Throne and Liberty was considered a great hope for many MMORPG fans in 2023 for PC and consoles. Especially the graphics excited in the trailers. However, the actual release in the first half of the year cannot be met, as NCSoft revealed in a call.
What does NCSoft say? On May 9, the conference call took place where the Korean company talked about its first quarter of 2023. NCSoft is particularly known for MMORPGs such as Lineage, Aion, but also Guild Wars 2. Especially in the mobile sector, revenues fell by almost 50% compared to the previous year, while the PC MMORPGs remained relatively stable (via IR Data).
In addition, there was some talk about Throne and Liberty. It is now officially set to release in the second half of 2023 – as previously in a global version. Analysts had predicted the delay several weeks ago. However, there is still no exact date.
The developers explained the delay with various reasons, some of which are also positive for us.
More information about monetization and more marketing
Why is the game being delayed? There are primarily two reasons:
- Some gameplay systems and monetization are to be tested and improved in beta events beforehand. However, the scope of content should not change.
- More marketing is to take place to attract more players at release.
Both require more time. Between the lines, one can also hear a conflict with Diablo 4. It is said that they are looking for a way to maximize success in the global market. A release in the same month as the new game from Blizzard would be rather hindering.
When can we play in the West? From May 24 to May 30, another beta will take place in Korea, for which participation requires a Korean phone number. It is currently unclear whether this will have an NDA or whether testers can freely talk about their experiences.
After that, a beta in the West is expected to start “soon” – but with a major focus on North America. Whether we can participate smoothly in this test or whether there will be a specific test for Europe is currently unclear.
However, some alleged testers have already shared details about Throne and Liberty in advance, which we have summarized here:
In 2023, a new MMORPG is coming out that sounds terrible – But I’m still excited like crazy about it
