The Wednesday update is here with thanks going out to Boudicca for her send-in's of updated images and LadyAgiel. Thanks ladies for your help with tonights update!

New Albion Items: Fine Steel Long Sword (Alb)

Updated Albion Items: Virulent Soul Sapper (co-op) ;  Ensorcelled Staff of Severity (co-op) ;  Arcanium Hissing Morning Star ;  Weno'iak's Crunch Wrap ;  Basalt Hammer of Anarchy ;  Arcanium Kirkleis's Flail ;  Arcanium Long Hammer of Detonation ;  Arcanium Statuesque Coffin Axe ;  Arcanium Flail of Desolation ;  Dura'ek's Flanged Mace ;  Maleficent Darkspire Halberd ;  Outcast Gnoll Staff ;  Arcanium Mace of the Breeze ;  Wizard Staff of Tab'Fren ;  Arcanium Flamespark Saber Axe ;  Theurgist Staff of Focus ;  Martello de Ferar (Alb) ;  Infernal Daemonite Rapier ;  Flurry's Dancing Defender ;  Brilliant Stiletto of Soulshade (nld) ;  Arcanium Tainted Inquisitors Pick ;  Duskwood Sobekite Staff (Alb) ;  Arcanium Sobekhotep's Whip ;  Arcanium Hammer of Silent Oblivion (Alb) ;  Outcast Half Orc Mace ;  Outcast Gnoll Hammer ;  Brimstone Partisan of Anarchy ;  Arcanium Hapy's Hammer of Dread (Alb) ;  Arcanium Azar's Guard (Alb) ;  Golestandt's Fire ;  Mourning Star of Everlasting Twilight ;  Golestandt's Tooth ;  Arcanium Storm Struck Claymore ;  Arcanium Dagger of Ruination ;  Arcanium Petrified Tentacle Axe (Alb) ;  Arcanium Aerial Defender (Alb) (med) ;  Polished Ilmenite Staff ;  Arcanium Desert Venom Vanquisher (Alb) ;  Arcanium Shield of Azar (Alb) ;  Duskwood Zephyr Lute (Alb) ;  Staff of Mind and Matter ;  Blackened Arcanium Ravager ;  Polished Granite Staff of Wind ;  Arcanium Cyclopean Cloud Gatherer (Alb) ;  Virulent Soul Sapper (classic) ;  Arcanium Dirk of Conflict (Alb) ;  Runic Granite War Pick ;  Maleficent Darkspire Mattock ;  Arcanium Sobekhotep's Morning Star ;  Arcanium Chain of Detonation ;  Arcanium Malison's Mace ;  Soul Torn Demon Mace ;  Staff of Flamestrike (classic) ;  Hammer of the Stonewatch ;  Arcanium Whip of the Storm's Eye ;  Flamecrusher Gauntlets ;  Staff of Flamestrike ;  Ensorcelled Staff of Severity ;  Arcanium Desert Venom Pick ;  Warlord's Golden Flayer ;  Arcanium Shadow-tainted Gloves (Alb)
Updated Midgard Items: Lost Hauberk of Valhalla (melee) ;  Arcanium Hapy's Hammer of Dread (Mid) ;  Arcanium Azar's Guard (Mid) ;  Arcanium Stone Bone Slicer (Mid)
Updated Hibernia Items: Ghostly Great Falcata (co-op) ;  Spectral Great Falcata
Updated All Items: Panic

Updated Albion Mobs: Spymaster Zarahel ;  Dura'ek the Empowered ;  Golestandt

New Hibernia Items: Mace of Night

Updated Albion Items: Arcanium Hammer of the Sea (Alb) ;  Arcanium War Pick of the Gale ;  Yorvan's Paw ;  Cured Saracen Skin Cloak ;  Emerald Encrusted Belt ;  Void Absorption Bracer ;  Silksteel Robe of Phantasms ;  Bloodied Leather Leggings ;  Sable Warlock's Sleeves ;  Shimmering Corrupt Greatheart Sleeves
Updated Midgard Items: Cloak of Runic Rapidity (Mid) ;  Mammoth Pelt Collar ;  Silkstrand Belt ;  Arcanium Lightning Etched Mail Helm (Mid)
Updated Hibernia Items: Juggernaut Healing Cloak ;  Vaporous Cloak ;  Waterspun Belt of the Hidden ;  Bracer of Moonlit Paths ;  Quixotic Quarry Bracer ;  Fiosrach Comhdach ;  Malevolent Darkspire Barbed Doublet ;  Radiant Leggings ;  Haunting Arm Guards ;  Forgotten Sleeves of the Mines ;  Boots of Despairing Souls ;  Warshadow Staff of Mentalism ;  Mystical Moonglade Leggings ;  Midnight Marauder Leggings (qui) ;  Midnight Marauder Boots ;  Lann Crios ;  Gossamer Seolc Robe ;  Glimmer Wrath Great Hammer ;  Glimmering Stiletto ;  Fairich Cleoca ;  Dealrach Corcra Jewel ;  Dealrach Gorme Jewel ;  Brilliant Glowing Guile Leggings
Updated All Items: Guardian's Cloak of Wickedness

Updated Albion Mobs: Spectral Wizard ;  King of the Barfog Hills
Updated Hibernia Mobs: Melancholy Fairy Queen ;  Glimmer Xaduk

Updated Midgard Quests: Mucking Through the Ick
Updated Cross-Realm Quests: Broken Tablet

In celebration of America's 233rd birthday, Mythic has issued bonuses for all servers! So log-in and play this weekend, for the bonuses disappear on July 6th:

This weekend is the 4th of July holiday for our U.S. players and we've decided to implement some bonuses for everyone to celebrate!

The following Zone Bonuses are now live:

On Normal Ruleset servers, the following bonuses have been added:
      200% bonus to XP in all classic zones and dungeons.
      200% bonus to BP in all NF zones.
      200% bonus to RP in Darkness Falls.
      125% bonus to RP in all NF zones (excluding Darkness Falls)
      20% bonus to Crafting Speed in Housing Zones.
      10% bonus chance to gain a Crafting Skill Point in Housing Zones.
      40% bonus to Crafting Speed in Capital Cities.
      20% bonus chance to gain a Crafting Skill Point in Capital Cities.

The biggest news in MMO gaming last week might have been Mark Jacobs' departure from Mythic, as we reported earlier. At the height of the story's frenzy, we also featured a story on Jacobs' explanation of his departure. The Jacobs story pretty much overshadowed everything coming out of Mythic around that time, including this substantial announcement about Warhammer Online from Jeff Hickman (Mythic's new exec), titled "Executive Producer's Letter - Part 3."

"We're looking at some fairly radical approaches on how to best bring the population together," Hickman said. "We want to ensure everyone is having fun, but we need to do so in such a way that further imbalances aren't created overnight as we have seen in the past. There are a lot of ideas on the table, but your satisfaction is our top concern."

It seems like Mythic is finally rethinking a few of its previous strategies and paradigms, specifically the issues of population (im)balance, stability and sieges. But that's not all. Hickman lists off quite a few other issues that Mythic recognizes as problems or player concerns, structured in a series of concise bullet points. The icing on the cake for some fans, however, was Hickman's acknowledgment that Mythic is still committed to Dark Age of Camelot, among its other games.

Much thanks to: Boudecca of Gaheris and Crystalino for their send-ins this past weekend for todays update!

New Albion Items: Virulent Soul Sapper (co-op) ;  Ensorcelled Staff of Severity (co-op)
New Midgard Items: Staff of the Icesplinter (co-op) ;  Dragonclaw (co-op)
New Hibernia Items: Ghostly Great Falcata (co-op)

Updated Albion Items: Shimmering Lemerchind's Bloodriddle ;  Runic Granite Great Sword ;  Robes of Stone Speaking ;  Ring of the Pumice ;  Polished Boots of Eldspar ;  Magma Hardened Leather Sleeves ;  Magma Hardened Leather Gloves ;  Holy Crushed Breastplate (acu) ;  Facimil ;  Blackened Granite Shield ;  Timeless Indigo Mail (healing) ;  Timeless Indigo Mail (melee) ;  Staff of Perfect Incantation ;  Ring of Arcane Gestures ;  Fine Steel Long Sword (Alb) (co-op) ;  Ensorcelled Robes of Severity (co-op) ;  Bloodstained War Hammer ;  Archaic Assassin's Vest
Updated Midgard Items: Arcanium Squall Struck Great Hammer (Mid) ;  Red Diamond Vexed Staff ;  Arcanium Falcon's Strike (Mid) ;  Arcanium Great War Axe of Detonation (Mid) ;  Arcanium Whirlwind Great Sword (Mid) ;  Suede Sleeves of the Shackled Soul ;  Jekeel's Necklace of Stealth ;  Arcanium Wesaul's Featherweight Hammer ;  Jet Bloodletter's Gloves ;  Drakulv Militia Great Sword ;  Dragon Etched Sleeves ;  Burr's Fang ;  Old Runed Asgardian Vest ;  Lost Hauberk of Valhalla (seer) ;  Brutish Brawler's Armguards
Updated Hibernia Items: Darting Steel Recurve Bow ;  Arcanite Striking Serpent Great Sword
Updated All Items: Foil Hat of Swirling Thoughts (quest item) ;  Lava Etched Belt (dex/acuity)

Updated Albion Mobs: Moran the Mighty ;  Granite Giant Stonelord ;  Golestandt
Updated Midgard Mobs: Blodfelag Haxa ;  Drakulv Protector ;  Gjalpinulva
Updated Hibernia Mobs: Iasentinth ;  Cuuldurach the Glimmer King

Updated Midgard Quests: Drakulv Scales -- Kill Task

Weekend mini:

New Midgard Items: Redcap Red Cap ;  Caustic Sanguinary Boots

Updated Midgard Items: Tanned Worn Boots (Mid) ;  Raven-Rune Gloves ;  Daring Leather Gloves (Mid) ;  Shadowsteel Orb ;  Slippers of Favor ;  Exceptional Tainted Soultorn Cap (Mid) ;  Runemancer Cloak ;  Shimmering Nesnuir's Staff ;  Dark Guard Great Sword (Mid) ;  Wintery Seeker's Boots ;  Elm Warlock Staff of Mysticism ;  Obsidian Doomspear ;  Gilded Verdant Necklace ;  Battleclasher Jewel ;  Bright Brittle-bone War Axe ;  Battlesingers Cloak ;  Sleeves of the Dauntless ;  Devilish Master's Cloak ;  Devilish Master's Spear ;  Drakulv Small Shield ;  Webbed Shadow Sleeves ;  Screaming Staff of Fright ;  Kel's Sword of Justification ;  Immolated Great Dragonfire Cleaver ;  Hel's Collar
Updated All Items: Choker of the Valiant

Updated Midgard Mobs: Deeplurk Manslayer ;  Redcap Skulker ;  Arachite Vakt ;  Rolf

Updated Midgard Quests: Silent Death ;  Redcap Red Cap -- Kill Task

As we reported, it was announced this week that EA is restructuring its RPG and MMO games development into a new group that includes both Mythic and BioWare. In addition, former Mythic General Manager Mark Jacobs left the company on Tuesday. An ex-Mythic staffer told Massively "people are shocked and in disbelief about Mark leaving" following the announcement, and now Jacobs is telling his side of the story on his blog.

In an entry titled "All Good Things Must Come to an End," Jacobs sums up how his departure came to fruition after 15 years of leading Mythic: "Early in May, Electronic Arts let me know that they wanted to make some changes within the Games Label and as a result of those changes I have been out of the office (and out of touch with the team, game, etc.) since that day."

Jacobs says the past two months have been extremely difficult and he will miss working with the people at Mythic the most. He says he will be using his blog to thank certain people and companies, which he has started doing in his most recent entry by thanking Games Workshop. "However, if you are looking or expecting me to damn EA or anyone there, you will be sorely disappointed," he said. "As always EA has my thanks for their interest in acquiring Mythic and in supporting the development of Warhammer."

You can read Jacobs' full entry after the jump.