avatars for the winners. This edition will also see a new set of rules when it comes to calculating valor points, linked with land size, as the previous one clearly indicated that an adjustment is required.

We know some of you will be disappointed that the Tournament is held in Dragon Lords again, but we believe that it’s the only way to provide a healthy and exciting competition at the moment. Xeno Wars is not forgotten though, any content and change being prepared right now will find its way to both games.

As for gameplay changes we are currently working on, and that you can expect to see next – some of them, perhaps all, will hit the realms in September:
– a new Unconditional Surrender system – surrendering in this manner will not only be more costly, but also profitable for the opposition
– a new war chest calculation system, which should make wars a much more profitable endeavor
– the long awaited new rewards to be purchased for valor, including boosts to the productivity of your merchants and builders.

After a busy and eventful summer, we are not planning to slow down – you can expect much more to happen in the upcoming months!