Servers are all back up!

Tomorrow is the big day!  New careers, new scenario, crafting overhaul, and a whole boatload of bugfixes!  See the full announcement after the jump.  Check out our patch notes listing here, or join in the discussion on our forum.

Greetings!

Tomorrow we will be bringing you the massive and long-anticipated Patch 1.2, which heralds the arrival of the Choppa and Slayer careers, kicks off the the Bitter Rivals live event content (March 3 - 10), new items, over 500 bug fixes, extensive career balancing, and much more!

1.2 will be going live Tuesday, 3/3. All North American servers will be brought down at 7:00 AM EST with Oceanic servers to follow at 9:00 AM EST. We expect all servers to be back up and running by 1:00 PM EST.

New Careers

Players will need to take part in the Bitter Rivals event to unlock these two new careers.  Unlocking the characters via the Bitter Rivals event will give early access to the Slayer and Choppa in one week.  All others players will gain access one week afterward.

New Secret Lairs

Two new secret lairs await! Finding the new hidden lairs is only half the battle. Figuring out how to open the door - and surviving the dangers inside - is another matter, entirely!

Content

The Open Party button has finally severed its ties to the player portrait and moved to the Menu Bar. This new Parties and Warbands window now has all information about Open Parties and Party Management, as well as the new Looking for Group system.

Whether it's the new careers, undiscovered secret lairs, changes to items, or any of the other exciting changes, this patch is chock-full of fun new content additions to the game.

Mail System Improvements

Rejoice, for multiple mail attachments are here! Now you can send several attached items with a single mail message.

Unleash the savage fury of the relentless Orc Choppa, or take up the doom-laden oath of the unstoppable Dwarf Slayer. These two new melee-focused careers relish the thrill of fighting on the front lines and laying waste to all foes that come within reach of their mighty blades.

New Bitter Rivals Live Event

Bitter Rivals join the battle! Introducing the newest live event for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Bitter Rivals focuses on the ancient hatred that burns between the Dwarf and Greenskin races. Millennia of conflict in the Worlds Edge Mountains have honed the enmity that exists between the Orcs and Goblins and the stout Dwarfs to a razor-sharp edge, and when these nemeses meet in battle, it is war without mercy.

Also, check out the riveting Choppa and Slayer fictions on the official WAR website: Grimnir's Paradox by Nathan Long, and A Fistful of Choppas by Mike Lee.

Twisting Tower Scenario

Fight for control of the warped Twisting Tower ! The battle rages in this new Tier 4 Scenario found deep in the heart of the maddening Chaos Wastes. Here, the warping power of Chaos is at its peak, transforming the very fabric of reality in defiance of all reason.

Warriors of Order and Destruction must grapple for control of this ancient citadel, for if the secrets of the Twisting Tower should fall into enemy hands, the tide of battle will surely turn. Like the Reikland Factory, the Twisting Tower will be available for all players for a limited time as a preview to accompany the Bitter Rivals event. Be sure to stake your claim to the Twisting Tower while you can!

Rallying Cry System

Answer the Call to Arms with new Realm vs. Realm gameplay enhancements! Introducing the new Open RvR Rallying Cry system that summons you to key battles for Tiers 1 and 2. The new Zone Control Domination System for Tiers 2 through 4 rewards a realm that truly conquers the battlefield. Also, many improvements to siege weapons ensure that the mighty engines of war are now more lethally effective than ever. See the 1.2 Patch Notes for more details!

New Items

New treasures await! Across-the-board itemization improvements have been made to the Fortresses, world dungeons, and city dungeons of WAR, including better world drops, quest rewards, Influence rewards, and more!

Crafting System Improvments

We've made many improvements to the game's crafting system, including pairing-off specific gathering skills with specific production skills in order to make crafters more self-sufficient. Also, the leveling curve of trade skills has been improved and fewer components are required to create items. Last, but certainly not least, is the addition of new craftable items!

New Easy Public Quests

Easy Public Quests make their debut in Tiers 2, 3, and 4. Scaled for courageous bands of 1 to 3 adventurers, these Public Quests offer a rewarding PvE experience without a large commitment of forces. You'll find one Easy Public Quest in each Chapter, so gather a few friends, or venture out alone ... if you dare!