Anno 117: Pax Romana Revives the Hall of Fame with Powerful Permanent Rewards

Ubisoft Mainz is giving long-time fans of the Anno series exactly what they’ve been asking for. The upcoming Anno 117: Pax Romana reintroduces the Ruhmeshalle (Ruhmeshalle), a progression system from Anno 1404 that now returns in a modern form with deeper mechanics and account-wide persistence. As detailed by GameStar, it transforms achievements into lasting benefits that carry over between playthroughs, turning every city and campaign into part of a growing legacy.

How the Hall of Fame Works

The Hall of Fame functions as a long-term progression tree linked to the player’s Ubisoft Connect account. Divided into regions like Latium und Albion, it awards Fame Points for completing in-game achievements across campaigns, sandbox maps, and scenarios. These points can be spent to unlock bonuses that persist across all future games. Once you’ve filled out an entire tier of upgrades, the next becomes available, offering increasingly powerful effects. According to GameStar’s overview, this structure makes progression both strategic and rewarding, encouraging experimentation rather than grind.

The unlockable rewards range from decorative monuments and visual enhancements to functional gameplay bonuses. In Latium, players can recruit specialists who reduce construction costs or improve market profitability. Albion’s rewards lean toward spiritual and intellectual growth, offering boosts to faith and knowledge generation. Each unlock gives new momentum to early and mid-game expansion, creating a consistent sense of progress even when starting fresh.

Why Ubisoft Mainz Brought It Back

In an interview with But Why Tho, Creative Director Manuel Reinher explained that the Hall of Fame was revived to “celebrate mastery, not grind for it.” The goal, he said, is to reward commitment without relying on repetitive mechanics or paid passes. This design philosophy reflects Anno 117’s broader aim: to create a strategy experience that feels both epic in scope and personal in progression. By tying your accomplishments to a persistent legacy, every decision — from trade routes to diplomacy — becomes part of a long-term narrative of growth.

Reinher also highlighted that Anno 117’s dual setting — the heart of Rome in Latium and the frontier wilderness of Albion — complements the Hall of Fame perfectly. The regions represent two halves of empire-building philosophy: civilization and exploration. Their separate Fame trees give players the freedom to specialize their style, ensuring that progress feels unique for each empire they build.

No Monetization, Just Progression

Ubisoft Mainz has confirmed that the Hall of Fame system is entirely free and included in the base game. Fame Points are earned through gameplay only, not through microtransactions or season passes. The developers have hinted that post-launch updates may expand the Hall of Fame with additional regions and rewards, but the fundamental model will remain unchanged. This approach, praised by long-time fans, distinguishes Anno 117 from modern live-service strategies that lock progression behind paywalls.

Community response has been overwhelmingly positive. Fans of Anno 1404 appreciate the nostalgic return of the system, while new players see it as a reason to stay invested beyond a single campaign. The Hall of Fame provides what the series has long lacked: a meta-layer of persistence that ties every new start to something bigger. It is not just a feature but a philosophy — progress earned through play, not purchase.

Legacy and Long-Term Impact

The return of the Hall of Fame marks an evolution in how Anno measures success. It rewards creative builders, economic tacticians, and military strategists alike, giving purpose to every session while preserving Anno’s meditative rhythm. By combining lasting rewards with complete design transparency, Anno 117: Pax Romana respects player investment in a way few modern strategy games do. If executed as promised, this feature could define the next era of the franchise — one where every empire you build, every discovery you make, and every challenge you overcome truly stands the test of time.