The Korean MMORPG Elyon is set to come to the West in 2021. Developer Bluehole (TERA, PUBG) and publisher Kakao Games have now held an AMA addressing community questions. Many answers sounded like a mix of TERA and Black Desert.
What’s going on? In mid-April, the developers of Elyon announced the first closed beta set to start in May. Coinciding with this, an “Ask me anything” was held on April 15 where players could ask questions, and the developers responded (via reddit).
A particular interest was on what makes the MMORPG special and how it plans to differentiate itself from other games in the genre. The developers mainly pointed to the dynamic combat system and possibilities for customizing skills:
It’s the way it feels satisfying to control your character, and the extensive skill customization system. Unlike other MMORPGs, the controls in Elyon do not feel sluggish, but rather quite fast and dynamic as you fight through the game. This means that the key to overcoming difficult battles in Elyon lies in enhancing your skills.
Jeroen, Community Manager at Kakao Games
The skill system is particularly interesting. It depends both on the class and the skill trees, as well as the equipment. This allows players to create a unique build.
What is the game focused on? Generally, it quickly becomes clear from the AMA that the MMORPG focuses on PvP. Thus, there are:
- Fights in the open world, ensuring that “essential gameplay areas do not become stressful”
- Special areas for Realm-vs-Realm battles
- A leaderboard for the best PvP players
The developers also emphasized that they are particularly looking forward to the war between the two factions in the endgame and which players and guilds will position themselves at the top of the leaderboards.
If you want a summary of the entire AMA in German, you can find it in a community forum (via Elyonforum.de).
This is how Elyon is structured
What does character development look like? In character creation, you can choose from 4 different races and 6 classes, which is a pleasant surprise. Because the Slayer, the sixth class in the game, was released only after its launch in Korea but is set to be included at launch here.
You can level these classes up to level 50 and unlock various skills:
- You learn skills over time
- Some passive and active skills are unlocked through a skill tree, which has an interesting feature. You can move freely within the trees, but there must always be a connection, and you can never go back down
- Other skills are obtained only when you install certain sockets into the equipment.
This system allows players to use the same class but interpret it in entirely different ways.
In terms of equipment, Elyon generally offers a mix of Black Desert and Path of Exile. There are equipment pieces of various rarities that can be upgraded. However, during the upgrade, there’s a risk that the equipment could break, which can be frustrating.
Additionally, there is a socket system with different colors and special effects. This system influences the skills as described above. Red sockets, for example, provide attack attributes and new damage skills, while yellow sockets unlock new on-hit effects.
What gameplay elements are there? During the AMA, there were recurring questions about the crafting system. The developers explained that such a system exists and plays a role in the economy:
Yes, there is a crafting system. You can sell crafted items to other players, and you can earn gold through the crafting system. This way, you can see that it is indeed connected to the economy.
Part of the crafting system will be fishing, which is connected to a mini-game. Through fishing, you can catch fish that are important for potions and obtain materials that can be used for equipment.
In addition to the PvP content already presented, there are also various PvE dungeons for 5 players. However, these are said to be relatively easy—a criticism voiced by players during the AMA. But this criticism wasn’t addressed specifically.
Furthermore, the following things about Elyon were revealed:
- There will be no flying mounts, but content around airships. This is not surprising, as Elyon was originally announced as A:IR, a steampunk MMORPG.
- Elyon will also be playable solo
- Mounts will be available in the game and in the shop
- There will be several servers, and not just one shared server for everyone
How does the game monetize? Elyon will be a buy-to-play MMORPG and will need to be purchased once. After that, you can play as much as you want.
However, a shop is planned, and here are some points that raise eyebrows.
The shop is set to include some items that could lean towards pay-to-win, including:
- Pets that help with looting and provide small buffs
- Storage/inventory expansions
- Premium buffs
- Outfits, although it’s not yet clear if these will give special bonuses or not
In another quote, the developers emphasized that the shop in EU/NA will be different from the one in Korea. However, it’s not yet clear how.
PvP, upgrades, and shop sound like Black Desert – PvE and factions like TERA
Where are the similarities with BDO? Black Desert is currently the most successful Korean MMORPG in the West. It is particularly characterized by its action-packed combat system, PvP, and its crafting and economy system.
- The new MMORPG Elyon seems to strike a similar chord, highlighting combat and PvP content as its specialties.
- There are noticeable similarities in the equipment upgrading, which can both break or be downgraded in both cases.
- Both games offer a crafting system that influences the economy.
- The monetization is very similar since BDO’s shop also brushes against pay-to-win.
Additionally, a very similar graphic style could attract fans of Black Desert.
Somewhat unclear is the influence of the economy and crafting in Elyon. These could prove to be significantly less impactful than in Black Desert, thus taking away an interesting aspect of the sandbox MMORPG.
How does it remind of TERA? Unlike Black Desert, Elyon has:
- A fixed max level
- Dungeons for PvE fans
- Targeted PvP arenas
A major difference in PvP is that there are two factions that battle in the open world. Not every player can gank you.
With these features, it is quite similar to TERA, which is not surprising since both Elyon and TERA share the same developer.
Why is this exciting? Ganking in the open world is often viewed as a negative aspect of Black Desert. Elyon would be an evolution of the game in this regard and also concerning the skills and PvE dungeons.
If the economy ends up being as interesting as in BDO, Elyon could appeal to a target audience that lies between TERA, the MMORPG with a strong PvE focus, and the sandbox fans of Black Desert. However, PvP still needs to be appreciated.
What do you think about the upcoming MMORPG Elyon? Will you buy access or will you wait for reports about it?
Learn more about the new MMORPG on our dedicated page for Elyon.
