▲ To celebrate the August launch of a Global version of Maple Story 2, Nexon threw an influencer and media event in Los Angeles, California.



Do you remember MapleStory?



Back in 2003, the original free-to-play 2D side-scrolling MMO was hugely popular. Developed by the South Korean development team, Wizet, the game featured tons of grinding and esoteric farming routines that hardcore players fully embraced. However, the optimistic world and fanciful aesthetic that allowed players to create their perfect avatar attracted a casual crowd as well that primarily played to socialize and style their avatar. In 2005, the game was released to Western audiences and, in Runescape-esque fashion, it became a cult classic.

▲ Maple Story 1 in all of its glory.



Fast forward to 2015 and MapleStory 2 was released in South Korea. The game was a massive departure from the original grind fest. The leveling curve was made easier thanks to an abundance of quest and players found themselves managing combat resources as opposed to just spam clicking attacks on enemies all day.



However, the most apparent change was the graphics -- gone were the side-scrolling screens and, in their place, stood a fully 3D environment with Minecraft inspired geography. Naturally, an extra dimension added another layer of combat maneuverability and, for the first time, the MapleStory franchise felt like a modern MMO.



Sure, it's cutesy charm and emphasis on styling your avatar will turn off some Western fans, but those who manage to embrace the aesthetic might be surprised at how authentically social an MMO can feel when every avatar is a visual representation of the player behind the keyboard. Players are recognized for how their avatar looks, moves and emotes and, I've been told that this extra layer of personality is one of MapleStory 2's biggest strengths.

▲ From left to right -- Jinee Kim, Lead Visual Designer, Miyoung Oh, Lead Game Designer, Minseok Shin, Director and Young Chu their translator



A Maplestory... Battle Royale?

I had a chance to interview the development team of MapleStory 2 during a launch party of sorts on August, 21st. It was an invite-only gathering of top MapleStory 2 streamers, content creators, and influencers and I am certainly not any of these things.



Initially, it was a bit surreal seeing so much enthusiasm and die-hard fanaticism over MapleStory.





"They're are not that many casual MMO games out there and we are very proud to provide one"





In hindsight, it shouldn't have been all that surprising. the original MapleStory, to date, boasts more than 273 million characters created and is easily one of the most popular MMO's of all time. MapleStory 2 has been thriving in South Korea and China for the past three years and, after two recent beta periods for Western audiences, it was finally time to launch a definitively global Maple Story 2 version.



And no game would be complete without a stand-alone Battle Royale mode. After all, MapleStory 2 is trying to attract Western gamers in 2018 and the universe is currently in unanimous agreement that Battle Royales are the way to do it. Not even MapleStory 2 is safe from the seemingly omnipotent genre.