Albion Online’s upcoming faction battle standards turns you into the PvP objective

We are all familiar with rushing toward PvP objectives such as keeps or flags, but what if an MMO turned you into the objective? That’s the thought behind faction battle standards, a new feature coming to Albion Online with next week’s Realm Divided Part II update.

“These banners introduce capture-the-flag-style gameplay to the Royal Continent, creating moving points of tension that pull players into fights wherever they go,” Sandbox Interactive said.

The studio explains that faction standards are big ol’ flags that you can find and carry for as long as you dare, leveling it up through a variety of methods (including defeating other players). Standard-carriers can decide when they want to go turn the flag in for rewards, with the more levels resulting in a better payout for you and your team.

However, carrying a standard paints a huge target on your back, marking you on the map for anyone to come fight. If another player manages to defeat a standard-carrier, they’ll be able to grab that standard — and its accumulated levels — for his or her own.