Mobile MMORPGs have become rather stale, haven't they? Yet, a new challenger is looking to shake things up on April 24. Developed by Alt9—a studio founded by veterans from the Lineage M team—and published by Netmarble, 'Sol: enchant' is hitting the scene.

During the online showcase on the 12th at 8 PM, Netmarble finally unveiled the release date and the finer details. Producer Kim Hyo-soo from Alt9 and Division Director Kim Jang-hwan from Netmarble took the stage to outline their vision. Let's be clear: Sol: enchant is a textbook MMORPG. It has all the usual suspects—gacha-based gear, a marketplace for trading with paid currency, item collections, and auto-battling. Yes, it is 'that genre' all right. However, they claim their ace in the hole is granting players unprecedented levels of authority.

The seeds of this idea were sown at last year's G-Star, where the Sol: enchant outdoor booth hosted a programme allowing participants to pitch ideas as if they were the gods of the game world. It wasn't just a fleeting PR stunt; it was a bold preview of the game's core philosophy.

The secret sauce is 'Godly Power,' a system that lets players dictate even the update specifications. This power is split into three tiers—Server, World, and Global. As a basic 'God,' you can summon monsters, drop meteors on vast areas, create safe zones, or grant buffs. Feeling petty? You can even slap a 'chat ban' debuff on players you don't like. The second tier, 'High God,' governs an entire World consisting of multiple servers, allowing them to set uniform rules, unlock content, or tweak reward values.

As for Monetization, they are banking on high-freedom trading where even paid items can be bought and sold. Paid items are categorised into 'God Armor,' 'Spirit' (which aids in combat), and accessories. While God Armor and Spirits are acquired via gacha, accessories are direct purchases. Unlike existing MMORPGs, you are free to sell any of these on the marketplace without restriction.

Furthermore, players can use 'Nine,' a currency earned through quests, hunting, and enhancement, to buy these paid items. You can also use Nine for 'Refining' to craft higher-grade gear. Netmarble's Kim Jang-hwan noted, "Other games usually put hurdles on currency, but we have stripped away the restrictions. We want to offer extreme economic freedom. Use Nine to grow your character, or if you prefer diamonds, sell everything on the market."

They have also tried to ease the burden of playtime with 'Unlimited Offline Play.' This combines persistent 24-hour non-access play with a 'Schedule Mode' that automates hunting routes. Plus, they offer a 'Squad Mode' to run three characters simultaneously per account. Kim Hyo-soo promised, "We promise that Sol: enchant will not stress you out with mandatory login times."

Of course, 24-hour total automation and running three characters at once sounds like a recipe for server instability and bot farms. In response, Netmarble's Kim Jang-hwan stated, "We have prepared high-capacity servers capable of handling three times the traffic of previous Netmarble titles. We have also deployed sophisticated AI-based anti-bot detection systems alongside a dedicated response team to ensure stability."

So, why build this specific brand of MMORPG? Kim Hyo-soo stated, "Instead of players just accepting what a game company dictates, we want a structure where the world changes based on choices, and the developers take responsibility for the outcomes. Our ultimate goal is to minimise restrictions and maximise player power." Future updates will be determined through consultations with the players who attain 'God' status.

Finally, the release schedule is set. Sol: enchant launches on April 24. In keeping with the theme of player power, even the launch time will be decided by a player vote starting March 19, which will be broadcast live via the official YouTube channel.