Dungeons & Dragons Online Executive Producer Fernano Paiz has posted the latest State of the Game letter on the official site. Paiz welcomes the international players to the game and then briefly discusses the fact that a firm update schedule for the balance of the year is already in place, with Update 9 almost literally around the corner.

The first big release of the year is almost here! That’s right, Update 9 is loaded with many great improvements both large and small. One big change that I’m excited for is a major balance pass that was done for almost all spells in the game! We are giving casters more viable spell choices to use in combat situations and a better balance between the spell point cost and the impact of each spell. And best of all, spell point costs have generally gone down which means you should have more mana to burn in your adventuring. There are other improvements I’m personally excited for, including the changes to make non-boss Epic monsters feel… well… like non-bosses! It’s one step of many as we continue to revamp our Epic content. I also can’t wait for the improved animations to many of our combat actions, like trip and sunder, so it’s easier to see when you’ve triggered those abilities. I have a feeling my level 20 fighter is about to get a lot more play time - at least when my sorcerer isn’t having too much fun roasting baddies. Either way, it’s going to be fun!

Read the full Producer's Letter on the Dungeons & Dragons Online site.