Design Notes

September 28, 2022

Become a 14th Upholder

Support AQWorlds and Become a Legend!

AdventureQuest Worlds went live in 2008. 14 years ago.* Many insanely-passionate players jumped at the chance to become the first Members of AQW. These dedicated, early supporters of the game became the game's Founders. And in honor of their trust and confidence, every October, we hold the Upholder promotion. Anyone upgrading during that month automatically becomes an Upholder... instantly making you one of our most Legendary supporters and unlocking a host of exclusive items and perks!

AdventureQuest Worlds would not be what it is today without the support of those original Founders and all of the Upholders that came after... and we would not be able to build what comes next without your support now.

How to become a 14th Upholder

Starting this Friday, September 30th, at 12:01 AM EST, we are once again offering the chance to become an AQW Upholder.

Have an active membership that expires after November 3rd, 2022 or
Upgrade your account with any membership package until 11:59 EST on November 2nd or
Upgrade your AQW account with ANY membership ANYTIME during the month of October**

All 14th Upholder badges and gear will be unlocked with tonight's release.

What does a 14th Upholder get?

As a 14th Upholder, you'll receive:

Exclusive Upholder Class: Sentinel Class!***
Sentinel armor set
Access to the exclusive Star Sword: Origins zone
14 new exclusive Star Swords for 14th Upholder
13 Chaos Lord Star Swords
12 Lord of Order Star Swords
8 Artix Entertainment 20th anniversary Star Swords
14th Upholder Character Page Badge
Infinite bragging rights

14th Upholder exclusive Star Swords

The 14th Upholder Star Swords are all themed on bosses from across our game universe. (Plus the bonus, rare Platinum DragonLord StarSword inspired by DragonFable.)

Carnax's Star Sword
Desoloth's Star Sword
Kezeroth's Star Sword
Phedra's Star Sword
Sepulchure's Star Sword
Vordred's Star Sword
Quetzal's Star Sword
Noxus's Star Sword
Xan's Star Sword
Wargoth's Star Sword
Valoth's Star Sword
Malgor's Star Sword
Star Sword of Madness
Platinum DragonLord Star Sword

Earlier this year, I polled my followers on Twitter to see which of the bosses across our game universe were the most popular. Then, along with some of the AQW game artists, we selected the following to base Star Swords on. Thank you for your suggestions and feedback!

DragonRoad Star Swords For ALL Upholders

We wouldn't be here without your support, and we want to make sure you know it! That's why, for the last two years, we've added new Star Swords available to every Upholder... and that continues this year. You'll find them in the Star Sword Merge shop in /dragonroad.

2022 Artix Entertainment 20th Anniversary Star Swords:

Black Dragon Star Sword: inspired by Artix Entertainment's logo
Star Sword of Awe: inspired by the original AdventureQuest
Golden DragonLord Star Sword: inspired by DragonFable
Mecha Star Sword: inspired by MechQuest
ShadowFlame Star Sword: based on Malgor's faction
Akiban Star Sword: inspired by the Yokai Isle + Oni Naval Commander styles
Star Sword of Debris: inspired by Darkon's Elegy of Madness
Monstrous Star Sword: based on the Queen of Monsters
Star Sword of Shadows: a pure black Star Sword silhouette****

2021 Chaos Lord Star Swords:

1st: Escherion + Star Sword
2nd: Xiang + Star Sword
3rd: Vath + Star Sword
4th: Kitsune + Star Sword
5th: WolfWing + Star Sword
6th: Kimberly + Star Sword
7th: Ledgermayne + Star Sword
8th: Tibicenas + Star Sword
9th: Khasaanda + Star Sword
10th: Iadoa + Star Sword
11th: Lionfang + Star Sword
12th: Alteon + Star Sword
13th: Dragon + Star Sword

2020 Lord of Order Star Swords:

Mirrored King's Star Sword
Mirrored Chronomancer's Star Sword
Mirrored Prophet's Star Sword
Mirrored Djinn's Star Sword
Mirrored Werepyre's Star Sword
Mirrored Twin's Star Sword
Mirrored Mage's Star Sword
Mirrored Bard's Star Guitar
Mirrored Samurai's Star Sword
Mirrored Mana Star Sword
Mirrored Knight's Star Sword
Mirrored Drow's Star Sword

Want to know if you're already an Upholder?

That's easy! Just click the Manage Account link on the left under the ACCOUNT section. As soon as you sign in you'll see when your membership expires.

Your support makes all of our daily and weekly releases possible. It allows us to keep updating and expanding AQWorlds, and lets us keep most of the game free to play for ALL heroes.

Thank you for helping us keep AQWorlds online and updating since 2008, and working on the early development phases that will bring AQWorlds Mobile to life.

* We had no idea what kind of chaos we would create over the coming years!
** Please note that only Upgraded Legend Memberships count towards 14th Upholder.
*** The Sentinel Class will be available for ALL previous Upholders and Founders as our way of saying thanks for supporting us in the past!
**** Suggested by AQWorlds Hero @TheSkyAE on Twitter.

Tags: Alina,

September 28, 2022

October Seasonal Set: ChronoStriker

Available every year from October 1st - 31st

Every October, we celebrate the anniversary of AQWorlds' launch. This month, we're showcasing a set that pays homage to the origin of your hero... and their future. AQWorlds was created when Galanoth the DragonSlayer killed the Eternal Dragon of Time* and the 3 original timelines** merged. Starting this Saturday, October 1st, at 12:01 AM EST, unlock the full set and character page badge when you buy the full pack, or talk to Garek in Battleon to get individual set pieces.

October Set: ChronoStriker

The Eternal Dragon of Time rules over the past, present, and future. The ChronoStriker armor will enable you to strike at your enemies regardless of the timeline they inhabit.

There are two ways to get the gear:

1) Total package: Buy the entire set directly through the website for $9.99 USD

2) Individually: Buy each of the individual pieces from Garek the Traveling Gear Merchant in Battleon.

The total cost to buy all of the gear individually is 4,000 ACs, so getting all the gear from the ChronoStriker pack is a pretty sweet deal (you save 2,000 ACs).

The set includes:

ChronoStriker Armor
3 helms
4 capes
3 weapons
character page badge

Seasonal Set Details

Each month, we'll feature a new set, available only during that month every year.

Seasonal Sets
January: ArchFiend OverLord
February: Obsidian Samurai
March: Legion Warseeker
April: Bio-War Cultist
May: Lord of the J-Sixth + Lightning Lich Lord
June: ShadowZard Mount + Rider
July: Flameborn + Underworld Summoner
August: Urban Assassins
September: Celestial Naval Commander
October: ChronoStriker
November: Harvest Hunters
December: Northern Wanderer

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as the monthly upgrade bonus?

Monthly upgrade bonus gear is an extra reward for buying AdventureCoin or Membership packages. Seasonal set packs are bought separately. Just like the Flame Dragon Warrior pack, you can buy the entire set directly, for one price, on our site. You can ALSO buy the individual pieces in-game.

This set will return EVERY October, so if you can't get it now, you'll have another chance in upcoming years.

What if I just want ONE of the items?

You're in luck! Talk to Garek in Battleon. He'll be selling the individual pieces of the set through October 31st.

Where do I get my gear if I buy the full set through the website?

You'll find it in your Book of Lore.

* To see this in-game, /join thespan and play through the 10th Chaos Lord's story, Iadoa the Chronomancer. Your hero may experience deja vu upon seeing the Eternal Dragon of Time. It is perfectly normal. Do not be alarmed.
** Based on the first three Artix Entertainment games, AdventureQuest, DragonFable, and MechQuest.

Tags: Alina,

September 27, 2022

AQWorlds Game Moderator Call

Want To Help Make AQW a Safe & Friendly Game?

Our in-game moderators, bug hunters, and testers are amazing... and more, they all started as members of our player community! They joined our corps of contributors* to make the game and community better for everyone. Starting today, we're looking for some fresh new faces to join the game moderator team. Our emphasis for this hunt is on mods who speak other languages (in addition to English).

Status Update

Mod application update: we're still reviewing the first batch. We've got about 30 applications set aside to look more closely at. I would expect we can start reaching out to the first batch sometime next month.

Like last time, we'll reach out to the first group of people we'd like to talk to, but will hang on to all of the applications. Once we've talked to and trained the first group, we'll go back to the applications to find the next group.

We're working on updating some mod guidelines and our "new team member" experience. How quickly we can reach out to the first group of mods depends on how quickly I can finish some of these team review projects I want to finish first, plus we need to make progress on all our October AE / AQW events.

But when there is more information for everyone, we'll share that with you all. Have a great night, and a good rest of your week!

How to Apply

Fill out the application here: Applications are now closed

Please note: due to the high volume of heroes who apply to join our game moderator team, we cannot respond to everyone about their application.

Thank you to everyone who applied!

Who are Game Mods and what do they do?

Game moderators are the heroes you see with the gold name.
They read and take action on in-game reports.
They help keep the game safe for everyone.

Here are a few things you should know before you apply:

You must be at least 18 years old to apply and participate, no exceptions.
You must provide a valid email address when signing up so we can contact you.
If accepted, you'll create a new, unique identity for your AE team member persona, and you'll moderate using that account.

We are also looking for new mods that speak languages besides English, especially Tagalog, Portuguese, Spanish. Not bilingual? Don't worry! You can still apply.

Important qualities for moderators:

Be fair, honest, and willing to ask for guidance and input
Be eager to serve and improve the community

If you like helping people, love AdventureQuest Worlds, and think you'd make a good in-game moderator... we want to hear from you!

Reminders and FAQs

1) How will you contact me if my application is accepted?
By email. Please make sure you can access the email attached to your AQW game account.

2) How many hours do I need to mod?
There is no minimum # of hours a week. We ask that mods be on regularly while active but modding should be a fun extracurricular activity. A couple hours a week at most, and should not take away from real life obligations like school or work.

3) Do I need to change my name? Really?
If you become a game mod, you'll use a new AE staff identity + get a staff account to use for moderating. Your staff account will get membership + ACs. Your current game account/s will remain as-is... but will get a few bonus gifts.

4) What if I got banned or muted in the past?
We know people make mistakes, and grow and change over time. Those are all looked at on a case-by-case basis, but a ban or mute won't automatically disqualify you.

* Dage, J6, Ghost, Tomix, Lae, and Sora (plus many more of our staff) all joined the AE team after finding the games and playing as regular members of the community... and you can, too!

Tags: Alina,

September 23, 2022

Talk Like a Pirate 2022 Collection Update

Unlock 200+ rare and seasonal items in our 2022 Dark Seas Collection

Talk Like a Pirate Day is one of the most popular holidays in AQWorlds. Every year, Quibble Coinbiter returns with new pirate-themed gear from the past, present, and future for heroes who don't ask too many questions about where their loot originated. Get all of Quibble's 2022 Talk Like a Pirate Day collection gear starting this weekend, including over 200 items and a rare character page badge for 10,000 ACs! (over 50,000 ACs worth of gear)

The 2022 TLaPD Dark Seas Collection Chest unlocks over 200 items total. Quibble's Shop and Chest will contain:

Available right now:

Exclusive Dark Seas 2022 Collection Chest pet to unlock the full collection shop
ShadowFlame Naval Commander set
ShadowLord Naval Commander set **
ShadowFlame + ShadowLord Commander's Minions capes
ShadowFlame + ShadowLord Commander's Tentacle Guest capes
Abyssal Angel Naval Commander set
Wretched Debris Naval Commander set
Ammonite of Madness cape
Vindicator of Naval Commanders set
Duality Naval Commander set*
Seraphic Naval Commander set
DragonFlame Pirate Captain set
Eternal Flames of Akriloth ground item
Pirate Moglin pets: 13th Naval, Unlucky Pirate, Blizzard Naval, Galactic Naval, Inverted Naval moglin pets
Vindicator Naval Commander's Quest Pet (with quest for exclusive character page badge)
Yokai Oni Naval Commander set **
Shadow Oni Naval Commander set
Tainted Naval Commander set
Paladin Pirate Captain set
Draconic Naval Commander set
Platinum DragonLord Commander set
Golden DragonLord Commander set **
Queen of the Sea Monsters set

Friday, September 30th:

Raven Naval Commander set (2021 Naval Design Contest Winner)

Several other 2021 contest winners' sets will be added as seasonal items in-game, outside of the event collection chest, as well!

The Chaos Pirate Seasonal Collection Chest Returns

Last year, for AQWorlds' 13th anniversary, we a seasonal Chaos Saga Pirate chest with over 100 items! Unlock them all when you get the Chaos Pirate Collection Chest, or buy individual items from the shop in your game menu.

Note: for a few days the Chaos Pirate Collection chest pet was accidentally re-named TLaPD Seasonal Collection Chest. That has been fixed and Captain Rhubarb will refund you if you bought it thinking it was something different.

The seasonal Chaos Pirate Collection Chest includes:

Mobius Naval Commander set: based on Escherion, the 1st Lord of Chaos
Duality Pirate Captain set: based on Xing and Xan, the 2nd Lords of Chaos
Chaos Dragon Pirate Captain set: inspired by Chaos DragonLord Vath, the 3rd Lord of Chaos
Ruby and Emerald Yokai Pirate Captain sets: inspired by Yokai Isle, the 4th Chaos Saga area
WerePyre-ate Captain set: inspired by Wolfwing, the 5th Lord of Chaos
Discordian Naval Commander set: inspired by Discordia, totally the 6th Lord of Chaos
Arboreal Pirate Captain set: inspired by Arcangrove, the 7th Chaos Saga area
Sandsea Naval Commander set: inspired by Zhoom, your main ally in the the 8th Lord of Chaos Saga
Horcish and Trollish Naval Commander sets: inspired by your allies in the 9th Lord of Chaos Saga
Chronomancer Pirate Captain set: inspired by Iadoa, the 10th Lord of Chaos
ChaosFang Naval Commander set: inspired by LionFang, the 11th Lord of Chaos
Swordhaven Naval Commander set: inspired by Alteon, ruler of the 12th Chaos Saga area
Eternal Dragon Naval Commander set: inspired by the Eternal Dragon of Time, the 13th Lord of Chaos
Ahoyrion Quest pet (with quest for exclusive character page badge)

Just want a couple of the items listed above? Apart from the exclusive pets, all of the gear contained inside the 2022 TLaPD Dark Seas Collection Chest shop will also be available to buy individually in Quibble's Event shop.

* Mirrored gender armor variant also available.
** This set will be seasonally available.

YARRRR! New Wheel of Doom Merge Set

Whether you want to tap into your inner darkness or terrify your opponents into submission... we've got new gear for you this weekend!

Find all-new gear in the...

Wheel of Doom Merge Shop: Solo Ship Captain set
Twilly's Treasure Chest Quest: Basilisk Ranger set

Solo Ship Captain set items:

1 armor
2 helms
2 capes
1 sword
1 dagger

Get your Free Wheel of Doom Spins

Everyone loves to get prizes... and that's why everyone in AdventureQuest Worlds will get at least one free spin on the Wheel of Doom per week.

Members get one free spin a day while their upgrade is active
All players get one free spin a week.

Spin the Wheel, Collect Treasures, Choose Your Prize

Each time you spin the Wheel of Doom, you'll get a Treasure Potion to spend in the Doom Merge Shop. Save up 1,000 and you'll be able to buy a Wicked Item of Donated Awesomeness. Each WIoDA lets you choose a rare or valuable item* straight from your account manager.

How to Claim your Prize

Make sure you have a confirmed email address attached to your game account, and then follow these steps:

Decide on the item you want
Log into your Account Manager
Click on the "Awesome Prizes" link on the sidebar
You'll see a list of the IoDA tokens you have available
Choose from a list of ALL the eligible item rewards
You'll be taken to a verification page to confirm your choice

Redeem IoDA tokens to get even MORE bonuses

For each of the first six eligible IoDA tokens you receive , you'll get a FREE Bonus IoDA. The eligible tokens are the Ultimate, Epic, Platinum, Wicked and Golden tokens. After that, you'll get a free Bonus IoDA for every 3 eligible IoDA you redeem, with no maximum stack. So if you have that dream set of gear you want to create... now you'll be able to.

After you redeem your...

1st IoDA, you'll unlock 1 free bonus IoDA
2nd IoDA, you'll unlock 1 free bonus IoDA
3rd IoDA, you'll unlock 1free bonus IoDA
4th IoDA, you'll unlock 1 free bonus IoDA
5th IoDA, you'll unlock 1 free bonus IoDA
6th IoDA, you'll unlock 1 free bonus IoDA

Then, for every 3 IoDA you redeem, you'll unlock another free bonus IoDA.

After you redeem your...

7th, 8th, and 9th IoDA, you'll unlock 1 free bonus IoDA
10th, 11th, and 12th IoDA, you'll unlock 1 free bonus IoDA

And so on. The 3:1 bonus IoDA ratio starts after you get your first 6 free BIoDA, regardless of when you received them. (Example: if you've redeemed a total of 21 IoDA tokens, you'll unlock 11 BIoDA total. The first 6 BIoDA at a 1:1 ratio, and then 5 more at the 3:1 ratio.)

* Exceptions include staff personal items, custom weapon contest prizes, HeroMart items, etc

Twilly's Treasure Chest: Basilisk Ranger set

The Basilisk is easily the most deadly of the four legendary beasts of Greenguard Forest. Its stare is as deadly as its venomous bite. No hunter would dare track this beast... until you proved it could be defeated.

Open a Treasure Chest for a chance to get 1 of...

55+ armors
60+ weapons
70+ helms
10+ capes
or 3 house items (including the Altar of Caladbolg)
Plus 5 new items in the Faerie Guardian set

The Basilisk Ranger set includes:

1 armor
2 helms
1 cape
1 bow
1 dagger

Tags: Alina,

September 23, 2022

Shadows of War: Queen's Death Revealed

The Shadows of War Saga Finale Continues This Weekend

The war is over. Your allies have survived intact – for the most part – but your battle is not yet done. This weekend, fight your way though the depths of the Timestream and the remains of the timelines Malgor left behind. Hidden deep inside these dead cycles, the ShadowLord is waiting… and so is the full truth about how the Queen of Monsters really died.

This weekend, /join deadlines and prepare to:

Battle alongside Gravelyn as you explore deeper into the TimeStream
Visit timelines that happened... maybe... at some point... or didn't... O_O
See the truth of how the Queen of Monsters REALLY died
Discover what your allies would have done if the unthinkable happened

OMG PLOT PROGRESSION NOTE: do not skip the final cutscene. SURPRISE REVEAL INSIDE!

Monstrous Reward Gear

Those who can cross between times and worlds are the most dangerous of opponents... and the ones able to get the best loot. Battle monsters in /deadlines for new drops, then find even more new gear in the merge shop.

14 Boss Drops:

2 Monstrous helms, 1 Wing cape
Requiesat Regina armor, 2 helms, 2 capes, Cane
Enchanted Battle Gear
Timestream Ravager's Sigil
Dark Stars Cape
ShadowFlame Aura + Portal

Merge Shop:

Timestream Ravager armor
4 Timestream Ravager helms
1 Timestream Ravager cape
6 Timestream Ravager weapons
Enchanted ShadowFlame Portal

The Story so Far...

In the last chapter update, Fate of the Champipons, it waas WAR! The Avatars were willingto help you hunt Malgor, but to do so, four Elemental Champions needed to serve as their shields. You won the war, but the price was high... maybe too high? It is too soon to tell.

Shadows of War: ShadowFlame Finale

Chapter 1: begin the adventure in /ruinedcrown
Chapter 2: hunt Malgor in /timekeep
Chapter 3: battle through the Timestream war in /streamwar
Chapter 4: discover the truth NOW in /deadlines
Chapter 5: coming soon
Chapter 6: coming soon

The Shadows of War Saga

Malgor, Leader of the ShadowFlame army, seeks to destroy our world completely... by corrupting the ley lines of Lore -- the veins of magic running through our world. If he succeeds, he will be unstoppable, and we will all be very, VERY dead.

The First Encounter: /join shadowwar
Teja the Pirate Queen: /join granitecove
Jinx the Cat Burglar: /join junkhoard
Attack on Arcangrove: /join shadowgrove
Mahou the Spirit Mage: /join aozorahills
Attack on Mythsong: /join shadowsong
Alliance of Evil: /join darkally
The Chaos Twins: /join chaosamulet
Chaos & Shadows: /join lagunabeach
Attack on the Mirror Realm: /join shadowoff
Shadows of Chaos: /join forestreach
ShadowFlame Onslaught: /join fireplanewar
Shadows of War Finale: /join ruinedcrown

See the full Shadows of War Saga Guide here.

Leaving Soon: mark your calendars

Don't miss out on your favorite limited time events, stories, and gear!

Friday, September 30:

rare Daily Gifts from 9/1 - 9/14
September National Day items

Saturday, October 1:

September Seasonal set

Friday, October 7:

Talk Like a Pirate Day 2022 collection chest + seasonal event maps/gear
Featured Gear Shop: Wrathful Lich + Celestial Healer sets

Daily Gift Schedule

Log in each day for a new server-wide reward item, boost, or drop rate increase. Bookmark the Daily Gift page to keep up to date with all of daily gifts! And don't miss the rest of this month's update. See the full release lineup here: AdventureQuest Worlds calendar.

Flash is Dead. AQWorlds lives on with the Artix Games Launcher!

Adobe, the maker of the Flash Player plug-in, stopped supporting Flash. But never fear! We built the Artix Games Launcher so you can continue playing AdventureQuest Worlds and your other favorite Artix Entertainment games.

Download the Launcher at artix.com/launcher, then log in and get back to battling right from your computer. No Flash Player or web browser needed.

Tags: Alina,

September 19, 2022

New Gear Sneak Peek

New Loot and Booty headed your way this weekend

YARRRR! It be Talk Like a Pirate Day today, an' we've got more loot headed yer way all week long. For Daily Login Gift drops, we've got: new Crystallis gear, graphic designer Teka's birthday gifts, a new farming boost, and the last of the water-themed weapons.