Key Highlights:
- Anno 117: Pax Romana’s Blooming Cities Pack launches on June 18 for €6.99.
- The cosmetic DLC adds gardens, statues, walls and the Temple of Flora centrepiece.
- Ubisoft’s art team has revealed how the pack was inspired by Babylon and the Minoan Age.
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Ubisoft has offered a closer look at the Blooming Cities Pack, the next cosmetic DLC for Anno 117: Pax Romana. The add-on focuses on giving players more freedom when designing their settlements, introducing a wide selection of flowers, trees, monuments and architectural pieces inspired by ancient cultures.
Rather than concentrating on large structures alone, the pack places equal importance on smaller decorative elements. New flower patterns and garden tiles can be combined to create everything from formal city parks to more natural spaces between buildings. Plants such as lilies, poppies and dandelions are joined by cypresses and palm trees, allowing governors to experiment with different colours and layouts.
According to Ubisoft’s art team, each garden tile uses multiple variations to create a less repetitive appearance. The same system used for farm fields and mosaics has been adapted to produce more organic-looking landscapes, helping cities feel less rigid and more alive.
The Temple of Flora serves as the centrepiece of the collection. Designed with a brighter and more stylised appearance, the monument becomes especially striking after sunset thanks to atmospheric lighting and visual effects. Art Director Reiko explained that the team deliberately prioritised mood over strict historical accuracy to give the structure a more magical presence.
The Temple of Flora also interacts with nearby aqueducts. Areas with access to irrigation can support different vegetation, transforming nearby trees and flowers into more exotic varieties. This effect works alongside a new Hellenic-themed aqueduct appearance, which uses white stone and blue accents to complement the rest of the pack.
Senior Prop Artist Laura said that sculpting statues proved to be one of the biggest challenges during development, while creating ponds and arranging flowers became some of the most enjoyable aspects of the project. Inspiration for the overall style came from several sources, including the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and elements of Minoan architecture that were adapted to suit the Roman setting.
Alongside decorative gardens and monuments, the DLC introduces new walls, gates, trees and shrubs aimed at expanding customisation options. Ubisoft has also encouraged players to share screenshots of their creations, with the development team using community feedback to help shape future content.
As additional information, Ubisoft previously showcased the Blooming Cities Pack during a dedicated livestream. Patch 1.6 is also scheduled to launch alongside the cosmetic expansion, while all players will receive one garden themed around Latium and another based on Albion free of charge.
This is great to see that Anno is receiving new content, especially after the Year 1 Pass that brought three expansions including Prophecies of Ash, The Hippodrome, and Dawn of the Delta.
The Blooming Cities Pack arrives on 18 June for PC and consoles. Ubisoft has priced the cosmetic add-on at €6.99, with equivalent regional pricing available elsewhere.
Blooming Cities Pack Content
Decorative Monuments and Structures
- Basin of Virtue
- Gate of the Domus
- Mason’s Sphinx
- Pool of Virtue
- Temple of Flora
- Wall of the Domus
Gardens and Flower Patterns
- Blooming Shrubs
- Cypress Garden
- Dandelion Patch
- Exotic Fern Garden
- Exotic Garden
- Field of Lilies
- Lilac Wildflowers
- Overgrowth
- Pine Garden
- Springtime Garden
- Sunny Alkanet
- Wild Poppies
Trees and Plants
- Fig Tree
- Gum Tree
- Oleander
- Palm Tree
- Proud Pomegranate
- Stone Pine
Architectural Variant
- Hellenic aqueduct skin
Source: anno-union.com