MapleStory
News, coverage and analysis tracking MapleStory across the outlets.
Latest coverage
MapleStory Global Creator Challenge Revealed
Nexon America has announced the MapleStory Global Creator Challenge, offering participants the chance to win up to $65,000 by creating unique game experiences within MapleStory Worlds. Submissions open on May 28 and close on October 7, with winners announced in early December. Senior Producer Dennis Bernardo highlighted the challenge as a way to support aspiring developers.
MapleStory celebrates its 21st birthday with a new Maple University event
MapleStory is celebrating its 21st anniversary with a new in-game event called Maple University. Players can attend classes, master skills, and earn rewards on a special campus until June 16th. The event offers daily login bonuses and a progression track through general education, a major, and an internship.
Tag, You’re It: GeForce NOW Levels Up Game Discovery With Xbox Game Pass and Ubisoft+ Labels
NVIDIA's GeForce NOW cloud gaming service has introduced new in-app labels to improve game discovery, making it easier for users to identify titles available through subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and Ubisoft+. This update also adds six new games to the platform, including Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard and a new skin for Thor in Marvel Rivals.
MapleStory Kicks Off Its 21st Anniversary Celebration
Nexon America has launched MapleStory's 21st anniversary event, featuring a new campus-themed festival called Maple University. This limited-time event offers players progression systems, daily activities, EXP boosts, and anniversary rewards through various school-themed challenges and mini-games.
MapleStory shares a college-themed 21st anniversary event, Classic World testing earns mixed initial reception
MapleStory is preparing to celebrate its 21st anniversary with a college-themed in-game event featuring new activities and customizable elements. Meanwhile, the recent testing for MapleStory Classic World has received a mixed reception from players, with some enjoying the nostalgia and others expressing concerns about class balance and technical issues.
MapleStory Classic World Feels Like a Real Return to Old-School MapleStory
MapleStory Classic World aims to recapture the essence of the original 2003 MMORPG by focusing on slower progression, player interaction, and a social structure that emphasizes party play and trading. While retaining the core design, it incorporates modern updates to visuals, interface, and controls for improved usability without altering fundamental gameplay systems. New content, including a storyline and crafting, is integrated to complement the existing framework and enhance the player experience.
MMO Week in Review: EQ Legends’ beta, Ashes of Creation’s drama
This week's MMO news roundup covers the upcoming closed beta for EverQuest Legends and ongoing legal drama surrounding Ashes of Creation. Several other titles like AdventureQuest Worlds Infinity, Dune Awakening, and Temtem Pioneers also saw significant updates or funding news.
South Korean amusement park opens up a MapleStory-themed land
Nexon has opened a MapleStory-themed land called Maple Island at Lotte World Adventure in Seoul, South Korea. The attraction features four rides, themed merchandise, food, and beverages, aiming to provide experiences beyond the online MMORPG. A "MapleStory in Lotte World" festival is also being held with parades and special decorations.
Nexon CEO admits The First Descendant had 'no staying power,' and that can't be addressed with a quick fix: 'These are design issues that are not fixed with a patch'
Nexon CEO Junghun Lee admitted that The First Descendant suffers from fundamental design issues that cannot be fixed with simple patches, leading to a lack of player retention. The game, which saw a high of 10 million players in its first week, has since dropped to around 5,000 concurrent players on Steam, receiving a 'mixed' user rating.
'More time innovating; less time writing code:' Arc Raiders publisher Nexon believes AI will liberate its workforce
Nexon is implementing an AI-driven initiative called 'Mono Lake' across its development and live service operations to enhance decision-making and free up developers for more creative tasks. CEO Junghun Lee stated the platform leverages decades of game data to provide context, while Executive Chairman Patrick Söderlund aims to foster smarter workflows and fewer, more impactful bets.
MapleStory Classic World Closed Online Test Set for April Following Los Angeles PC Cafe Event
Nexon is preparing for the closed online test of MapleStory Classic World in April, following a hands-on preview event held at a Los Angeles PC cafe. The event generated enthusiasm among players, highlighting the game's appeal to both current and returning fans of the classic MMO experience. Registration for the closed test, running from April 16 to April 23, is currently open.
Perfect Ten: MMOs whose sequels struggled to land
This article analyzes ten massively multiplayer online games whose sequels failed to achieve the same success as their predecessors. It explores reasons for these failures, including development issues, player migration, and market competition, highlighting titles like MapleStory 2, Overwatch 2, and EverQuest II.
MMO Week in Review: EverQuest celebrates 27 years and a lawsuit settlement in its favor
EverQuest celebrated its 27th anniversary with a lawsuit settlement that favors Daybreak Game Company, keeping emulators offline. This week also saw layoffs at Amazon for Lost Ark developers, Facebook scaling back VR metaverse ambitions, and discussions around various MMORPG updates and industry trends.
Mobile MMO MapleStory M’s arrival to Steam is met with a wave of monetization complaints from players
MapleStory M has launched on Steam, but its arrival has been met with significant player backlash regarding its monetization practices. Despite the addition of new content and features, many players are criticizing the game as pay-to-win and overmonetized, with some also citing it as a poor port.
The Darkside Detective: Backside of the Moon Steam Demo Live
A new Steam demo titled "Honey, I Shrunk the Detectives" is now available for The Darkside Detective: Backside of the Moon, allowing players to experience a special case where the main characters are shrunk to mouse size. The article also briefly mentions upcoming releases and updates for Crimson Desert, Persona 5: The Phantom X, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, Oceaneers, and MapleStory M.
MapleStory’s latest patch adds a One Punch Man collaboration, the Nightmare Paradise dungeon, and a Wild Hunter revamp
MapleStory's latest patch introduces a collaboration with One Punch Man, a new Nightmare Paradise dungeon, and a revamp for the Wild Hunter class. The update also includes a World Archive system and balance changes for other classes.
Crimson Desert Launching Worldwide Today
Pearl Abyss' open-world action RPG Crimson Desert has launched globally today, featuring detailed environments and challenging boss battles. The game is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and ASUS ROG Ally. The article also briefly mentions recent releases and updates for Persona 5: The Phantom X, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, Oceaneers, MapleStory M, and a MapleStory collaboration with One Punch Man.
Persona5: The Phantom X Version 3.4 Featuring P5R’s Kasumi Yoshizawa
Persona 5: The Phantom X Version 3.4 is now available on PC and mobile, introducing the "Crossroads of Fate: Laboratory Arc Part 1" event and featuring Kasumi Yoshizawa from Persona 5 Royal. The update includes new palaces, boss battles, and collaboration rewards from other SEGA titles during the SEGA Spring Sale.
HD-2D RPG The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Launching June 18
Square Enix announced that the HD-2D action RPG The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales will launch on June 18 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The game features a story spanning four ages and various gameplay mechanics including item and accessory equipping. The article also briefly mentions other upcoming game releases and updates.
MapleStory M Now Available on Steam
NEXON has officially launched the 2D-sidescrolling MMORPG MapleStory M on Steam, bringing its signature charm and gameplay to PC. The launch includes new content such as the job Kain, a rapid leveling event, and the challenging Seal of Hyros mode. Additionally, the article mentions ongoing collaborations and updates for other games like One Punch Man, LEGO Party!, and Samson: A Tyndalston Story.