Five Years of Conan Exile, And If Crom Wills It, Will Be Even Stronger Through The Next

In 2018, nearly a decade since the release of Age of Conan, Conan Exiles left Early Access, releasing on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox One — with an enhanced addition in 2021 for Xbox Series X|S. Based on the Conan book series written by Robert E. Howard, fans of the sword and sorcery saga got to immerse themselves into the world of Hyboria again with better graphics and gameplay. Conan Exiles is set in the Exile Lands, a region cut off from the mainland where those whose crimes are too heinous are deserted. After creating your character while they hang from a crucifix, or as it’s called in the game “corpse tree”, your character is cut down by Conan himself. Starting with nothing but the shirt on your back — in some instances, not even that — you learn how to survive, to eventually grow enough towards building a sturdy fortress you and friends can live in comfortably.

If you’re unaware of the book series, you won’t be too confused playing through the game, as the Exiled Lands are filled to the brim with life and visual storytelling of the Conan mythos. From doing the basic crafting life cycle of collecting resources to make better items and structures to exploring caves and treasure-filled ruins, there’s a lot to do even without the DLCs you can purchase.

For the last five years, developer Funcom has made quality of life improvements with: additional regions, like the Frozen North, coastal islands, and the biomes between them added to the main desert map; countless DLC bringing in more lore-friendly builds and arsenals; as well as the massive map and campaign, The Isles of Siptah. The Isles of Siptah is similar to the base game but set on a much smaller island after your character is shipwrecked travelling to the Exiled Lands.

After many changes to the game, it’s still as fun as it was when it was in Early Access. Whether starting from scratch or a high-levelled character who knows the answer to the riddle of steel, Conan Exiles throws exciting challenges in your way. However, the obstacles in the first few hours haven't changed; you still have to try to level up to the point where you can properly defend yourself with iron weapons and safely begin to go on excursions into different regions.

Conan Exiles is currently in its Age of Sorcery — Chapter 3 update, incorporating dark magic into The Exiled Lands. As sorcerers clash with each other, you can either help defeat the evil forces or join them in their rituals. Along with new dungeons, enemies, and constructable golems, there is a new battle pass and cosmetics in the in-game store.

The grand MMO still pulls in over 10,000 active PC players daily, with more on console; there’s an incentive for new content to come in the near future. At the moment, there’s a “Five Year Anniversary” gift free in-shop for all players, giving players a decal, a cake with a knife in it, and a golden pickaxe.