AFK Arena's letter to the players and my guesses
So yesterday, AFK Arena released a letter to the players for a happy new year. And honestly, it was really uplifting! No corporate babbling, not even a single mention about resources or budgeting, just a nice letter to the fanbase about what's to come – speaking of which!
According to the letter, we are going to be getting many MANY more awakened heroes! Older hero reworks are now gonna be done in this way. There should be one awakened hero every 2-3 months and when there's an awakened hero, there won't be a new hero coming out around that time period. But the best part about this is that AFK Arena is going to shift its focus from pure grind and mechanical aspects, from churning out new op chapters and floors in towers, to storytelling. Each and every awakened hero will get their own story-based event at the end of which, we'll see their awakened version – and there will be another event to obtain one copy of the awakened version without spending in-game resources!
There was more but this is mostly what I wanted to talk about. The Talene event we're getting right now is just a little taste of things to come, and I for one am ECSTATIC! AFK Arena's storytelling is what pulled me into it in the first place. It just grabbed me and didn't let go, which sadly can't be said about most of my other fandoms (looking at you, Twst, pull yourself together). The fact that they started releasing several webcomics and now want to focus on story-based events with animated trailers and new theme songs, all that to rework old heroes we all know and love... I am so SO glad to see this!
But now to my guesses. I want to make a quick little list of which character from each faction I think will get their awakened versions first. I will probably be wrong but I wanna share my guesses. Feel free to rb and add your own, let's see if we can figure Lilith out!
Zolrath – For Hypogeans, my first guess would be Zolrath. Lilith really likes to put Zolrath in story-focused content, and for a good reason. His breaking of the fourth wall as he manipulates even us players outside of the fame is incredibly fun to go through and immersive. Whether the story tackles a clash with Orthros or eliminating a particularly powerful enemy, I'm on board!
Khazard – At the same time, if we're talking storytelling potential, no Hypogean can match what Khazard has. Seeing more details about his battle with Respen, and possibly even getting some inner monologue and see what more of Khazard's personality would just be cool.
Lucius – From Lightbearers, I have two main guesses for their very own reasons. Lucius is here because of how much attention has been focused on him lately with all the VoWs. From his lost friendships, to his failing faith in the CoL, to his doubt when it comes to the divine light itself. Him coming to terms with all of this and finding a way to overcome it would make for a tense but ultimately amazing story.
Thane – Thane is one of the characters who need a rework most desperately. That paired up with Silent Blade and the fact that Lilith did tease Thaden meeting in their first anniversary quest makes me hopeful that we might see some of Thane's brilliance once more.
Warek – I wasn't sure who to pick with the Maulers tbh. Most of their stories are pretty finished and while there could potentially be more to add, it would just feel disconnected. Warek though, I think would be an excellent exception. He fights for honor to restore the pride of his clan – so what is he going to do once it's restored? Or maybe he gets nearly beaten and has to gather all his strength to keep going? Either way would be exciting to watch!
Lyca – Unlike the Maulers, there's a TON of Wilders who could benefit from expansions to their stories. But I'm placing my chips on Lyca. Lilith likes Lyca, there's no doubt about it. They even called her the incarnation of the game itself – mediocre at first but through preserverence and hard work, she became someone well-known and respected. It would be interesting to see what more they will do with her now that her arc is practically over.
Shemira – The earliest carry in the game, Shemira is another character with a desperate need of a buff. That and I saw some leaked art from Chinese servers with Shemira without her eyemask. I don't know if that has anything to do with awakenings but it could. That's mainly it for my reasoning.
Baden – Meanwhile, I have actual reasoning for Baden. For one, there's the Silent Blade comic again which is as much Baden's story as it is Thane's. And just like Thane, Baden could benefit from a solid buff. But unlike Thane, Baden has a clear direction of where to go next. Fighting off his spectral lich for a second time, Baden might be able to finally break free and show us his own attack power!