This third installment of SneakShots comes from our art department in the form of a high-resolution wallpaper of the new Abyss Chronicles splash image. The wallpaper features a Cabalist in Darkform, a new Summoner skill in Patch 2. Additionally, the transformed Summoner is sporting new armor and focus items found only in the Abyss laid out behind him.


Darkform is one of eighteen new unique skills, three per class, learned through the acquisition of mysterious items found in the Abyss. The Summoner's new skills are as follow:

• Darkform (Level 10): Using this skill transforms the Summoner into a demonic being, exchanging the use of weapons for vicious claws. This skill also passively allows the use of dual focus items.
• Dark Lord (Level 15): This skill passively grants a chance on successful attacks to summon up to 3 Shadow Minions to aid the Summoner.
• Dark Offering (Level 20): Using this skill sacrifices a Shadow Minion to unleash a powerful attack against all enemies within range.

To find out more about what new features The Abyss Chronicles (Patch 2) brings, check out the latest Test Center patch notes on the forums here. Care to explore the Abyss before it comes to the live servers? Click here to download the standalone Test Center patch!

After consuming many worlds, the Abyss has acquired and retained magic secrets from many extinct civilizations. Only the strongest artifacts have survived within the Abyss. However, due to the omnipresent demonic taint of the Abyss, these trinkets have been corrupted and lost their original powers. The only device known to humankind to expel such corruption is the Transmogrifying Cube.


One of the new features introduced in the Abyss Chronicles (Patch 2) is the “trinkets” equipment slot, the first types of which are rings. Of the seven types of rings available, one drops from Champion monsters anywhere in Hellgate: London, two can only be found off of monsters in the Abyss, and four are specific drops from Abyss boss monsters. All rings drop as Cursed rarity items and need to be cleansed of their demon taint using the Transmogrifying Cube in order to be properly identified.





Each of these rings grant at least one point in two skills of a single class. The Abyss-only rings have an additional affix and the boss-specific rings have one or two additional affixes. While all seven rings can drop as Enhanced, Rare, or Legendary rarity, the boss-specific rings can also drop with Unique rarity. The higher the rarity level, the better the properties of the ring. All rings are tradable to all players.

Welcome, Hellgaters, to the first installment of SneakShots. This article will offer a collection of images of upcoming Hellgate: London content composed and captured by yours truly. However, you didn't navigate to this thread to read me prattle on: feast your eyes on this fine selection of pictures from the Abyss Chronicles (Patch 2).






That last fellow, he wouldn't let me leave without taking his picture. He was very insistent.

Shortly after these images were posted to the forums, Korean gaming news site GameMeca posted a nice side-by-side comparison of the screenshots to previously released concept art of the Abyss Chronicles.