You won't believe which feature is finally being added to Anno 1800 with Game Update 16!

Alongside a DLC update, Ubisoft developers always bring out a Game Update (GU). There have been GU's without a new DLC, but never a DLC without a GU. 

Still following? 

So... what is this 'Game Update' thing and why is this one, number 16, so incredible? What new feature is being added?

Game Update?

A Game Update is the literal updated game files, which are being released to the public (usually) at the release time of the new DLC. 

It includes the files to support the new features from the DLC, like sessions, characters or buildings. But also bugfixes and quality of life improvements. 

DLC Support

Each DLC introduces new things. Characters with their own profile images and voices, sessions with their own maps and islands, buildings with their own production chains and goods. 

All these new things live in files. Images, sounds, code generators. These files are added to Anno 1800 with the Game Update.

Quality of Life improvements

So we love the game, right? But some things are just... meh. Wouldn't it be great if... Can't we just... 

Quality of Life improvements tackle exactly those things. Over the past couple of seasons, the Game Updates have added different menu structures, tree painters, better selection tools and overviews, and much much more. 

These are the updates that make the gameplay more enjoyable every time it is released.

Bugfixes

Somethings, things don't go to play. You can plan so carefully and test so rigorously, but even the developers and testers at Ubisoft are just people.

So a bug every now and then, it happens. Most recently, newspapers started to complain about a lack of Schnapps. 

In the New World...

So anyway, bugs happen. And developers work to fix them. Good for them (and us).

Game Update 16

So what is new in this Game Update 16? It releases at the same time as DLC 12 (New World Rising), so obviously it adds support for that. But GU16 also...

• Adds support for DLC New World Rising 🥳
• Adds support for the Old Town Pack (Cosmetic DLC)
• Adds the lifestyle needs based on the New World Rising DLC
• Completely reworks how lifestyle needs affect population (read the full explanation on the Anno Union)
• Adds new islands to the generation pool for the new world
• Adds new items with some cross-DLC interactions (like some items not only affect New World Rising things, but also production chains from other DLCs like farms in Enbesa)
• Reworks the construction menu
• Makes Airships descend faster when unloading goods 
• Fixes a whole list of bugs that I've never encountered before 🤔

So yeah, read the announcement at Anno Union for a full overview of all improvements and fixes. And then pay special attention to the feature that will finally be introduced to Anno 1800!

And the winner is... The Multi-Move Tool

Yes, yes and yes! FINALLY we are offered the Multi-Move Tool to help us manage our cities more easily!

Have you ever had to move over 10 houses 1 tile, just because you forgot to reserve space for a rail track? Or because the Church is 2 tiles wider than the Marketplace? 

Sure you have! And it's really, REALLY annoying to have to do so. 

With the introduction of the Multi-Move Tools, we can move multiple objects at once! 

I haven't seen it in action yet, but I'm sure it will be awesome. 

New World Rising DLC

Game Update 16 will be released at the same time as the New World Rising DLC. So that's December 8th 2023, which is tomorrow (at time of writing).

Are you as excited as I am? Let me know in the comments what you are looking forward to most!