Upcoming MMORPG on Steam offers more Lost Ark than Lost Ark, but the developers have forgotten Germany

With “Embers of the Uncrowned”, Nexon aims to bring its own isometric MMORPG to Steam and strikes just as Lost Ark is faltering.

What kind of game is this? The developers at Nexon have introduced a new MMORPG. Under the title “Embers of the Uncrowned”, a new dark fantasy MMORPG is set to launch, focusing on fast battles, an isometric view, and just as much blood as scantily clad bodies.

The MMORPG aims to be more Lost Ark than Lost Ark itself. From the first images and the trailer, it appears more brutal, features more revealing characters, and the battles, according to the developers, are supposed to be extremely fast, action-packed, and challenging.

The trailer already shows what to expect:

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The new MMORPG Embers of the Uncrowned shows in the cinematic trailer how brutal and powerful the enemies are

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A Land to Conquer

What do you do in the MMORPG? Although the developers haven’t shown any gameplay yet, dungeons, raids, and bosses are certainly a part of the experience. Particularly interesting is the task presented to the player. The goal is to restore the power of a noble house by reclaiming the land from monsters. This suggests a kind of faction war against the AI, similar to what is known from Helldivers 2, where the objective is to liberate the world from evil through quests and progression.

In the first trailer, we already see the antagonist “Bella”, who as a mysterious elf takes down a group of knights. The strength of one’s character is only half the battle; it’s also about strengthening one’s house and liberating more regions to become even stronger.

Are there classes? Yes, the developers have already provided initial insights into the class system in a press release. They state:

Players must recruit loyal companions and master unique classes, such as the agile Spectral Blades, the devastating Executioner, or the magic-wielding Stormbringer, to dominate the battlefield.

In the style of Lost Ark, the developers talk about “massive raids” that require “perfect coordination” and “flawless tactics” to defeat the “overwhelmingly powerful enemies”.

What about Germany? If one tries to access Embers of the Uncrowned from Germany on Steam, the title cannot be found. A look at SteamDB shows that the new MMORPG is currently not available in Germany. Although the developers at Nexon should know better, they seem to have forgotten Germany – more precisely, the USK form. Since November 2024, all new games on Steam must fill out the form to be accessible in Germany (Source: connect.de).

However, smaller indie titles often neglect this, which is why they can only be accessed through workarounds. That Embers of the Uncrowned will likely be available in Germany in the long run is hinted at by the translation. According to the developers, the MMORPG will also be playable with German texts.

A Blow Against Lost Ark

What does Asia MMORPG expert Cedric Holmeier think? Nexon is bringing Embers of the Uncrowned at a time when Lost Ark is likely undergoing the unofficial transition from Amazon Games back to the developers. After the departure of two prominent figures and with declining player numbers, delivering a strong competitor could be bitter for what was once a great Lost Ark.

However, what concerns me about Embers of the Uncrowned is the MMO aspect. Although reclaiming one’s lands from the AI could become a major multiplayer undertaking, it is also conceivable that this turns out to be a single-player affair like Path of Exile 2 or Diablo.

We are currently witnessing the evolution of the genre towards hybrid MMORPG models, where only selected parts, such as dungeons and raids, occur with other players, while otherwise one quickly retreats to their own lonely fortress. It remains to be seen whether we will encounter a true MMORPG or merely a Path of Exile 2 with raids from Lost Ark with Embers of the Uncrowned.