CEO Kim Gun: We spent a long time on R&D for the graphics. While we had strengths in semi-realistic styles, adopting a cel-shaded aesthetic meant we had to catch up to industry standards, which took considerable time. We eventually refined character expression by differentiating skin textures and fabric materials.

Beyond technical investment, we have fewer characters compared to the original, which forced us to ensure each one possesses a distinct personality. We went through extensive trial and error to curate the launch lineup, which consists of 19 characters.

CEO Kim Gun: Netmarble Monster loves high-responsiveness combat. We focused heavily on the 'feel'—attacks must register the instant you press the button, with zero delay. Since this is an action RPG, the combat satisfaction was our priority.

CEO Kim Gun: There are many games out there, but non-gaming media is the real competitor for players' time. When the original Monster Taming launched 13 years ago, the gaming population felt much larger; you see fewer people gaming on the subway these days. We’ve tried to lower the barrier to entry to compete with more accessible forms of entertainment.

CEO Kim Gun: Many of those projects poured immense resources into large-scale development, and that discrepancy often leads to results falling short of expectations. We don't believe we have the advantage in a 'scale war'.

We prioritized 'focus and concentration'. We asked ourselves what we could do best within our resources, focusing more on what to cut than what to add. We believe this confidence in our core output will be our competitive edge.

Business Head Lee Da-haeng: I agree. The unique aesthetic is a major draw, and it has actually been received even better globally. The launch version includes these Eastern-themed regions and stories, so please look forward to them.

CEO Kim Gun: When I presented the 'Sura' concept, the Chairman gave us remarkably detailed feedback, pointing out, 'This isn't late-Joseon style,' or 'The Dancheong pattern is wrong.' We invested heavily in historical accuracy to avoid those pitfalls.

CEO Kim Gun: The original's endgame was PvP, but this is a single-player oriented game. We want players to feel like they are playing a different game depending on the character, rather than chasing a meta-defined squad. While a 'best' composition might emerge, it won't be as dominant a meta factor as it was in the predecessor.

CEO Kim Gun:Previously, we built a world and planted characters in it. This time, we focused on the characters first. The story is fast-paced, avoiding slow segments. We even implemented sentence-level skipping so players can grasp the gist quickly—it's closer to short-form content than a traditional drama. While some may prefer more depth, we hope this serves as a tool for quick immersion without requiring a massive time investment.

CEO Kim Gun: I've heard this before, but 'game density' is about how you choose to play. Take a game like Cyberpunk 2077; one person might play 20 hours a day, while another plays for an hour when they have a spare moment.

Most games force players to follow the developer's schedule, but we designed ours to fit the player's own time. Since there's no competitive pressure like, 'You must reach this level by this week for rewards,' we want to be a game that doesn't cause stress.

Business Head Lee Da-haeng: It’s ironic that we call ourselves a 'subculture' game. We develop based on what we think players would enjoy. If the subculture community likes it, then it's a 'subculture game'. Declaring it ourselves is meaningless; our focus is on creating something accessible yet satisfying for subculture fans.

CEO Kim Gun: We’ve been developing this for quite a while, so we’ve used almost no AI. We joke internally that this might be the last game made entirely by humans. We use it experimentally for things like automating code reviews or reducing errors, but there is absolutely no AI-generated content in the final game.

Business Head Lee Da-haeng: At peak efficiency, a 10-pull costs about 23,000 Won. We aren't trying to deceive players or implement predatory schemes. The goal is to lower the barrier so more people can collect and play with the characters.

CEO Kim Gun: Once you add different difficulty levels, the need for 'limit breaking' becomes optional rather than mandatory.

CEO Kim Gun: We focused on making each character perform their role well regardless of grade. Because there is no PvP, we don't have to balance for combat parity; we focus on the character's purpose.

Awakening is about personal satisfaction. If you absolutely love Mina, investing in her lets you use her effectively in more content. It's about personal attachment.

CEO Kim Gun: First, difficulty balancing. We wanted both difficulties to feel distinct and the recommended path to feel like a complete, standalone game. We also focused on mobile optimization. Since touchpads are less responsive than controllers, we added 'Assist' features to help the gameplay.

CEO Kim Gun: Endgame content like the Dimensional Rift has difficulty levels, but the reward difference is minimal. We debated adding difficulty until the end to ensure performance doesn't dictate success. Legendary Monsters are still being tested, so they won't be in the launch version. They are designed to add variety to combat, and you will be able to acquire them later.

Business Head Lee Da-haeng: It's not about 'not being able to clear' without them, but we want to provide feedback for skilled play. Rankings exist as a device for 'core users' to track their growth. Legendary Monsters have unique properties, which we will detail in a future update.

Business Head Lee Da-haeng: We are aware of the mixed reception. We tried to satisfy diverse tastes with multiple sessions, but we regret the execution of the humor and will avoid that in the future.

We felt we didn't explain enough, so we held an online broadcast on the 9th to spotlight the game. We’ll be showing gameplay and addressing feedback on character skills and effects to clear up any confusion.

CEO Kim Gun: The dev team watched the showcase for the first time yesterday (the 8th).

Business Head Lee Da-haeng: We've been testing in Japan and North America since last year, adjusting designs and systems based on feedback. While the IP is well-known in Korea, it's new to global players, so the game has to stand on its own merits. We've showcased it at overseas events to build anticipation.

CEO Kim Gun: While mobile and PC dominate in Korea, many overseas players use consoles. We’ve optimized the controls across devices—it's almost like building three separate games. I personally find the gamepad experience the most enjoyable, and international test feedback on the improved UI/UX has been positive.

CEO Kim Gun: To mark the 25th anniversary of 'Tohmak', we remastered it and found an old ad for 'BruBru Groove'. We decided to swap it with a 'Star Dive' ad for the anniversary release, and Epic Games kindly agreed to the request.

Business Head Lee Da-haeng: It took 13 years of hard work to bring this IP back. We believe modern game service is about a living, breathing experience. We will communicate with players to improve and grow the game. Please stay with us.

CEO Kim Gun: This is the largest project I' personally overseen. Regardless of monetization, I guarantee an excellent, enjoyable game experience. Whether you know the original or not, please give it a look.