Yay, TERA 2 is really being developed and I immediately think of the past

Just now, I was sitting during my daily Reddit scrolling ritual when suddenly a thread popped up in the feed: “TERA 2 in the works.” Honestly, my heart skipped a little, and I knew I had to share this directly with you all. Yes, it was already known that Krafton had given the green light, but now we know: Development is in full swing.

If that isn’t a good omen! TERA was a major reason I founded MeinMMO in the first place. Without TERA, this site probably wouldn’t even exist.

Back then, I was really dissatisfied with how the big established gaming media reported on MMOs, especially TERA. It all felt too distant to me.

I wanted a site that understands what we users are really looking for: close, straightforward, just a real community. A site where the editors dive deep into the material, are actively involved in guilds as players, listen and participate. We even used to listen to Korean developer talks at night, painstakingly translated the stuff, and brought it straight to Germany.

A little anecdote on the side: One of my very first news pieces on MeinMMO came about just like that. However, it was ruthlessly copied by one of the largest gaming sites on the net, completely without a source reference. I, of course, complained immediately, a link to the TERA article was set and bam: the ambition was finally awakened! In the following months, some really talented people joined the team, including Cortyn and Schuhmann, who shared this passion for bringing the site to success and filling a gap.

TERA, on the other hand – the game we owe all this to (well, okay, there were a few other reasons, but let’s just give TERA the glory) – eventually unfortunately ran out of steam. But let’s start with the good memories.

The Dark Souls of MMORPGs

When I think back to TERA, this combat system immediately comes to mind. For me, it remains unparalleled in an MMORPG to this day. It really had the feel of a “Dark Souls” MMO. I immediately think of the epic battles against the BAMs (Big Ass Monsters), my Slayer, the adorable Poporis, and the unbelievable feeling when our group finally took down the Queen after countless wipes.

I still remember how it felt: I dodge red areas, position myself optimally behind the boss with the crosshair, and ignite my skill opener. As a Slayer belonging to the Castanics, everything is designed to deal massive damage from behind.

After that, everything flows with an intuitive, direct chaining system. Sometimes it really ecstasized me, every crit made me twitch internally. The boss mechanics simply harmonized perfectly with this action system.

The hit feedback was sheer satisfaction. But woe to you if you unleashed a skill too many in the heat of the moment or stole aggro from the tank – you would be on the ground faster than you could look. TERA honestly spoiled me for conventional, semi-turn-based tab-targeting systems, like those seen in WoW.

Why it eventually came to an end

But I don’t want to wear just the rose-tinted nostalgia glasses. After 2-3 years, TERA lost its charm for me. There were too many annoying nerfs that took away the challenge of the game and made it simply too easy.

There were also many mistakes made in the endgame: More and more systems were slapped on that didn’t harmonize with the original foundation anymore. There was questionable RNG and this absolute madness of releasing mostly female classes under the motto “Sex sells.” That, and the constant Elin-exclusive content, simply left a really bad taste in my mouth.

But the technology was also problematic, even though it was pretty and a feast for the eyes in its time: the Unreal Engine 3 could not handle the player masses at all. Raids and mass PvP were often pure slide shows, the gaming experience suffered significantly. When TERA was finally shut down in 2022, I honestly didn’t care much. But: I always hoped for a real successor that learns from these mistakes.

What We Know About TERA 2

Currently, I am projecting a lot of positive memories into this, it is still an extremely early phase. But the information currently leaking from Japanese and Korean sites gives hope:

• It’s official: KRAFTON (Bluehole Studio) has begun recruiting for the core team of “TERA 2.”
• The old boss is on board: The development is led by Kang Sang-wook. He was one of the key developers on the first TERA.
• Focus on the strengths: The job postings explicitly emphasize that the non-targeting system and battles against huge monsters (the BAMs are back!) are to be the centerpiece. Additionally, they want to focus heavily on party play.
• Unreal Engine 5: Finally! This really gives me hope that the terrible performance issues of the old engine will be a thing of the past.

I will definitely keep a close eye on this for you (and for myself!).

What do you think about it? Does just the name TERA 2 spark that tingling in your fingers again, or does it leave you cold after the end of part 1?