Albion Online’s Game Director, Robin Henkys, gave fans a tantalizing preview of a new addition to the game’s arsenal during a recent Dev Talk. Henkys introduced the Shapeshifter Weapons, an innovative expansion to Albion’s ‘you are what you wear’ system, in what is set to be the first of a series of Dev Talks detailing the exciting new features currently under development.
Shapeshifter Weapons are staff weapons that allow players to transform into different entities, known as Shapes, offering a unique level of versatility. Players can switch between their human form and their Shape, with each form possessing distinct capabilities.
In their human form, Shapeshifters are skilled in manipulating raw energy, inflicting damage on enemies, disrupting adversaries, or bolstering allies. During this process, they accumulate “Shift” charges, which can be used to transform into their weapon’s associated Shape.
Each Shapeshifter Weapon is equipped with a unique Shape, complete with its own set of abilities. These abilities can be further enhanced using previously collected Shift charges. The game encourages Shapeshifters to continuously alternate between forms to maximize their battlefield potential. Additionally, each Shape has unique health and armor stats, replacing the human stats and enabling players to adapt to different roles during combat.
This new system allows for a multitude of build possibilities under two broad strategies. Players can amplify their Shape’s strength by equipping matching gear when in human form or opt for equipment that suits a different playstyle to their Shape, enabling a switch from damage dealer to tank roles, or vice versa.
Shapeshifter Staffs will be introduced with Albion’s next major content update, with plans to continue expanding and improving the ‘you are what you wear’ system. The following Dev Talk is expected to explore a new open-world activity that complements Shapeshifter weapons.
In other news, the Undead Challenge is making a comeback. For the entire month of July, players can take up the challenge to unlock extraordinary rewards, earning points for open-world activities and claiming a Spectral Direboar.
Finally, the referral season brings good tidings. Players referring a single friend in July can unlock Ol’ Betsy, a classic dairy cow skin for the Transport Ox base mount. The referral season runs until 23:59:59 UTC on July 31.