South Korea ranked #4 in the world for the largest mobile gaming market behind China, U.S., and Japan. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, mobile gaming companies all over the world have seen spikes in downloads. The South Korean mobile gaming industry is characterized by a variety of games that support a diverse group of gamers, such as MMORPG.
Here are the top 8 South Korean mobile MMORPG releases to look out for this 2021.
Gran Saga
On January 26, the upcoming mobile MMORPG Gran Saga will be available to players in South Korea. Developed by NPIXEL, Gran Saga features anime-inspired graphics. Its story follows a group of knights fighting to break the curse of a dragon.
NPIXEL has been releasing gameplay trailers showcasing the game’s key elements such as various combat styles and weapon systems. Through accomplishing the pre-registration, users can receive Specially Super Rare (SSR) game artifacts. So far, over four million mobile players have pre-registered the game.
Users can access the game on multiple platforms, namely mobile and PC. The global release date is will be in late 2021.
ODIN: Valhalla Rising
With publishing support from Kakao Games, video game company Lionheart Studio created ODIN: Valhalla Rising. The upcoming free-to-play mobile game incorporates Norse mythology and Viking culture.
Developed with Unreal Engine 4, the game simulates real-time in-game graphic changes and allows players to explore the gameplay without map loading. It offers multi-platform gaming to users, as well as detailed graphics using motion capture technology and 3D scanning.
ODIN: Valhalla Rising is available for pre-download to South Korean mobile users. The developers have posted a full-version trailer and are planning to release the game this year.
RISE
In November 2020, the developer team NXN released gameplay trailers for RISE. The upcoming action role-playing game will focus on storytelling and feature intricate plots and diverse characters. Using performance capture, the developers created in-game action sequences with experts in European medieval martial arts.
“We are developing the game with the main goal of leaving emotions that can be remembered by users all over the world through realistic stories,” said NXN’s chief executive. “We will continue to release RISE development contents to communicate with users in the future.”
NXN is a gaming studio founded by a former developer staff of Raven, Yoo Seok-ho. RISE will be distributed first for PC and home console gaming, followed by the release of its mobile version.
SoulWorker Academia
SoulWorker Academia is an action MMORPG game that will test players’ combat skills through intricate storylines and colorful visuals. Players can interact with others in Co-Op modes, which feature campus-style mini-games, daily quests, and other social events.
The game is a stand-alone mobile version of SoulWorker, an anime action MMO released in 2016. Lion Games Studios developed SoulWorker Academia and YJM Games will publish it. For its promotion, they have released teaser artworks and introduction videos. The pre-registration started on January 6.
Moonlight Sculptor
Last year, XLGAMES announced they would be releasing Moonlight Sculptor in partnership with Kakao Games. The game introduces users to a world based on the best-selling South Korean light fantasy novel, The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor.
Moonlight Sculptor offers a straightforward and more relaxing gameplay compared to other MMORPGs. Some of the game’s best features include the soundtrack, graphics, and character designs. Players can enjoy interactions and quests on crafting, cooking, and more.
Users who have pre-registered the game will receive limited game items. By 2021’s third quarter, Kakao Games will distribute Moonlight Sculptor worldwide.
Soul Artifact
Soul Artifact is an upcoming character-collection game with a medieval fantasy setting and a 3D art style inspired by anime. The game is developed by South Korean indie studio NINEARK, a company founded by developers who worked on games such as Atlantica Online and GoonZu Online.
Kakao Games recently announced they have acquired the global publishing rights to the game. Soul Artifact is estimated to launch around this year’s fourth quarter.
Blade & Soul 2
In the previous year, video game developer and publisher NCSoft announced their plan to release Blade & Soul 2 for mobile devices. Blade & Soul 2 is a direct sequel to the popular PC MMORPG game Blade & Soul.
The upcoming game showcases excellent graphics quality and dynamic combat with action sequences. According to NCSoft, they equipped enemies with adaptive mannerisms to modify counterattacks according to the player’s actions. Players can access a wide variety of new areas to explore and new characters to interact with that are exclusive to the mobile release. Users can also cross-play between mobile and PC.
Blade & Soul 2 is another addition to NCSoft’s mobile MMORPG portfolio. After releasing the introduction and overview, as well as a few trailers, they will release the game in South Korea this year.
Cabal Mobile
Developed by software company ESTsoft, Cabal Mobile is the mobile version of the PC MMORPG of the same name. The game presents special skill combo systems, colorful visuals, and PVP events. In Cabal’s mobile adaptation, players can interact with new aspects including multiple battle modes and transformation systems.
Although Cabal Mobile has been launched in South Korea, the game developers are still working on a wider release within South East Asia.
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