South Korea’s Kakao Games will launch its new massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) “Dokkaebi’s World,” based on Korean folklore, in October. The company aims to differentiate the title from existing MMORPGs by eliminating fixed class systems and forced player-versus-player (PvP) combat in general fields, while introducing an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant called “Myoryong” for growth coaching.

Kakao Games and developer Supercat held a media showcase on the 20th at Korea House in Jung-gu, Seoul, unveiling the game’s core content and service plans. The game will be available as a cross-platform title playable on both PC and mobile.

Dokkaebi’s World is developed by Supercat, the studio behind “The Kingdom of the Winds: Yeon,” and published by Kakao Games. The game features 2.5D graphics combining 2D pixel-art characters with 3D backgrounds.

Park Sung-joon, PD at Supercat, said, “Supercat has proven its competitiveness through pixel graphics over the years. We chose to partner with Kakao Games because we trust their MMORPG service capabilities, demonstrated through titles like ‘Odin: Valhalla Rising’ and ‘ArcheAge War.'”

Lee Si-woo, co-CEO of Kakao Games, stated, “Our top priority has always been discovering intellectual property (IP) that players will love for a long time and providing stable service with capable developers. Dokkaebi’s World is a work that reinterprets Korean sensibilities and the core fun of MMORPGs in a modern way.”

AI Assistant ‘Myoryong’ Suggests Growth Directions—Without Recommending Paid Items

One of the most notable features showcased at the event was Myoryong, the AI assistant. Myoryong analyzes players’ in-game activity data, market prices, rankings, and other information to provide personalized guidance. Features include “Growth Status Diagnosis,” which analyzes equipment, stats, and combat power to suggest growth directions; “Daily Play Settlement,” which shows a day’s hunting, earnings, and growth results; and clan management support that analyzes clan activities and combat strength.

Example screens revealed at the event showed the AI analyzing a player’s recent combat power changes, comparing attack, defense, and HP with other players of similar combat power, and suggesting equipment upgrades where the player falls short.

However, the AI service will not launch in a fully polished form in October. The development team plans to initially offer Myoryong at a beta level. They intend to refine its capabilities based on player logs, ultimately developing it to the point where it can guide players on which equipment to enhance and which skills to develop when they lose direction in their growth.

There is a potential concern: the more specifically the AI suggests growth directions, the more players may converge on particular equipment or skill combinations. Since Dokkaebi’s World’s core appeal lies in removing class restrictions and letting players combine skills themselves, an AI that effectively provides “correct answers” could conflict with the game’s design philosophy.

In response, the development team explained that rather than presenting skill preferences as absolute standards, the AI will recommend advantageous combinations tailored to the content players are currently enjoying—whether PvE (player versus environment) or PvP (player versus player)—and their specific situations.

Jang Soo-min, director at Supercat, said, “Rather than treating preferences as absolute, we believe the process of researching what techniques are more optimized for your situation and the content you’re playing can prevent homogenization.” The team also plans to approach future balance adjustments by increasing the utility of underused skills and diverse combinations rather than simply nerfing popular skills.

The team has also drawn a clear line between Myoryong and the monetization system. Kakao Games and Supercat explained that Myoryong is designed as “a tool purely for assisting gameplay” and makes recommendations based on growth materials obtained through gameplay. Paid currency and paid products will not be included in Myoryong’s recommendations.

A separate business model (BM) will be operated. The paid currency “Yeongseok” will be used for memberships and passes, while some items such as costumes and mounts will be sold as standalone products. How growth materials will be commercialized will be finalized through discussions before launch. The player-to-player marketplace will use “Geumjeon,” a currency obtainable through gameplay, rather than paid currency.

Cha Myung-soo, head of business at Kakao Games, said, “We wanted to reduce the monetization burden by excluding paid currency from the marketplace. Specific BM details will be finalized through discussions and announced before launch.”

Differentiation Through No PvP and Approximately 90 Combinable Skills

Another distinctive feature of Dokkaebi’s World is its modification of the competitive structure typical of existing MMORPGs. PvP is entirely blocked in general server fields. PvE spaces where players can focus on story and growth are separated from PvP spaces, and players can participate in PvP through separate matchmaking at their desired time.

Park Sung-joon, PD, explained, “We considered it most important that players choose the timing of combat themselves. Competing for rewards and status when you want to fight and when you’re ready to fight—that’s what we believe makes MMORPGs fun.”

This does not mean the scale of PvP itself has been reduced. Content ranges from 1v1 battles to clan-level activities, and the “Dimensional Occupation War” pits players from three servers against each other over multiple occupation points with up to 9,000 participants. Within servers, cooperation is encouraged over player-versus-player attacks. Field bosses are designed so that rewards increase with more participants rather than being monopolized by a few.

Fixed character classes have also been eliminated in combat. Players can combine approximately 90 skills and 12 skill styles to change their combat approach depending on the content. Combining a certain number of skills with the same trait unlocks an ultimate ability matching that trait. The development team presents skill research and combination itself as a core element of the game’s fun.

As other game companies’ MMORPGs will enter the market before Dokkaebi’s World in the second half of the year, the title faces the challenge of acquiring players as a late entrant. Questions about competitors potentially capturing players first were raised at the event.

The development team cited the cooperative-focused structure with no in-server PvP and the class-free skill combination system as key differentiators. Specific revenue or market ranking targets were not disclosed. The company explained that it prioritizes a successful launch and stable service, with results expected to follow.

‘Myeolgwisudojеon’ Set 300 Years Earlier—Worldview Expansion

The Korean folklore-based worldview is also positioned as a long-term differentiator. Dokkaebi’s World is based on the web novel and webtoon “Myeolgwisudojеon: Dokkaebi’s World.” The game incorporates Eastern fantasy elements such as dokkaebi (Korean goblins), demons, and cultivation, and was developed in collaboration with Red Ice Studio—known for its work on webtoons such as “Solo Leveling” and “Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint”—from the early stages of development.

The game does not simply repeat the story of the web novel and webtoon. While the original work and the game share the same worldview and some characters, the game is set approximately 300 years before the events of the original. Characters who begin cultivating in the game appear as legendary figures in the original, connecting the two works. Korean folk tales and traditional stories are also reinterpreted and used as separate in-game content.

Since the original work is still being serialized, there is a possibility that settings or storylines could diverge as the game receives updates. To prevent this, the development team explained that they held extensive discussions with the original author from the early stages of development and pre-established the temporal scope the game would cover.

Park, the PD, said, “We had many long conversations with the author during game development. One of the important things we established early on was that the game would not go beyond the 300-year time gap.” He added that stories added through game updates would also unfold within that timeframe.

Kakao Games began pre-registration on the same day. An online showcase for players is scheduled for September, followed by the official launch in October.