NCSoft’s slump continues unabated for another week. Aside from Blade & Soul, which managed to cling onto 35th place, every other title under the company’s banner has underperformed. Lineage and Aion, in particular, saw a sharp decline in the mid-tier ranks. Lineage has tumbled to 20th place, its lowest point since December 2023, while Aion hit 24th—a five-year low since September 2020. The pressure on the upcoming Aion 2, slated for November, is becoming increasingly palpable.

Lineage recently scrapped the 'Transformation Collection' system it had previewed in a developer broadcast on the 24th. Even at the announcement, the feature felt at odds with the legacy of the original PC Lineage, where 'transformation' was a hard-earned badge of high-level prestige, and players were rightfully wary of the added monetization burden. While NCSoft has pulled the plug, this move alone won't lift the gloomy atmosphere; it barely scratches the surface of the fundamental issue: a distinct lack of engaging content.

Aion is in a similarly precarious spot. Players are crying foul over the 'Incarnation' class added in July, which many claim has shattered the game's balance. With a fresh set of skills dropping on October 1st, the power gap is only expected to widen. Interestingly, the hottest topic in the Aion community is the 'Chinese Classic Server.' A significant number of Korean players are now using VPNs and community-made language patches to jump ship, a grim testament to the growing sentiment that the experience abroad is simply more fun than at home.

Aion was a titan that dominated PC bangs upon its 2008 debut, but the magic began to fade after 2015. It only staged a comeback when the 'Classic' server launched in November 2020, promising a return to the subscription-based model. However, that initial resolve to return to its roots has steadily diluted over time. The recent exodus of players, now reflected in the rankings, suggests that the goodwill bought by that nostalgia has finally run dry.

After hitting an all-time low following its launch on the 17th, Diablo 4 has staged a dramatic comeback. Riding the momentum of its tenth season, which kicked off on the 24th, it jumped 24 spots to land at 14th. It has easily outperformed Diablo 2 and 3, and left Path of Exile 2 in the dust. The real challenge now is retention. While it's natural for engagement to wane as the season progresses, maintaining a stable trajectory is vital to building enough steam for the next season.

In that regard, Season 10 is off to a promising start. The new 'Chaos Armor' and the revamped Helltide events, which now offer better rewards, have been well-received. Furthermore, the StarCraft collaboration content launched on the 27th has generated a positive buzz. Following the departure of Diablo 4 General Manager Rod Fergusson last August, the development team promised a fresh start; if this season is the result, there might actually be something to look forward to.

In the mid-tier, Eternal Return slipped four spots to 18th this week. The game is currently grappling with a pile of chronic issues. Each new season brings drastic changes that raise the barrier to entry, while the character balance continues to spiral. Many players feel that reporting tools for hacks and toxic behavior are effectively useless. While innovation is nice, it feels like the developers need to focus on internal stability first.

In the lower ranks, R2 Origin debuted at 41st. This new MMORPG, launched on PC and mobile on the 25th, touts Unreal Engine 5 graphics and flashy animations based on Webzen’s signature R2. However, failing to break into the top 40 during its launch week—historically the peak period for any new title—is a poor start. Most successful PC/mobile MMORPGs typically hit the top 20 during their opening week.