Netmarble has officially inked a deal with global developer Kong Studios to publish their upcoming title, 'Project Octopus', on the world stage.

The signing ceremony took place on the 5th at the Netmarble G-Tower headquarters in Guro-gu, Seoul, with Netmarble CEO Kim Byung-gyu and Kong Studios CEO Seok Gwang-won in attendance to seal the partnership.

Project Octopus is slated for release next year, drawing heavily from the established Guardian Tales IP. The team is currently crafting a pixel-art action roguelike RPG. By leaning into the genre's strengths, they promise accessible controls that let anyone concoct diverse combat builds, all set against the backdrop of a mining adventure.

With this contract, Netmarble has secured the rights to serve the game both domestically and abroad. Netmarble CEO Kim Byung-gyu expressed his optimism, stating, "Collaborating with Kong Studios allows us to introduce a highly competitive new IP to the global market." He added, "We aim to combine Netmarble’s publishing expertise with Kong Studios’ creative development to deliver a polished experience for players worldwide."

Kong Studios CEO Seok Gwang-won echoed this sentiment, remarking, "We are delighted to bring our new project to life alongside a partner with such vast publishing experience as Netmarble." He expects this partnership to bolster the game's competitive edge, particularly through the provision of a stable service environment.

Kong Studios is no stranger to the industry, having made a name for itself with titles like the mobile puzzle RPG 'Dungeon Link' and the adventure RPG 'Guardian Tales'. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in LA, the company operates a dedicated development branch in Korea and a service branch in Japan.