On December 7, 2023, THRONE AND LIBERTY launched in South Korea, the home country of developer NCSOFT. The title joined the legacy of MMORPGs developed by NCSOFT, including Lineage, Aion, and Blade and Soul. The launch in South Korea was a major moment for the game, but bigger things were yet to come.
Amazon Games is excited to publish THRONE AND LIBERTY in the West and Japan on October 1, finally bringing the game to international players. THRONE AND LIBERTY has evolved considerably from what many first experienced almost a year ago, and we wanted to take some time to walk future players through some of the most notable ways in which the game has evolved over the last 10 months as we readied it for global release.
International feedback guided creation of this global MMO
Since THRONE AND LIBERTY launched in Korea, NCSOFT has gathered significant feedback from a large, active player base. And in recent months, NCSOFT and Amazon Games have collected even more data from a broader, more global audience. In localizing the game for an international launch, Amazon Games and NCSOFT have identified several critical areas to improve the overall experience for players everywhere. In fact, many of the changes we’ve made for the global audience have been incorporated in Korea’s live game already. The content that players in Korea experience is essentially identical to what players in the West and Japan will experience, with some obvious exceptions like localization. One major thing to look forward to is that many of the positive updates that Korean players have enjoyed will be available at the game’s international launch.
An evolving experience
One element that has seen a significant overhaul is the leveling process. With any RPG, players want the leveling journey to be well paced and consistent, with an always-present feeling of getting more powerful over time. Game updates have improved this experience significantly, streamlining the flow of character progression. A new introductory experience helps players grasp the basics of the game at a much more enjoyable pace, and quests have been improved with more variety. The gearing system has also been improved, with gear scaling more appropriately for the challenges players experience throughout their journey.
Amazon Games and NCSOFT have also focused on enhancing THRONE AND LIBERTY’S combat over the last several months. Building on player feedback, we've made improvements that will add a deeper layer of customization to how players build their characters and approach battles. We've introduced a Skill Specialization system that allows players to deeply customize their skills, making them more powerful or even entirely changing how the skills function. Additionally, players can now unlock all skills earlier, so they'll have access to more abilities and ways to customize their combat through the leveling journey. Players can enjoy more skills for each weapon, armor sets with passive bonuses, and an overhauled combat system featuring skill-shots and more. There are even more changes to the combat system than we can conveniently list here. The work that NCSOFT and Amazon Games put into updating the combat shines through, and players will notice that the combat in the game today is far more advanced and comprehensive.
Another place where we’ve made major updates is player-versus-environment (PvE), as we’ve added more for players who want to engage in content outside of player-versus-player (PvP). Six-player co-op dungeons allow players to group up and take on challenging dungeons with a climactic battle against a powerful end boss. Through cooperation and determination, players can emerge victorious and earn valuable spoils of battle.
Together, NCSOFT and Amazon Games have made improvements to player controls and the camera, so players have more control over how they play. There are also balance adjustments to PvP, a variety of new content, and a lot more. A full rundown of how THRONE AND LIBERTY has changed can be found in the launch release notes.
These improvements, while significant, are only a small part of how the game has evolved over the last several months in direct response to feedback from its growing community, and we're excited for players everywhere to finally play this significantly improved experience. These changes are a result of player feedback, and we'll continue to incorporate sentiment from our growing global community in the future!
Globalizing the business model
To make the business model more accessible internationally, Amazon Games and NCSOFT have made some key adjustments. In THRONE AND LIBERTY, players who want to play for free can still earn premium currency, called Lucent, without having to spend any real-world money. With this in mind, the prices for the Leveling Pass and Battle Pass have been reduced and are now purchasable with Lucent. This means any player can acquire these passes, even if they choose not to spend real-world money. Along with the reduced price, the Battle Pass provides increased cosmetic and progression rewards to deliver more value to players. For more comprehensive detail, check out this post on the game’s updated business model.
What else to expect at launch
The changes we’ve explored in this article are only the beginning. At launch, players can look forward to exciting PvP modes like 3v3 Arenas, with massive Castle Siege battles coming soon after the game is live. In Castle Sieges, thousands of players and their guilds can wage war to claim castles and their spoils. For players who enjoy PvE content, six-player co-op dungeons have been added to the game so players can band together to take on challenging bosses for valuable loot. There’s more content in store for the PvE player, and there are also lifestyle activities to enjoy like fishing and cooking, Amitoi Expeditions, a dedicated photo mode, and so much more.
And there will be even more content to expect after launch, as the teams at NCSOFT and Amazon Games will gather global feedback and make adjustments based on what players want to see, along with releasing new content to enjoy. Launch is only the beginning. THRONE AND LIBERTY has evolved tremendously since it first launched in Korea, and it will continue to grow along with the new global audience. We hope to see you in Solisium!
