Release Date: December 5th, 6PM UTC+1

• Added support for the “End of an Era” Pack Cosmetic DLC.

• Unlocked all past Twitch Drops for everyone

• Fixed the missing textures for the man in the hammock in the “Pirate Cove” Pack CDLC on low and medium settings
  
• Added several missing items to the Annoversary World’s Fair Exhibition reward pool
  
• Fixed a false “Missing DLC” warning that was displayed when constructing some ornaments from blueprints

Hello Anno Community,
As you might have seen in our latest teasers on social media or yesterday’s livestream, we will soon release a brand new Cosmetic DLC, the “End of an Era” Pack!

To be totally honest with you all, when first approaching this DevBlog, we struggled to find the right words to talk about it and give this Pack full justice – both because of its grandiosity and the fact that it marks, for real, the end of an era. If you don’t know this already, this CDLC will be the last piece of content developed for Anno 1800, after an amazing journey that lasted 5 years, with 16 beautiful Cosmetic DLC – not to mention the post-launch game content released over the years.

But let’s not get emotional now, we haven’t even started talking about the Pack! So, without further ado, let’s join the festival.

In this pack there are Funfair Stalls for all necessities, big and small: whether your residents would like to smash some unicorn pinatas, eat some food or enjoy the famous Anno cocktail at the Cocktail Bar – the Margarita Hunt – for an evening of fun, the End of an Era Pack contains everything you’ll need to build the perfect festival in your Anno cities.

For the residents who enjoy movement, a Dance Floor is in order – together with a Beer Tent for when they need a break and a fresh drink after all the late-night waltzes.

Flowers are a central theme of this pack as you might have noticed: Lily Pond Lights, Dazzling Dandelions, and colourful Fairy Flowers installations – each of them with multiple variations. And who knew flowers could pair this well with an Aquatic Streetlights and an Aquatic Light Tunnel?

Anno 1800 looks SO stylish in neon pink, don’t you think? Or neon blue, green, yellow... all the colours! Well, colours extravaganza is another recurring theme in this pack. Engineers’ and Investors’ residences have never looked this great – and so sparkly!

Fun for the whole family: the latest musical masterpiece starring Bente Jorgensen, Sir Archibald Blake, Carl Leonard von Malching (and his pink tutu), and The One True God of Anno, is in theatre now! Treat your residents to a show they will never forget, thanks to the Musical Stage included in this pack. Some of you might remember “The Jorgensens – The Musical” from the credits scene in Anno 1800, which was masterfully recreated by the talented Laura in this shorter version for the ornament (more info on this in the Q&A section). And do not worry about limited seating for the show, we even included an Auditorium to accommodate a big audience.

What kind of festival would it be without fireworks closing the night? Actually, let us rephrase that – what kind of End of an Era Pack would it be without fireworks celebrating the support you’ve showed us for the past 5 years? These fireworks will paint your Anno sky with our gratitude and appreciation, as well as... flying pigs and unicorns? (Editor’s note: no animals or magical creatures were harmed during the production of this CDLC)


And now, it is time for our favourite part: Q&A with the Art Team! We asked some questions to Laura, Prop Artist and CDLC Overlord™ on Anno, to get some insights on the creative process behind the End of an Era Pack.

Q: It seems that you had a lot of fun creating this pack! What were the main sources of inspiration for it?
A: So, after some brainstorming the decision was made: we wanted to go out with a big festive bang, a celebration of Anno and the Players and since it would release around Christmas time the first source of inspiration had to be fairy lights, lots of lights in the dark, like a Christmas Wonderland kind of theme. But the idea of another Christmas Package didn`t quite do it for us, so we went ahead and made it into, what I call, "a crazy unicorn festival of lights, flowers and dancing". Luckily, I had been to Tokyo earlier in the year and took away quite some inspiration from the teamLab Exposition, which is an amazing thing, everybody who can go see, do it! So, in short, the main sources of inspiration would be a mad mix of Christmas Wonderland sparkle and the fantastic teamLab Tokyo.

Q: What was the hardest ornament or skin to create? Why?
A: In terms of designing, the hardest were actually the tiny festive stalls. We have so many stalls in the game already, it was quite hard to come up with something completely new. So, after initial rather tame designs, I decided to go more bonkers with this and make them out to be weird, dreamy flowers from the top view, which in the end fit in quite well with the flowery overall theme.

Q: This CDLC is filled with content, which ornament or skin is your favourite? Is there a particular reason?
A: I think I have two favourites. The first will be the blue lights tunnel with the goldfish "swimming through", just because I would love to go through there in real life, sit down and just endlessly look at it. The second one are the waterlilies. They just look so pretty, better even in the dark and if precious production time was spent with a darkened monitor and only those lilies on the screen staring back at me.... It was.... Ehm... I was quality checking them, yeah...

Q: How was it to work on the last CDLC for Anno 1800? It’s literally the end of an era!
A: Working on it was great, as is true for most of the CDLCs. It’s true though that this time around there was mixed in a hint of sadness, to let my precious CDLC-babies go, to let go of my self-organised authoritarian overlord state, and the uncertainty of what would come next-task wise didn`t help either. But there was also relief, because it grew so hard to come up with new, purely cosmetic ideas. So, it was a cocktail of emotions, but staring at the waterlilies soothed about everything.

Q: Flying pigs fireworks?! We love them! But why?
A: Well.... Only when the pigs learn to fly, will there be an end to Anno 1800! 😄

Q: How complex was it to create the theatre ornament?
A: The Theatre was a self-evolving, not-certain-to-be-created-at-all kind of thing. We wanted to have a really big festive tent as a main attraction, but it ended up looking a lot like a circus tent no matter what. And I had been having this idea to bring the credits into the CDLC (because "The End"...), so I just threw the two of them together, the big tent with the theatre stage in front of it and there it was. What was a bit tedious was the animation of the puppets, which I did frame by frame imitating the exact movie animation. That took a lot of endurance... But the result was quite worthwhile, I think. So yes, it was the most complex ornament to do in this package, but also the most rewarding.

Q: Which Anno 1800 CDLC would you combine with this one to decorate your own city?
A: Well, this is something that I do really like about this package in particular, that it is so very universally combinable with a lot of the stuff we already have in the game. Be it the Holiday -, the Amusement -, the City Lights -Pack or the Seasonal Decorations, even the Chinese New Year Pack CDLC or the ornaments from the High Life DLC, you can just build a huge festival throughout the city, throw in basically everything: the madder, the better.


What’s left to say? We could write words and words about how weird it feels to be writing the last DevBlog for Anno 1800, and how bittersweet it is to be at the end of this journey – but that’s for another day.

The End of an Era Pack will be available starting December 5th for the usual price of 4.99€ or your regional equivalent.
We cannot wait to admire your festival-ready cities in Anno 1800!

• Musical stage
  
• Auditorium
  
• Dance Floor
  
• Beer tent (2 variants)
  
• Lily Pond Lights (4 variants)
  
• Dazzling Dandelions (3 variants)
  
• Wisp Lanterns (4 variants)
  
• Fairy Flowers (4 variants)
  
• Flowery Funfair Stall (2 variants)
  
• Unicorn Funfair Stall (2 variants)
  
• Cocktail Bar
  
• Sunflower Swing
  
• Aquatic Streetlights (2 variants)
  
• Fireworks Podium (2 variants)
  
• Aquatic Light Tunnel (3 variants)
  
• Festive Light Tunnel
  
• Funfair Arch (3 variants)
  
• Balloon Pole (2 variants)
  
• Flower Power Flag
  
• Large Banner (4 variants)
  
• Bunting (2 variants)
  
• Sun Gate
  
• Umbrella Seats (4 variants)
  
• Iluminatree (3 variants)
  
• Parade Pavement (4 variants)
  
• Glowing Garlands (3 variants)
  
• Festive Skin – Engineers Residence
  
• Festive Skin – Investors Residence

Release Date: September 19th, 3PM UTC+2

• Added support for the “Pirate Cove” Pack Cosmetic DLC.

• Fixed misaligned smoke effects for the flagship when using the Nautilus skin
  
• Removed sound effects of CDLC 14 residences which drowned out the rest of the game’s sound effects
  
• Fixed an issue with ambient setting not being moddable anymore
  
• Fixed an issue with the initialization of the mods when starting the game

Ahoy me hearties,

It's yer Cap’n speakin’! Get yer spyglasses out, be it treasure wha’ ye see? Aye ‘tis, all the shiny loot ye see ‘ere is part of the “Pirate Cove” Pack Cosmetic DLC! Avast ye, enough wit’ the useless natterin’ now, weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen! Let’s 'ave a closer look at dis mighty good treasure. Aaaarghhh!


Splice the mainbrace, ye old salt! At the Red Herring we spare no grog or rum. Whether you need a drink to refuel yourself after a long time lost at sea or simply need a hiding spot from your sworn enemies, the Red Herring is the place for you. Be careful, though! Even walls have ears in this place, so make sure not to reveal where you stashed your treasure, savvy? You might need to use some War Cannons and Nautical Rope Fence to protect it from other buccaneers.

Speaking of treasure – what “Pirate Cove” Pack would it be without Legendary Loot? According to a treasure map we found, a treasure has been buried next to an Interesting Rock Formation. Dis cap’n said too much already... ‘n we all know dat dead men tell no tales.

After a long day at sea, sailing and plundering, 'tis time to relax. Yes, pirates need peace ‘n sleep too, sometimes. Whether you seek shade under the palm trees of the Hammock or some food at the Beach Barbecue, remember to first pay a visit to the Captain’s Tent to get your share of the bounty.

Cap'n! Be ye ready t’ sail the High Seas wit’ the Ominous Octopus? Her infamous sails can be spotted from miles away and her reputation precedes her. Will you be brave enough to venture through dangerous seas and face other Man-O-Wars? The Ship-of-the-line has never looked this... ominous, indeed. Me think this look does suit her mighty well, doesn’t it?

The “Pirate Cove” Pack will be available just in time to celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day, that means starting 19th September – on PC and consoles, for the usual price of 100 Pieces of Eight... err, 4.99€ or your regional equivalent.

We look forward to seeing your infamous creations with the “Pirate Cove” Pack – we're sure you’ll make Anne Harlow and Jean La Fortune proud!

• Abandoned Rowboat
  
• Mutinous Crew
  
• Captain's Tent
  
• Hammock
  
• Beach Barbecue
  
• Shipwreck
  
• Interesting Rock Formation
  
• Guardian of the Cove
  
• Tiki Torch (2 variants)
  
• Legendary Loot
  
• Crow’s Nest
  
• War Cannon (2 variants)
  
• Sand (modular system)
  
• Nautical Rope Fence (modular system)
  
• Palisade Gate
  
• "Red Herring"
  
• “Pirate Shack” skin for tier 1 residence (4 models)
  
• “Infamous Outpost” Trading Post skin (4 tiers)
  
• “Ominous Octopus” Ship-of-the-Line skin

Release Date: May 14th, 3PM UTC+2

• Added support for the “Steampunk” Pack Cosmetic DLC.

• Added a “Friendship” ornament for all players to celebrate Anno 1800’s fifth birthday
  
• Added modding support for shaders and sound banks (support for the New Horizon mod)

• Fixed an issue which resulted in the buffs from multiple items not affecting the Charcoal Kiln in the New World.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in the “Miombo Woodlands” buff not extending to the Charcoal Kiln in the New World.
  
• Fixed the missing buff from the Optimization Influence bonus for upgraded Emergency Services in the Old World and Cape Trelawney.
  
• Fixed the Credits to add licenses that were not mentioned previously.
  
• Fixed some display issues with mods larger than 2GB.
  
• Minor security update related to the mod browser.
  
• Fixed an issue with some ornaments not appearing in “sort by type” when multiple Cosmetic DLC were owned.
  
• Fixed the issue that prevented players from relocating the Grand Oil Harbour in Enbesa.

Fixed an issue that didn’t send player to the lobby when joining a game via an invite without having started the game.

Hey Anno Community,

Prepare yourself a cup of steamy tea and get ready for a nice read because today, after much teasing, it is finally time to dive into our upcoming Cosmetic DLC: the Steampunk Pack! If you watched our End-of the-Year livestream back in December, you might have noticed a small teaser that redirected you to a mysterious page[anno-union.com] set up by none other than Old Nate, who was secretly “leaking” important information and clues on the content of the Steampunk Pack. Safe to say we got that situation under control now… right?

The focus of this Cosmetic DLC is innovation and progress, which perfectly marries with the overall vibe of Anno 1800 and the Industrial Revolution era. However, with the Steampunk Pack, you’ll discover a new peculiar side to the age of innovation: steam-powered machinery and aesthetics, highly advanced, but quite unnecessary in application. This was the humorous twist that Laura – Prop Artist on Anno and self-appointed CDLC Overlord – wanted to give to this pack, and we are all for it. The Dragonfly Man taking off to the sky from the “Unreal University” is a perfect example of this, don’t you think?

"The idea with this is not taking ourselves, as humanity, too seriously. Sometimes we have this new technology, and we try to implement it everywhere, whether it makes sense or not, and most of the time it doesn’t with these ornaments. And this is my kind of humour!"
- Laura, Prop Artist

The University building is not the only one receiving a new skin with the Steampunk Pack. This pack also includes skins for the Investors’ residences and the Church, that will be transformed into the “Temple of Progress”: considering the huge telescope towering over the building, the name sounds like perfect fit. Who knows what they will find?

Is it getting steamy in here or is there a bath house in your city? The biggest ornament of this CDLC is the Steam Spa, the place that will make your residents relax and forget about their daily worries. Plus, it’s all automated! Of course, the Steam Spa is only one of the many ornaments in this pack, all characterised by moving clogs and wheels, almost mesmerising your residents: from a beautiful Celestial Fountain surrounded by bubbly steam to a small aquarium hosting the most exotic underwater creatures. However, one statue reigns supreme in this pack: Eva.Porator, an ornament that emblematically symbolises one of the biggest inspirations of this pack, Metropolis – a German science-fiction film from the 1920s.

Needless to say, we are obsessed with the colour theme in this pack: from the metallic shades of bronze and gold shining under the light of the sun to the celestial blues of the ground tiles and building windows. This colour in the different tiles, as well: not just one, but three different tiles for you to build the perfect paths and plazas around your cities.

It wouldn’t be a Steampunk Pack worthy of its name without a train skin, don’t you think? Well, in this CDLC you get two of them! The “Steamliner” and the “New Era Express”. And speaking of means of transport, the flagship is completely unrecognisable with the “Nautilus” skin, a beautiful reference to the fictional submarine belonging to Captain Nemo in Jules Verne’s “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas”.

The Steampunk Pack will be available starting 14th May on PC and consoles, for the usual price of 4.99€ or your regional equivalent.

If you’d like to see the new ornaments in action before that, we recommend watching our birthday livestream VOD[www.twitch.tv], where we had a first look at the full pack with the guidance of its creator, Laura.

We cannot wait to admire your cities decorated with the Steampunk Pack!

• Eccentric Overpass
  
• Celestial fountain
  
• Eva.Porator
  
• Steam O’Clock
  
• Aquarium
  
• Adver-Turner
  
• Steam Spa
  
• Celestial Tiles, three types
  
• Steam Pipe
  
• Investors residence skins
  
• “Temple of Progress” Church skin
  
• “Steamliner” Train skin
  
• “New Era Express” train skin
  
• “Nautilus” Flagship skin
  
• “Unreal University” University skin

Hey Anno Community!

It's sometimes hard to believe, but Anno 1800's fifth birthday is coming up on April 16th!

To celebrate the occasion we'll be holding a livestream to talk a bit about the last few years.
Additionally, we're going to talk about the work of the Art Team and the process to get from early scribble to final asset - with special guest Laura, Prop Artist at Ubisoft Mainz.

And, finally, we'll give you a first look at the upcoming Cosmetic DLC: the Steampunk Pack!

Join us here on our Twitch channel[www.twitch.tv] on Tuesday, April 16th, at 5PM CEST / 11AM EST.

Release Date: November 14th, 3 PM UTC+1

• Added support for the “Eldritch” Pack Cosmetic DLC.

• Fixed a rare occurrence of the game crashing during start-up.
  
• Fixed an issue with the “accept” button not working after a dual island takeover with a friendly AI when the AI has more "Morale Loss Inflicted".
  
• Fixed an exploit that made it possible to construct locked Building and Modules from Stamps via the Upgrade Tool.
  
• Fixed the reward text for the Grand Stadium in the New World, it now correctly communicates 90 Influence for the “Regional” event.
  
• Fixed an issue with a wrongly displayed “Missing DLC” message when upgrading a blueprint of an owned Cosmetic DLC ornament.
  
• Fixed the missing mod popup that didn’t show when starting a customized game.
  
• Fixed an issue with the loading order not being followed by the mod loader for identical files.

• Fixed the causes for LR40 desyncs that were related to ornaments from Cosmetic DLC.

Hey Anno Community,
What better day to finally showcase one of the most awaited Cosmetic DLCs of all time in the history of Anno 1800? This is not a drill, you read that right in the title – our next Cosmetic DLC will be the Eldritch Pack! Those of you who have been following us for a long time have probably seen this name pop up a couple of times in the past, mostly during the Community Vote for CDLCs – and you probably know that it holds a special place in the hearts of the Anno team.

Last week, you might have seen a small teaser on our social channels of what you will find in this new Cosmetic DLC, but are you ready to be spooked and let yourself get carried away by glimmering lights, twisted trees and gargoyle statues? If your answer is yes, then...

… Something wicked this way comes!

Let’s start with one of our favourite ornaments from this pack: nothing screams Eldritch (pun intended) more than the Forgotten Abbey you saw in our teaser, don’t you think? It seems that this place has been abandoned for years, becoming a distant echo of the past. Left in ruins, now overrun by nature and eerie tranquillity. Is that all there is? Those green, flickering lights on the quiet surface of the water suggest something else...
The Eldritch Pack would not be complete without gothic statues: did anybody say Gargoyles? Not only is there a Gargoyle statue in the pack, but you can also spot some gargoyles on the Gothic Fence, standing tall and peering into your deepest thoughts. Not to mention the majesty of the Statue of Lady Morningstar. Look at all that grace!
For all the fans of gothic architecture and style in the Anno Community: this pack will be undoubtedly a dream – or a nightmare, if you prefer – come true. Once you decorate your cities with the new ornaments, you will find yourself wandering around the Dreamspire at dusk or sitting at the Wishing Well hoping for your desires to become reality.

Do not get fooled by the cheerful atmosphere around the Old Inn, as the thick fog can bewilder anyone when they least expect it. The Worker and Artisan residences, on the other hand, are surrounded by a strange tranquillity. However, we heard rumours about... ghosts? Weird figures have been spotted creeping into the night, making our residents’ dreams less sweet and more frightening.
Even the Hospital now seems to be changed, somehow. Is it just us, or does it look even more imposing than before? A thick, mysterious haziness surrounds it, hiding all its secrets from prying eyes.
After all this ornaments & skins talk, it is time for our favourite part: Q&A with the Art Team! We asked some questions to Laura, Artist on Anno, to get some insights on the creative process behind the Eldritch Pack.

What was the main source of inspiration for this pack?
It was a bit of a strange mishmash, on one hand all those lone Victorian spooky villas with their gorgeous windows, towers and verandas. On the other hand, the ornamental charm of gothic architecture and statues. It was clear we wanted Grotesques and Gargoyles and a lot of fog to surround suspicious standalone villas. From that point on, ideas just popped up and this CDLC happened.

What was the hardest ornament/skin to create? Why?
The hardest were the residence skins. This time around we decided to not only paint the skins, but to as well alter the geometry. We deleted most of the second buildings, leaving only one standalone house and then created a geometry kit to add new windows, verandas and towers. Designing those was quite challenging, especially the Artisan houses, since those have quite a different base building structure.

We have noticed there are quite a few secrets hiding in this pack. Although we won’t spoil the surprise here for the players, could you talk about your approach in their creation?
It was super fun obviously, it is always nice, after being dedicated to one strong theme for such a long time, to add some funny little details to bring it to life. There is not really one inspiration or anything, it’s more like... my mind is a huge alive Pinterest of all the stuffs I’ve seen, read and listened to, basically a culture melting pot of my time and circumstances and if prompted with a certain theme it just delivers back to me.

Are you an Eldritch/spooky stuff fan yourself?
Whilst I love the ornaments and the architectural designs as well as the general mood and colouring of it all, I can’t take anything remotely spooky myself. Real life and human beings are spooky enough as it is, no need for more horror than that. 😉

Which ornament and/or skin from this pack do you consider your favourite? Is there a particular reason?
I really love the Ruined Abbey. I love the idea of nature taking back those places, and I appreciate the beauty of those buildings. The idea of those grand architectural achievements coupled with wild overgrowing nature fascinates me. Also, I really love the set dressing, placing plants everywhere and making it look all green and wild... just love that.
I really like the big spooky tree, too, since it’s based of one of the 1000-year-old oaks from Ivenack, a childhood place I used to go to a lot, so it holds a special place in my heart.
And then there is the Asylum. I just love how it turned out so imposing and it was a great fusion of minds between our concept artist Damian and me. I really love how working on assets together and having great concept art like that one takes a design to a whole other level.

What’s left to say? Get ready for a treat – no tricks here, promise – because the Eldritch Pack Cosmetic DLC will be available starting from 14th November for the usual price of 4,99€ or your regional equivalent.

We cannot wait to see your spooktacular creations with the new Eldritch ornaments, we can sense they are going to be terrifying – in the most amazing way, of course.
We hope you are looking forward to the CDLC release as much as we are! For the bravest and the detectives amongst all of you, a quest awaits: will you find all the secrets hiding within the Eldritch Pack?