Six weeks before the Hippodrome, Ubisoft Mainz clears the decks
Anno 117: Pax Romana patch 1.6.1 landed today, July 9, 2026, without fanfare. Four targeted fixes, no new mechanics — and a clear signal that the runway is being cleared for the summer’s main event: the Hippodrome DLC, scheduled for mid-August alongside Update 2.0.
What patch 1.6.1 changes
Four fixes worth knowing:
- Cinis expands: Earthquakes have unlocked additional building space on the volcanic island. The change is savegame-compatible — no restart required.
- Crash fixed: A crash tied to resolving large incidents in late-game sessions is now gone.
- Commerce exploit closed: A gamepad input trick allowed free goods from traders. The exploit is removed.
- Vigiles repair fix (Prophecies of Ash): Vigiles now repair buildings destroyed by volcanic activity and tremors — a bug that had gone unaddressed since the DLC launched.
None of these are headline changes, but they clear out technical debt accumulated since Prophecies of Ash shipped.
The Hippodrome: Anno’s largest monument yet
The numbers frame the ambition: over 60 tiles long by roughly 25 tiles wide. That’s nearly twice the length of the Amphitheater, currently the only monument in Anno 117. The Circus Maximus held up to 250,000 spectators — the scale reference isn’t accidental.
The DLC lets you host chariot races inside your city. Two practical results:
- Governor prestige increases, improving your diplomatic position and island bonuses.
- New specialists become recruitable, providing production, happiness, or military efficiency buffs when placed in existing buildings.
Included in the Year 1 Pass, with a standalone purchase option for those without it.
The strategic catch: Albion granite
Here’s the detail the general roadmap didn’t emphasize: the Hippodrome can only be built in Latium, and it requires Albion granite — a resource exclusive to the Celtic province of Britannia.
The implication is direct. If your Anno 117 playthrough has been Latium-first with Albion on the back burner, you now need to:
- Establish or expand your Albion presence to access granite quarries.
- Build a maritime trade route to ship granite back to Latium.
- Plan the footprint: 60 × 25 tiles of contiguous space in Latium takes serious urban planning.
With six weeks before the DLC drops, there’s enough time to adjust production chains without a crisis. A player who waits until the Hippodrome appears in the shop to start sourcing granite will spend multiple sessions on logistics before placing a single foundation tile.
Update 2.0 and the August schedule
The Hippodrome ships alongside Update 2.0, targeted for mid-August 2026. Ubisoft Mainz hasn’t detailed the full contents of that update yet — expect Anno Union posts in the coming weeks.
After the Hippodrome, the Year 1 Pass closes out with Dawn of the Delta in November 2026 — a full Egyptian province built around the Nile delta, introducing new populations, deities, and production chains.
For context on what came before, check our Prophecies of Ash review and full 2026 roadmap breakdown.
Start sourcing Albion granite now.
What matters is that the Hippodrome turns a prestige building into a logistics check. Players who secure Albion granite and Latium space beforehand will use the DLC immediately; everyone else will be building the supply chain first.
Sources: Anno Union — Patch 1.6.1 · Ubisoft — Year 1 DLC Plans