Design Notes

June 22, 2025

Hollowborn Vindicator Class & Ultra Boss

The Shadow Fiend Calls to You

On June 27th, our newest Ultra Boss, Gramiel the Graceful arrives. Defeat him (or complete an alternative farming quest) to be one step closer to obtaining the Hollowborn Vindicator Class!

How to Unlock the Hollowborn Vindicator Class

If you are at least level 80, Hollowborn Vindicator can be unlocked by obtaining four Condensed Grace. Condensed Grace can be only acquired from two weekly quests:

Turn in 5 Gramiel Insignias, some Hollow Soul, Vindicator Badge, Grace Orb, Vindicator Crest, and Gramiel's Emblem (and more) for 1 Condensed Grace.
Turn in a larger quantity of Hollow Soul, Vindicator Badge, Grace Orb, Vindicator Crest, and Gramiel's Emblem (and more) for 1 Condensed Grace.

However, you can only do ONE of these quests per week, so it's up to you to decide which one to do. This means the class will take at least 4 weeks to obtain.

See the full Class Skills breakdown in this post!

Tags: Alina,

June 20, 2025

Deep Creatures Summer Collection

Unlock 45 rare items in this Summer's newest collection

Just when you thought the seas were safe... O_O The Deep Creatures Summer Collection Chest has surfaced, and it's dripping with danger, delight, and dock-rocking drama. Unlock 45 unique event-rare items and an exclusive character page badge when you get this month's collection chest from Quibble TentacleBiter for 5,000 ACs. (That nets you a haul worth over 11,000 ACs worth of gear O_O). Or buy individual items from his shop in Battleon.

This month's featured gear collection blends some of our favorite themes (mythology, deep-sea fantasy, and creative creature design) into one immersive* treasure trove of loot.

The Deep Creatures Collection

Get the DeepSea Collection Companion pet to instantly unlock:

Majestic Marine Royalty set
1 armor, 7 helms, 2 capes, Epipelagic Eel Companion cape + guard

LavaSurge Summoner set
1 armor, 6 helms, 2 capes, Molten Orbs + Maw weapons

Leviathan of Forgotten Tongues set
1 armor, 2 helms, 3 capes, 6 gauntlets

LavaSurge, Maw of the Deep pet and cape and an exclusive Character page badge!

All of the gear included in the Deep Sea collection and rares shop are available right now! No waiting, no guessing. Just grab the loot you want and get ready to battle!

Just want a couple of the items listed above? Apart from the exclusive pet, all of the gear contained inside the Deep Creatures Collection are also available to buy individually in Quibble's Event shop.

X marks the spot for Rare Hunters in Battleon!

... And the place where Quibble TentacleBiter laid his newest chest to rest so you can peruse his shipment of waterproof rares! Find him, his ala carte shop, and the full Deep Creatures Collection Chest in Battleon through Tuesday, September 2nd.

But keep a sharp eye out for his next shipment! In July, he's scheduled to get an all-new lot of Summer rares: the Molten Mayhem Collection! It will also feature several sets focused around a single theme**, unlock an exclusive character page badge, and have a similar AC cost.

Like with our Evil Artist birthday collection sets earlier in 2022***, if you get both the DeepSea Collection Companion and Molten Mayhem collection chests, you'll unlock a third, unique character page badge!

* Or should I say... submersive? O_O
** Dragon's breath... Flaming phoenix feathers... Heroes on break baking in the summer sun's scorching heat... HOT!
*** An extra item was given for owners of both the 2022 Collection Chest Pet Owners, this time - we'll give out an extra badge for getting both of this year's summer chests!

Tags: Alina, Collection, Summer, Rares,

June 20, 2025

Festival of Victors

New Game Update for June 20, 2025

As the legends of Temple of the Solstice Moon and the Shrine of the Midnight Sun spread, challengers have flocked from all over to challenge their gods. A vibrant festival is being held to celebrate these visitors, and the Victors who achieved the Eclipse Ascent. Empress Ai No Miko has invited you to be the guest of honor! Log in now to attend the /VictorMatsuri.

The Summer Solstice is today, which is the perfect occasion for a festival like this! Test the Celestial Dungeons' potential challengers, and measure your might against its Victors! Kitsune, Oni, and even Vampires are raring for a duel, but brace yourselves. The fighters blessed by the Midnight Sun and Soltice Moon have a few surprises up their sleeves.

Release Details

Read on for news about this weekend's new updates.

Festival of Victors: Battle a gauntlet of bosses in /VictorMatsuri
Friday 13th Badge: Face Colossal Vordred in /MoreSkulls to claim a limited time badge before it leaves on Monday, June 23rd
Summer Events: Head to the /eventhub to find all our summer maps
June Seasonal Sets: ShadowZard Rider + Chronomancer of Light

Celestial Dungeons Update

Are you a Victor? Or have you yet to challenge the Celestial Dungeons?

Head to /TempleShrine and form a party to conquer the Shrine of the Midnight Sun, Temple of the Solstice Moon, and the Eclipse Ascent. You won't be able to do it alone...unless you want to make a name for yourself.

Anyone can enter /MidnightSun or /SolsticeMoon, but you'll need the Rite of Ascension to access /EclipseAscent.

This item will now require completing this weekend's new Festival of Victors event /VictorMatsuri, in addition to both the Midnight Sun and Solstice Moon dungeons.

Completing the Festival involves defeating a Victor who successfully conquered the Eclipse Ascent Dungeon solo. By having you face (and defeat) this difficult boss, proper expectations for the difficulty of the Eclipse Ascent Dungeon will be set.

If you already have the Rite of Ascension item, then this will not affect you. Keeping it still allows access the Eclipse Ascent dungeon.

Weekend Daily Gifts & Boosts

In addition to the current Spirit Orb Boost, we're doubling the Celestial Dungeon drop rewards!

Server Boost: Get Double EXP until Monday, June 23rd
Resouce Boost: Spirit Orbs and Celestial Dungeon Drops until Thursday, June 26th
Saturday: Seasonal Giraffe Novelty Hat from the Lemurphant in /RavineTemple
Sunday: Undead Raxgore Paintings from Undead Raxgore in /DoomVaultB

Festival of Fashion

The Yokai aren't the only ones who came out to play. Vampires and Elves are joining the celebrations! The Festival of Victor's vendors have designed a variety of yukata and accessories to cater to their new guests. Trade silks won from the Challengers and Victors from /VictorMatsuri for a new summer ensemble!

New Monster Drops

Battle the Challengers and Victors from /VictorMasturi to collect new gear!

White Matsuri Lantern
Red Matsuri Lantern

Merge Shop Items

Collect silk resources to create new items in the merge shop.

Elvish Yukata
Elvish Matsuri Hair and Locks
Elvish Higasa
Vampiric Crimson Yukata
Vampiric Midnight Yukata
Vampiric Matsuri Hair and Locks
Vampiric Matsuri Accessories.

Big thank you to Crulon for the festive background art, Snow and Aciel for the gorgeous new yukata art, and Tyronius for the cutscenes!

Stay up to date with new release plans and boosts on the Artix Calendar and see what the latest Bug Fixes and Balance Changes are in their patch notes.

Tags: Cylisse,

June 13, 2025

Friday the 13th: Noxus vs Grimskull WAR

The undeadliest event ever starts... NOW!

Doomwood is on FIRE this Friday the 13th. Literally! Grimskull and Noxus are rallying their undead armies in /lichwar to prove which of them is Lore's real MVP of Necromancy. You've got a front seat as they go skull-to-skull in a no-holds-barred necromancer showdown! Pick a side, charge into battle, and watch the chaos unfold.

Spoiler: the war doesn't end when the meter hits 100%. Prepare to [REDACTED by the Undeaditor]! With special guest Aurelio Voltaire adding his sinister, snarky style into the mix, this event will be a skeletal slugfest for the ages. It’s WAR, Liches. Get in or get ghosted.

Friday, June 13 Update

Friday the 13th event: Noxus vs Grimskull WAR!
Un-deadly Gear: Battle to unlock wicked rewards
Event Rares: find rockin' new limited time sets in the Featured Gear Shop

Weekend Daily Gifts & Boosts

Server Boost: double Gold
Resource Boost: Blood Gems
Saturday: Rockin' rare weapons + pet from the Grim Soldiers in /lichwar
Sunday: Wicked rare house guards + pet from [REDACTED]!

Lichforged Rewards

This is gear that makes you look like you stole Death’s lunch money. All you have to do? Crush the weak Destroy the undead... again and again! Every skull you crush pushes the war meter higher and earns you the dark resources you'll need to craft your chosen side's cursed armor set.

Fight for Grimskull to unlock pieces of the Grimskull Psychophant set:

Grimskull Psychophant armor
Morph, Halo morph, and Hair helms (male + female)
Wings cape
Scythe
Grim Fists Gauntlet (single + dual-wield)

Fight for Noxus to unlock pieces of the Noxus Psychophant set:

Noxus Psychophant armor
Morph, Horned morph, and Hair helms (male + female)
Wings cape
Spear polearm
Noxious Beast Gauntlet (single + dual-wield)

This drip is diabolical! So get in there and start grinding... bones to make that bread!

LichWar Notes

This event is permanent for members (or if you own a Friday the 13th house portal). All players can access the event for several weeks each time we celebrate Friday the 13th.

Eldritch Event Rares Now Available

You ever wanted to look like a gothic rock god and a soul-hunting predator from the pits of some cursed dungeon? This weekend's Friday the 13th shop update just dropped, and we've got you covered with next-level killer couture.

Find our 2025 Friday the 13th event gear in your Featured Gear Shop until Friday, July 11th.

Rock out in the blood-slick Rockstar Rogue items
Dominate your enemies with the Grim DungeonMaster gear
Control your look (and minions!) like a true evil overlord with the color-customizable Enchanted Grim DungeonMaster set
Want a glam-horror set that screams "final boss-slayer"? Then get your gauntlets on the color-customizable Phantasmic Chimera set

* This is a set that screams "You rolled a 1, now you die."

🖤 Friday the 13th Is Back… and So Is Aurelio Voltaire!

You know what they say— undead never stay dead. And when Friday the 13th hits Lore, things get weird. Dark magic. Undead armies. It's total Chaos with a capital C. Sound familiar? You better believe it’s that time again. /Join Voltairetown to replay every Friday the 13th event from the past, then head to /lichwar for this year’s all-new clash. We've got two bickering liches out to prove which one is the real bone-daddy. Spoiler: it's messy. You'll love it.

And Aurelio Voltaire’s music? Pure graveyard groove. This is horror heaven.

🎸 Aurelio Voltaire + Friday the 13th = Perfect Combo

He’s spooky. He’s stylish. He’s baaaaaaack. Aurelio Voltaire returns for another Friday the 13th event, and we are so here for it. This legend has rocked almost every AQWorlds Friday the 13th, and heroes are obsessed. He's known for his music, books, comics, toys, movies... and basically being a one-man haunted house of awesome.

So grab your gear, /slay some skeletons, and enjoy wreaking havok to his latest single, A Monster's Holiday. And if all this creepy-cool content wasn't enough for you, you can binge his YouTube series, "Gothic Homemaking" to get killer style tips from our coolest guest event-collaborator.

Big thanks to Aurelio Voltaire from all of us on the AQWorlds team! You make our spooky season 🔥 every time.

Stay up to date with new release plans and boosts on the Artix Calendar and see what the latest Bug Fixes and Balance Changes are in their patch notes.

Tags: Friday the 13th, Aurelio Voltaire, Alina,

June 10, 2025

New Tuesday Update is Live

Yulgar's Adventurer's Board Update + Chaos Drop

Yulgar has been watching you all struggle with getting daily quests. He saw how dusty his quest board was getting, so he put a fresh coat of paint on it and added some daily quests to it from all throughout Lore. Most quests that require farming for resources were added to this. It’s located in the second room to the right in /Yulgar!

What’s the Daily Quest Board?

This is a location in /Yulgar that had a bunch of daily quests from the Chaos Saga on it... until today, when we added even more from around Lore. The quests that were added are ones that players in the community asked for in a recent feedback poll. Adding them decreases the time it takes for players to collect all of the quests, and makes sure new players know they exist.

Why update the Daily Quest Board?

Today's midweek designer has been watching a lot of AQW YouTubers and saw this one video from a content creator named Wahzzers which really hit home -- they had to go to tons of different maps to get all the daily quests they wanted. It was pretty eye opening, the amount of time and effort it took. When he did a runthrough and looked at how long it took to go to each map, it took several minutes JUST to type out all of the map names and go to all of the maps. That has a big impact on how much you and other players enjoy the game. Adding all of the quests all in one spot should help mitigate this issue.

What's next?

The current plan is to have at least one more update in the "not too distant" future. After today's update, we'll get more feedback from the community, then we can add more quests, house items or pets that players might want that have the daily quest board attached, etc

Bonus: New Chaos Weapon Drop

For those that don’t want to deal with the typical crowds in Yulgar’s Inn, then we have a daily drop in a library! Head over to the /BackRoom of the Chaos Librarium to obtain the easily-concealable Chaos Shankers from the Chaos Sp-eyes and Chaos Rats. Travel-sized for the hero who quest is to cause more chaos wherever they go.

Tags: Alina,

June 06, 2025

Unleash the Power. Become the Light

Upgrade to unlock 20+ exclusive Photon Sentinel items

Lost in the Void, or perhaps any void between the fabric of space, light particles link together. It creates a sentience that tasks itself with guarding the path between worlds. Unlock all color-customizable items in the Photon Sentinel upgrade bonus pack when you buy any AdventureCoin or Membership pack of $10 USD or more.

After you purchase an account upgrade, select a bonus set of your choice from a list of options in your Account Manager.

Pack Details

Choose the Photon Sentinel upgrade bonus to 18 fully color-customizable items and two house items.

Photon Sentinel armor
Galvanized and regular Photon Sentinel Helms
Photon Sentinel Morph, Visage, and Gaze Helms
Diffraction Rays Cape
Gamma Ray Bursts Cape
Solidified Light Wings Cape
Photon Chasm Ground Rune
Quantum Force Blade (single + dual-wield)
Quantum Force Spear
Quantum Force Blade + Shield
Quantum Force Spear + Shield
Photon Sparks Gauntlet
Quantum Force Armblade (single + dual-wield)
Photon Sentinel Guard Floor Item
Photon Sentinel Poster Wall Item
Character page badge

Once you've chosen the Photon Sentinel pack on the Account Manager page, log in and find the set's shop in the Other Achievements tab in your Book of Lore.

12000 AC or 12 month membership package rewards:

ALL the Photon Sentinel gear
7 Rep/XP/Gold/Class Points boosts
10 Wheel of Doom Tickets (worth 2,000 ACs!)
and a character page badge

Boosts and Doom Tickets will be added directly to your inventory.

2k and 5k AC or 1, 3, or 6 month membership package rewards:

ALL the Photon Sentinel gear
5 Rep/XP/Gold/Class Points boosts
and a character page badge

Get 50% more ACs During Our Summer Bonus

Need to recharge your AC stash before the next shipment of rare gear? Good news! Now's the time to strike, because our Holiday Bonus is ON! Get 50% more AdventureCoins with any AC or Member pack all Summer long!

Gear up and get ready, because all Summer long, we'll be adding new items for you!

Seasonal Summer Shop
Meme x Anime Fusion gear
New magic, sea monster, and mountain explorer rares
Wheel of Doom Merge & Treasure Chest updates
2025 Summer Collection Chest

Get 60,000 ACs while our Summer Bonus is on!

During our Summer AC bonus, get 60,000 ACs for $99.95 (that's 20,000 ACs more than normal!) and unlock your choice of upgrade bonus pack, 15x Rep, Gold, Class Points, and XP server boosts, and the Mythic Item of Digital Awesomeness (IoDA).

Wait...AdventureCoin Bonus?!

That's right! Several times each year, we have bonus AdventureCoin offers (example: Summer, Back to School, and during the holidays). Bonus amounts and dates may change from year to year, so keep an eye on the Design Notes and social media for more news of future bonuses.

Mythic Item of Digital Awesomeness?!

The Mythic Item of Digital Awesomeness (or MIoDA for short) is a miscellaneous item you will get by purchasing the 40k AdventureCoin pakage. Like the other IoDA items, it allows you to choose any item in the game when you redeem it through your Account Manager.