Why do servers merge before a new reign?

Servers merge to keep every map alive and competitive. Over an 8-week reign, players quit or regroup; without a merge, a new season would start on a half-empty map with nothing at stake.

The world merge before a new reign makes it possible to:

• Repopulate the map with enough active players for the territory war to mean something
• Rebalance the difficulty (new opponents at your level)
• Restart the competition for the Seats of Power, the capitals and King's Landing

For you, it means a fresh start on equal footing on the ground (everyone re-grinds their empire), but with your permanent capital (dragons, stars, gold) and your alliance intact. The merge never touches your permanent progression: it only redraws the map and the neighborhood.