Upon the release of our next expansion, Victory is Life, all characters will find themselves capable of earning levels beyond the current cap of 60. Starting immediately, any and all Experience earned will start players on the path toward the new maximum level cap of 65.

It has been almost four years since the last time we raised the Level Cap in Star Trek Online, which coincided with our second expansion, Delta Rising, in October of 2014. Since then, the game has expanded and grown by leaps and bounds, adding hundreds of hours of gameplay and a huge number of new story-driven missions, queues, battlezones, starships, costumes, and much, much more. The game is continuing to grow, continuing to expand, and continuing the story of the franchise that we all know and love. And this time, that is what the Level Cap Increase is primarily meant to reflect.

New Experiences

In addition to raising your level, Victory is Life will also raise the cap on Item Marks! Players will now be able to progress their equipment to Mk XV (15) by using Upgrade Tech, and investing in them via the Item Upgrade System. The Technology Points requirements increase at a linear rate beyond 14, and any points already present on an existing item will not be lost and can immediately be utilized to facilitate that item’s progression to 15.

Equipment of Mk XV will require at least Level 60 to be worn. Players already at the current level cap may begin enhancing their gear immediately when the expansion goes live.

Old Experiences

Savvy players may have already noticed that the Experience required to progress from 59 to 60 is currently far less than the Experience required to earn each Specialization Point once you have reached 60. This may cause concerns about how each level will scale past 60…

Fear not! We’ve got you covered!

While the requirements for each level past 60 are greater than those below, the difference is far smaller than the existing Specialization Point requirements, as shown here:

Lvl Experience Required Per Level Cumulative Experience Required 55 12500 75000 56 12500 87500 57 12500 100000 58 12500 112500 59 12500 125000 60 12500 137500 61 17500 155000 62 17500 172500 63 17500 190000 64 17500 207500 65 17500 225000 Spec 159100 296600

As you can see, the amount of Experience required per Specialization Point is actually remaining exactly the same, despite us having given you five more levels to attain!

Any existing Specialization XP you have earned above level 60 – progression you currently have earned toward a Specialization Point – will be immediately converted to a free specialization point for your account. This means that anyone who's earned any XP beyond 60 will earn a specialization point right at the start.

Time to Progress

Progression through the existing levels in Star Trek Online is primarily accomplished by completing story missions, as laid out in your Captain’s Journal. It has become an expectation of our progression that completing one of these story missions will generally reward you with at least half of a level (generally more), making them almost always the most efficient means of earning Experience and leveling up.

We don’t intend to upset this expectation with Victory is Life. Each of the new Story Missions being released with this Expansion will grant all Captains more than half a level each (and even more if you’re using an XP Bonus Pool!), meaning that you will be well on your way to the new cap without needing to invest much outside of the central plot as it unfurls before you in the Gamma Quadrant.

Rewards

Each level past 60 will grant additional rewards to each Captain that achieves them, as seen in the following chart:

Lvl Reward Description 61 Tier 5 Ship Token Claim a free Tier 5 Starship from any Starship Acquisition vendor 62 Specialization Qualification Manual Used to add a Specialization of your choice to one Bridge Officer. Choose one from the following: Intel, Command, Pilot, TempOp, Miracle Worker 63 NEW! Captain Ability Each Profession (Eng, Sci, Tac) will gain access to Rank I of an all-new Ability for use during Space Combat!

* More details coming soon! 64 Elite Gamma Quadrant Duty Officers Multiple high-quality Duty Officers, direct from the Gamma Quadrant. Fill your roster with members of the alien species seen on-screen in episodes of ST:DS9. 65 Epic Admiralty Ship: C.U.V. Tain The ship of Elim Garak himself can be called to aid you on Admiralty Assignments. Let's just say you'll have earned a favor or two by the time you've reached this level.

In addition to the above rewards, earning each level beyond 60 will also grant one Captain Specialization Point.

What’s Missing?

In light of all the things that a level cap increase can be to an online game, we feel it’s important to list out a few things that will not be included with Victory is Life, so that proper expectations can be set.

No New Ranks

Captains (or Admirals, or Generals, etc.) have progressed quite far in their careers already. We didn’t feel as though an increase of five levels was sufficient to warrant the inclusion of any further Ranks to signify this career improvement.

No New Ship Tier

This has been a common question asked in our communities ever since the Level Cap Increase was first announced. As of now, we have no intention of extending the ship ranks available in Star Trek Online beyond the current Tier 6 offerings. Additional ships will always be a fact of life as this game continues growing and expanding, but we’re not currently planning any upward expansion in this regard.

No Price Tag!

As with all Content that has been released for Star Trek Online, there will be no purchase necessary to advance beyond level 60. In fact, all of the story missions contained within the Victory is Life expansion will be free to all players!

(Those looking to enhance their gameplay through the purchase of additional ships, costumes, and more should stay tuned for other upcoming announcements!)

The More Things Change…

Levels themselves are only a part of the picture in Star Trek Online, with other important aspects of your character’s overall progress represented by systems like Specializations, Reputations, Item Upgrades, Starship Mastery, and more. As these have continued to grow over the past several years, levels themselves have come to mean less and less.

This Level Cap increase is not an attempt to change that perception, or to upset expectations as to what a level means in this game. Instead, we’re hoping to use this as an opportunity to show other potential players, as well as Star Trek fans everywhere, that this game – this rich, robust, story-driven experience – is still growing, still changing, still expanding, and still waiting for them to enjoy.

Jeremy “BorticusCryptic” Randall

Lead Systems Designer

Star Trek Online