Summoners War: Sky Arena - All you need to know about the 12th anniversary update

• Summoners War celebrates its 12th anniversary with a host of rewards and events
• Bolster your roster with the new Summon Mileage system
• Enhance your monsters’ abilities with a new equipment type

Com2uS is pulling out all the stops for the 12th Anniversary of its mobile fantasy RPG, Summoners War: Sky Arena. While the game has seen countless updates since its launch over a decade ago, this latest milestone brings a festive-themed event to Sky Island alongside new gear systems and summoning mechanics designed to reward both new and long-term players.

The celebrations will roll out in phases from April 13th through to the end of June, ensuring the party atmosphere remains in full swing throughout the summer. Here is a breakdown of what to expect from the first wave of the anniversary update.

Reach for the sky

The most immediate change players will notice is a complete aesthetic makeover. Sky Island has taken on a festival theme, featuring vibrant new stages and celebratory visual effects that set the stage for the anniversary events. This festive backdrop serves as the hub for the 12th Anniversary Special D-Day Event, which doles out daily rewards in the runup to the main festivities.

Summon Mileage and Special Tasks

For Summoners War veterans who are looking to bolster their roster, a new Summon Mileage system has been introduced. By using scrolls, players now accumulate mileage points; once a specific threshold is met, a NAT 5 monster is guaranteed. Keep in mind, though, that external buffs like the Splendid Blessing of Summon or SP Summon will not apply to these mileage-specific summons.

On top of that, the Summoner's Way has been expanded with Special Tasks. By meeting certain gameplay conditions, players can take on these missions to earn the selective summoning of both NAT 4 and NAT 5 monsters, as well as much-needed skill level-ups.

New equipment: Relics

Summoners War fans have a new layer of strategic depth to get their heads around with the introduction of Relics. Unlike standard Runes, a single Relic can be shared and equipped by multiple monsters simultaneously. Sounds good? The only catch is that acquiring them requires Ancient Crystals, and the stakes for upgrading them are high - if an enhancement fails a set number of times, further upgrades on that specific Relic are a no-go. These items provide base effects that scale in power with their enhancement level.

Refreshing the roster

Continuing a trend from the previous year’s celebrations, Com2uS is implementing a refresh of the game’s creature design, so they will look their best for the birthday extravaganza. 

For this year’s anniversary, seven monsters (Forest Keeper, Low Elemental, Maned Boar, Sylph, Sylphid, Phoenix, and Polar Queen) are receiving visual updates to bring their models in line with the game's evolving art style, so this update really brings Summoners War into the modern age.

Special Mermaid Transmog

As with previous anniversary events, a selected character will receive a Transmogrification that transforms them into a special look befitting the occasion.

For this year’s Transmog, titled “Lunar Star”, Mermaid has been chosen as the lucky recipient and can be seen flaunting her stylish-new appearance atop a crescent moon.

Mermaid’s Transmog will be provided through a 12th anniversary event, so don't miss your chance to obtain it.

The show must go on

For the Summoners War community, this is just the beginning of the 12th Anniversary festivities. Right now, players can dive into the 12th Anniversary Special Gift Chest Event, where high-tier items like L&D Scrolls, Devilmon, and Legendary Scrolls are up for grabs.

The update is live now, and with more content expected to drop until the end of June, there has never been a better time to rejoin the fight or enter the fray for the first time. You can download Summoners War for free on the App Store and Google Play.