Last December, Funcom made some waves in the Anarchy Online community with a seemingly out-of-nowhere Facebook poll asking fans if there were any interest in a fresh-start server for the studio’s 18-year-old sci-fi MMO. The response was mixed, but apparently the idea gained some traction, as Funcom has just announced that it’s actually happening, for real.
The Facebook post announcing the fresh-start server — which the studio is apparently calling the “2019 server” — is brief, so details right now are pretty scarce, but here’s what we know: All players will, of course, start with fresh, new characters, and initially, the server will feature only the “original content from launch.” From there, it seems that things will unfold similarly to your typical progression server, with additional expansion content rolling out regularly over time. Aside from that, though, we know virtually nothing about it, and that includes its release date — Funcom simply says it’s “coming soon.” How soon? We’ll have to wait and see.
It’s called “Rubi-Ka 2019.” That’s the official designation of Anarchy Online’s fresh start server coming our way in the near future. The announcement of this server took a lot of fans by surprise, especially considering that AO has been developmentally dormant for years now.
On a February 27th Twitch stream, the Funcom team talked about the construction of the server and what the subscription-only shard will offer the community. Rubi-Ka 2019 will feature expansion progression, a rolling level cap, and the modern version of the game. One of the perks of rolling on this server is the ability to earn a sleek new set of Serpentine armor through a series of missions.
Some players have expressed concern over the server, particularly in regard to the lack of name reservations, the potential for duping and exploits, botting, and the expensive nature of the subscription.
Funcom promises that there will be a “deep dive” article into this server concept at a later date, but for now you can watch the full stream after the break.