Anno 1800 getting a fourth season of paid DLC next year and its first scenario next week

Acclaimed Industrial-Revolution-era city builder Anno 1800 has done really rather well for itself since its release back in 2019 - having recently surpassed 2m players - and Ubisoft is celebrating with the announcement of a fourth season of paid DLC, starting next year.

Ubisoft says the Anno team is "just getting started" on its latest DLC journey and so isn't quite ready to reveal specifics just yet. However, its blog post offers a few teases on the direction Seasons 4's three planned DLCs will be taking, with the focus this time around said being the New World - in contrast to the Old World focus of Season 3.

Ubisoft notes it won't be adding all-new sessions as part of Season 4 and that it'll be keeping the New World's building space limitations in mind as it firms up its development plans. Full Season 4 details are due to be revealed in March 2022, but Ubisoft says each paid DLC will feature at least one new scenario and will be accompanied by a free game update for all.

Teaser Season 4 Pass | Anno 1800

Scenarios - scripted challenges that play out away from sandbox and campaign modes - have appeared in numerous Anno games over the years but have yet to make their debut in Anno 1800. That changes next Tuesday, 14th December, with the release of the city builder's Game Update 13, which includes its first scenario Eden Burning.

Created during this year's Green Game Jam 2021, the new scenario mode puts players in charge of an island following its Pyrphorian occupation. The island's inhabitants want to retain modern conveniences, such as electricity, while mitigating the environmental damage caused by Pyrphorian buildings and factories. As such, players are tasked with building a hydroelectric dam as a greener source of energy while also dealing with new mechanics introduced specifically for the scenario, including Eco Balance, requiring players to keep a close eye on water quality, soil quality, and air quality.

Alongside Eden Burning, Update 13 includes two "resplendent" ship skins to celebrate Anno 1800's two million player milestone - one for the Ship of the Line and one for the Battle Cruiser - plus two bits of paid cosmetic DLC: the Vibrant Cities Pack and the Plant A Tree DLC. The latter gives players a new ornamental tree to plant in their cities and Ubisoft says it'll donate a minimum of $1 for every purchase made to environmental conservation organisation Ecologi.

And finally on the Anno front, Anno 1404: History Edition is currently free to download on PC as part of Ubisoft's ongoing 35th birthday celebrations. It'll be free to add to your Ubisoft Connect library until 14th December at 2pm in the UK.