There are two important announcements about Anno 117 today! The game will be free this weekend, and more details about the upcoming DLCs have been revealed in the trailer.
2026 is the first year in the still young history of Anno 117 in which we will be provided with an expansion pass. It contains three expansions that will be released throughout the year. A few details are already known, but not everything.
Now, Anno 117 has promoted the Year 1 Pass in an entertaining live-action trailer and, along the way, revealed a few additional gameplay details about all three DLCs! In this news article, we summarize the new information that has been shared. Of course, you can also watch the trailer yourself and form your own opinion:
These are the new DLC details
In the trailer, we see three real-life versions of different social classes discussing the challenges that lie ahead for us as governors and for our Roman Empire. The liberti, the equites, and the patrician engage in a lively discussion about what we might encounter.
However, these are not just entertaining dialogues, but concrete hints about the gameplay of the DLCs. Some of it we already knew, while other aspects were still unclear. Let’s go through it step by step:
Promise of the Volcano
This is the first DLC, which is expected to be released in April. So far, we knew that the expansion would introduce the largest island in Anno history, which would also feature a volcano. In addition, Vulcanus will be introduced as a new deity. The trailer provided further clues:
- The volcano can erupt: Obvious, but never entirely clear until now. However, the conversation between the three characters suggests that the volcano is indeed active, can spew lava, and will probably set our cities on the island on fire.
- Fertile lands: However, such an eruption does not only have negative effects. The volcanic ash can make fields more fertile and increase yields massively.
- Offerings: To ensure that we experience more positive and fewer fiery negative effects, we can make offerings to Vulcanus. At least pigs are a confirmed offering. However, we can probably throw even more goods into the mouth of the volcano.
The Hippodrome
The second DLC 2026 revolves around the longest building in Anno history: the Hippodrome! This wonder of the world is modeled after the Circus Maximus and is therefore a huge racetrack. Here we can organize various races and generate prestige. There was the least new information about the Hippodrome, but at least a few small details:
- Gambling: This is just a guess, but perhaps as governors we can also bet money on different racing teams and, if we are right, possibly pocket a fat payout.
Awakening of the Delta
The most exciting DLC for many is certainly the third, which brings a whole new province into the game. It is based on ancient Egypt and promises new lands, supply chains, deities, and units. Awakening of the Delta is scheduled for release in November. The trailer contained a few very interesting hints:
- Repairing pyramids: This may be a disappointment for some, but apparently we won’t be building our own pyramids in Egypt. The trailer only mentions repairing the pyramids, which at least confirms that they will be covered in the game mechanics. The fact that we won’t be building the pyramids ourselves is probably also related to the fact that these wonders of the world were completed millennia before Roman rule.
- Flooding: As expected, the river delta in Egypt will be hugely important, and the trailer now also confirms that the river can flood regularly. Similar to the volcano, this can cause damage, but it can also massively increase fertility in the region.
- Romanization: The trailer also mentions that the Romanization mechanic from Albion will also be present in Egypt. It is therefore to be expected that two different paths through the population levels will be possible here as well: a Roman one and a local one.
Play Anno 117 for free
If you don’t own Anno 117 yet and DLCs are therefore not relevant to you, we still have some good news. Anno 117 is getting its first free weekend! From February 26 to March 2, you can play the building game for free on Ubisoft Connect, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. If you really knuckle down during this time and make effective use of the five days of playtime, you might even manage to play through the entire game. However, it is not known whether the free version will include the full game.
Alternatively, you can use this opportunity to persuade a few hesitant friends to join you for a co-op game. After all, the multiplayer has become a lot more stable since the last update.