After MapleStory 2 was not the hoped-for success and is now offline, the Nexon responsible are now trying with a new edition of the first MapleStory.
The key facts:
- Developer: NEXON
- Genre: 2D Pixel Old-school MMORPG
- Monetization Model: Free2Play
- Status: Early Access phase for founders since October 6, 2026
- Target Release: October 21, 2026
- Official Website
What makes the game special? The global version of MapleStory Classic World is a remake of the original MapleStory, but with gameplay improvements, adjustments to game balance, and quality-of-life changes. The focus is on a challenging, slow leveling phase, group grinding, and the original classes Warrior, Magician, Thief, Bowman, and Beginner.
While the current MapleStory on Steam has always been criticized for Pay2Win, the new version aims to establish a fair monetization strategy that solely relies on the sale of cosmetic items.
MapleStory is huge. Since 2003, the MMORPG with pixelated graphics has attracted over 260 million players worldwide. A financial report for the second quarter of 2023 (via pdf.irpocket.com) from Neople also states that the brand has generated a revenue of 4 billion US dollars to date.
Even today, 23 years later, MapleStory remains one of the MMORPGs with the most players month after month. In July 2026, there was even an all-time high of 17,535 concurrent players. If you want to know which two MMORPGs have attracted more players to their servers over their lifetime, check this out: The 16 MMORPGs with the most players according to official developer numbers
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