What is a Freehold?

A Freehold is a large plot of land—roughly 1.5 acres or about 100 meters by 60 meters—located within the Zone of Influence (ZOI) of a Village or higher settlement, including its vassals. Unlike apartments, inns, or other static housing, Freeholds exist in the open world. This means your property is part of the live game environment, not an instanced or phased area.

Most players view Freeholds as a combination of personal space and functional business hub. You can place buildings, decorate interiors, manage livestock, grow crops, and establish processing stations. Everything you build and decorate on your Freehold leaves a lasting mark in the game world that other players can see.

How Do Freeholds Work in Practice?

Customization and Expression

One of the primary reasons players pursue Freeholds is the freedom to express themselves. You can design housing layouts, place furniture, and cultivate farms. For example, Alpha-2 players showed setups with sheep, cows, pigs, and chickens, along with wheat, corn, and tomatoes. These elements are not just for decoration—they contribute to your ability to process resources and run production chains.

Because Freeholds exist in the open world, your customization choices are visible to others, making them suitable for roleplaying, community events, or simply displaying personal taste.

Processing and Artisanship

Freeholds play a crucial role in the game's economy, particularly for the artisan or crafting system. Processing is one of the three main branches of artisanship, acting as the intermediary step between raw materials gathered in the world and final crafted items. While some processing can occur within settlements, the best and highest-level processing requires a Freehold.

Most players who focus on crafting consider Freeholds essential for maximizing efficiency and profit. Buildings on a Freehold are designed for processing purposes, and blueprints are required to construct them. These buildings are tied to settlement taxes and permits, meaning upkeep and planning are part of the challenge.

Business and Player Interaction

Freeholds aren’t just personal spaces—they can also function as small businesses. Players can set up shops, offer services, or provide crafted goods for passing adventurers. Location matters: being near quest hubs, hunting grounds, or active nodes can increase foot traffic and potential interactions.

In general, players who aim to use a Freehold for business consider the surrounding settlement’s activity when choosing a plot. A Freehold in a high-traffic node is more likely to generate engagement with other players.

How to Obtain a Freehold

Acquiring a Freehold is considered a major accomplishment in Ashes of Creation. Ownership is limited to one Freehold per account, and obtaining one requires significant effort, planning, and strategy.

Methods of Acquisition

There are two main ways to acquire a Freehold:

1. Purchasing from Other Players: Freeholds can be sold directly or via auction. Auctions may accept gold or settlement-type-specific currencies depending on the setup, accommodating different playstyles. This flexibility allows top players across multiple paths—not just high-level combatants—to participate.

2. Quest and Auction System: Players can complete specific Freehold quests to earn deeds, which can then be used to enter auctions for available Freeholds. Completing these quests is mandatory for ownership, and they usually require significant time and resources.

It’s worth noting that most players aiming for a Freehold need to plan well in advance. Freeholds are limited in number—typically in the low thousands per server—and each node has only a finite number of plots. This scarcity adds prestige and value to each property.

Freehold Size, Taxes, and Upkeep

A Freehold’s footprint does not change as a settlement grows. At roughly 1.5 acres, the plot is large enough to support multiple buildings, farms, and livestock areas. However, this space comes with responsibilities.

• Taxes: Freeholds are subject to settlement taxes, which are calculated based on the number of permits issued for buildings.

• Upkeep Costs: Buildings requiring permits will also have additional upkeep, meaning players must manage both resources and gold carefully.

Most players balance these costs against the potential income or crafting benefits from having the best processing facilities in the game.

Who Can Get a Freehold?

Freeholds are designed to be attainable by both groups and solo players, although they tend to favor well-planned efforts. They are intended to work with the family system, encouraging collaboration, but a successful solo player can also achieve ownership.

Ownership is not purely for the top-level players; the game’s design spreads Freeholds across multiple playstyles. Whether you are an artisan, a merchant, or a combat-focused adventurer, there is a path to ownership. The main challenge is the time, effort, and resources required to secure a plot and maintain it.

Alternatives to Freeholds

Not every player needs the high-level benefits of a Freehold. There are alternative housing options:

• Apartments: Easier to acquire, allowing personal decoration and furniture placement.

• Inns: Offer a similar personalized space, often more accessible.

• Static Housing: Housing within settlements that is tied to the node, rather than an independent plot.

While these options don’t offer the same processing capabilities as a Freehold, they still provide space for personal expression and community interaction.

Key Tips for Aspiring Freehold Owners

1. Plan Early: Identify which nodes are likely to become high-traffic areas and monitor Freehold availability.

2. Focus on Artisanship: Even if you are not planning a business, prioritizing processing facilities will give you an edge in the economy.

3. Participate in Quests: Completing Freehold-specific quests is mandatory for ownership.

4. Monitor Auctions: Keep an eye on auctions and understand the currencies accepted. Some players choose to buy Ashes of Creation gold from U4N to secure their Freehold more quickly.

5. Consider Family Contributions: Collaborating with your in-game family can ease the acquisition process and reduce solo effort.

Freeholds in Ashes of Creation represent the pinnacle of player housing. They offer personal customization, high-level processing capabilities, and the chance to interact with other players in a meaningful way. However, they come with responsibilities—taxes, upkeep, and resource management—and are limited in availability, making them a prestigious achievement.

For players committed to crafting, business, or roleplaying in the open world, Freeholds are a central goal. Understanding their mechanics, planning your acquisition strategy, and engaging with the settlement system are key to successfully owning and maintaining a Freehold.