The Ancient Lands are floating islands above Albion, linked by Leygates. You enter through a portal, clear islands for loot, and leave before someone takes it from you. Every group starts alone, every route you open shows on everyone's map, and the best rewards sit in the middle. Four patches since launch have changed the timings and the loot, so older videos get many details wrong.
Portals: sizes, timers and matchmaking
Portals appear in the open world and show on the World Map from any distance since Patch 1. A new portal is locked for a while, then stays open for a short entry window.
| Portal | Party size | Lock time | Entry window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small, yellow zone | 1 to 5 | 5 minutes | 10 minutes |
| Small, red or black zone | 1 to 5 | 15 minutes | 10 minutes |
| Medium | 5 to 7 | 60 minutes | 5 minutes |
