PD Jin Sung-gun: Starting with our appearance at Tokyo Game Show, we are wrapping things up for a global launch, with a particular focus on South Korea and Japan. Content-wise, we are zeroing in on sharpening the combat experience, while technically, we are ironing out mobile optimization. Taking the feedback gathered during the G-Star demo to heart, we have cranked up the action and impact of the combat, while polishing the original story with extra care.

Business Division Head Lee Jong-hyuk: The game will debut for players in South Korea and Japan, and the exact official launch date is currently being finalized. While there might be a slight time gap in release timing, we will deliver the exact same fun to players in all regions without any discrepancies in systems or content between the domestic and global versions. Flawless multilingual localization and establishing a rock-solid server environment remain our top priorities.

PD Jin Sung-gun: Alongside heightened combat polish, we have expanded the growth choices based on random skills and weapon combinations inherent to the roguelite genre. Specifically, to tackle the feedback that repeated playthroughs could feel a bit monotonous, we have heavily overhauled the unique skill trees and weapon mechanics. We have also totally revamped motions and visual effects so that players can intuitively feel fast controls and satisfying action direction even from a quarter-view perspective.

PD Jin Sung-gun: We reckoned that the monarch war was both the most fascinating and curiosity-inducing era in the original story, as well as the pivotal period where Sung Jinwoo transforms into the ultimate Shadow Monarch within the cracks of dimensions. To satisfy fans' curiosity, we included numerous original cutscenes capturing the struggles and awakenings of a familiar face facing off against new enemies. Right from the early planning stages, we consulted closely with Chugong, the author of the original work, to ensure we stayed true to the original universe.

PD Jin Sung-gun: We have introduced dynamic camera direction and close-ups with genuine impact during combat. Furthermore, to make up for the quarter-view's limitations in grasping a wide battlefield, we applied a camera speed zoom-in technology during key directorial moments like summoning elite shadows or using ultimate skills. We also placed intricate 3D cinematic cutscenes at major story intervals so players can intuitively experience Sung Jinwoo's emotions and visuals.

Business Division Head Lee Jong-hyuk: To let fans completely immerse themselves, we changed the setting so that instead of recent Emissaries of Itarim, characters absorb the powers of the original monarchs from dimensional rifts. Cha Hae-in and Association Chairman Go Gun-hee appear as tainted hunters altered after using the Cup of Reincarnation, standing against Sung Jinwoo as adversaries. We hope players grow even more intrigued by the 27-year original story through these slightly altered hunters.

PD Jin Sung-gun: While the overarching narrative centers around Sung Jinwoo, familiar hunters show up in the story as otherworldly entities. These alien enemies cannot be shadow-extracted, so shadow summons focus strictly on orthodox shadow legions like Igris, Beru, and Bellion. However, since players can directly control these hunters and shadows as playable characters, they will offer a distinct flavor of action separate from Sung Jinwoo.

PD Jin Sung-gun: It is the catharsis of growth, starting with limited abilities in every playthrough and going through a build-up process. We organically linked the thrill of growth through leveling up with the fun of building roguelite setups. Through the skill authorities and weapon combinations acquired while progressing through stages, players can experience a brand new process every single run of growing into a monarch-class character who sweeps the battlefield in an instant.

To explain in a bit more detail, we built the mechanics so that instead of mindless button-mashing, chosen weapons and buffs lock together organically to enable explosive damage dealing. Even the same weapon can branch out into heavy single-hit builds or extreme speed setups depending on the authority settings. Besides that, instead of locking dashes solely to evasion, we gave mobility to the skills themselves to trim down control fatigue while maximizing the sheer thrill of hack-and-slash.

PD Jin Sung-gun: At launch, five weapon types highlighting Sung Jinwoo's traits—daggers, greatswords, pistols, bows, and gauntlets—will be available. Each weapon features completely distinct basic attack motions and special moves, and unique passive abilities combine with roguelite authorities to branch out into diverse builds. Since situations constantly shift due to randomized monster spawn elements, we are designing the game so that strategic choices tailored to player tastes matter a great deal.

PD Jin Sung-gun: Our proprietary recording system is the core strength, which cuts down the fatigue of the traditional roguelite genre where everything resets every run depending on luck. Players can save their optimal authority builds and continuously utilize them in seasonal end-game content like challenge dungeons, granting continuity to growth and farming. Building on this, we plan to add multiplayer fun, such as asynchronous competition where players race against each other's clear times.

PD Jin Sung-gun:From the early planning stages, we developed the game as a roguelite that can be enjoyed casually in a mobile environment. Therefore, rather than lowering the priority of PC support, we wanted to focus on the mobile version we originally planned to elevate its polish. We are pouring all our efforts into final build stabilization and optimization ahead of launch so that players can enjoy flashy combat and shadow summoning effects smoothly even on mobile devices.

Business Division Head Lee Jong-hyuk: Given the traits of the mobile roguelite genre, we are carefully researching monetization. We are discussing making various playable hunters and shadow characters—including Sung Jinwoo—obtainable through in-game play rather than gacha pulls. Instead, we are considering flat-rate products like passes or funds as primary monetization methods to assist smooth character progression.

Business Division Head Lee Jong-hyuk: We will set up opportunities to meet global fans at offline events like Tokyo Game Show and actively roll out close-knit localization marketing tied to the theatrical anime screening. Collaborations with other major IPs are not top priority, but we plan to review synergies from various angles post-launch. Our ultimate goal is for fans worldwide to enjoy the game and cement it as a globally beloved steady seller.

PD Jin Sung-gun: Consistently injecting fresh experiences that break away from rigid combat patterns by periodically adding action and new builds is the core of our updates. We will do our absolute best to be remembered as the ultimate roguelite action RPG where you can directly and perfectly pilot the thrilling catharsis felt from the original work.