The massive MMORPG company NCSoft released a new mega-hit with Lineage W in November 2021. The MMORPG has already been released in South Korea for Android, iOS, and PC. It is expected to come to Europe and North America in 2022 – then with a release for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch as well.
How big is the success of Lineage? According to statements from the producer, Lineage W is a mega-hit for NCSoft (via youtube). They have already had some really big successes with Lineage 1, Lineage 2, and Lineage M. Additionally, they have developed or published MMORPGs like Guild Wars 2, AION, Blade & Soul, or WildStar. But all of that is now being surpassed by Lineage W. The game was released on November 4 for PC, Android, and iOS:
- The game is expected to generate 9 million euros daily.
- The player surge is so strong that 12 new servers are launched every week – it is said that such growth has not been experienced with any other game. It is believed to be due to the word-of-mouth advertising fueling the growth.
- It is said that Lineage W is the “biggest success in the company’s 25-year history.” The driving force behind the game’s success is seen in high participation in player battles, with the index being significantly higher than in Lineage 1 or 2.
Release of Lineage W 2022 planned for Europe
Will it come to us too? Yes, at the moment NCSoft had a “regional launch” in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Russia, and parts of Central Asia. It is currently a mobile game but can also be played on PC via the NCSoft emulator Purple.
In 2022, the game is set to be released in the rest of the world, also for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. There is no exact release date yet.
Lineage 5 apparently releases before Lineage 4, as Project TL is taking so long
What kind of game is this? Lineage W is the fifth installment in the Lineage series and the direct successor to the original “Lineage,” which was released in 1998. Lineage 2, on the other hand, was a prequel – Lineage W is now intended to be a continuation.
Ironically, the fourth Lineage, “Project TL” (originally: Lineage Eternal), has been in development for so long that it has not yet been released, and the fifth installment now comes out before part 4.
Like previous installments of Lineage, Lineage W is also a classic MMORPG, viewed from the unfamiliar rigid isometric perspective – we know the perspectives from games like Diablo 3 or Lost Ark.
Could this also be a success in the West?
- Previous MMORPGs that had their roots in the mobile sector were not so successful in the West for PC and PlayStation 5 – except for the exceptional release Genshin Impact, which is not an MMORPG.
- Lineage W will apparently bring an “auto-pathing” feature, though not auto-questing. This is a mechanic that is controversial among “non-mobile” players in the West. While some really like it.
- As with many mobile MMORPGs, a discussion about pay-to-win can also be expected with Lineage W.
What’s behind it: NCSoft has been saying for years that they want to bring all their new games to as many platforms and into as many new countries as possible – but for a long time, no relevant game was released, after “Master X Master” flopped so badly a few years ago. In the meantime, they also wanted to bring Blade & Soul to consoles but abandoned the idea.
With Lineage W, it seems they are not fully pursuing the new strategy either, and Lineage W will first appear in the West after some delay. Clearly, Lineage W has strong roots in the mobile sector – this type of title is still viewed critically in the West. Even if games like Genshin Impact and probably Diablo Immortal are starting to break through.
From our perspective as Westerners, it seems that Project TL is the game we are waiting for, which has been specifically developed for PC and consoles.
Lineage W will surely be a big topic on MeinMMO in the coming months as it approaches a release in Europe. We will keep you informed about the game.
2022 could be the year of South Korean action MMORPGs from the isometric perspective in Europe. Because the release of Lost Ark and that of “Project TL” are also pending.
