The Global Beta Test for Nexon’s upcoming sword-fighting experience recently ended, and we had the opportunity to discuss the game with Game Director Eunseok Yi. Warhaven will focus on 16vs16 brawls with a combination of medieval weaponry, powerful magic, and fun gadgets to take down your enemies. Here’s what the director had to say about Warhaven!
MMORPG.com: Can you provide us with a quick overview of Warhaven: what it is, where it got its inspiration, how long it’s been in development?
Eunseok Yi: Sword-fighting games have their own merit but they're mostly limited to PvE, single player experiences. Shooters are diverse and plenty, being shown in an array of single-player and multiplayer games. However, you see very little in the current market in terms of multiplayer sword-fight games. This is the reason why we wanted to create a multiplayer, online sword-fighting project. We hope it will be something new for players who have been wanting and waiting for something like this. Warhaven has currently been in development for about 3 years.
MMORPG.com: Warhaven appears to be a medieval 16v16 team-based brawler. What sets it apart from games that might appear similar, such as Conqueror’s Blade or For Honor?
Eunseok Yi: For Honor is a game that lets you experience intricate 1-on-1 battles. In Conqueror's Blade, the player has NPC soldiers following him into battle. I believe the game is more of a tactical strategy game than an all-out action game. Warhaven is a 16 vs 16 action game and it has elements that set it apart from the other 2 aforementioned games.
MMORPG.com: In the trailer, there was a lot of melee combat, but something that piqued my interest was the siege cannon. What other types of mounts and/or large scale weaponry will be in the game and how important will they be to secure victory?
Eunseok Yi: In Warhaven, there are several gimmicks within each mode. There are vehicles (such as medieval convoy trucks!) we have in mind that are still being tested out, but we haven't yet decided on whether we'll add them to various modes. When these gimmicks are used to their full capacity, they will help effect the game's outcome, however we're still testing them and balancing them out so that the gimmicks don't end up as annoying, or hard to deal with. Every experience we create needs to cater to a fun and positive experience for the players.
MMORPG.com: Progression is often a key component of online games. What types of content or upgrade systems will players unlock as the play through Warhaven?
Eunseok Yi: As seen during the GBT, players can unlock different perks per each Soldier class, by playing matches and earning in-match XP. Also, players can unlock and upgrade numerous cosmetic items for characters, weapons, gliders and more along with World Pass avatars, customizable profile stickers and cards, character emotes, and more.
MMORPG.com: How monetization is handled can be very tricky for competitive, team-based games. Will Warhaven be free-to-play, and if so will there be any pay-to-win type features?
Eunseok Yi: The game will be released as F2P. There will be no pay-to-win elements with Warhaven. There's no sugarcoating the fact that F2P games often have a harder time recuperating revenue, but I believe it's more important to make a game, our game, more accessible for any number of players all around the world, and to allow everyone a chance to experience the fun for themselves with no barriers. The more people, the merrier!
MMORPG.com: How complex will the melee combat be in Warhaven, and can you go into more detail about the immortal mechanic or anything else unique to the game?
Eunseok Yi: Our goal is to allow players to enjoy visceral, tangible combat by merely swinging their weapon and landing a hit on an enemy.
However, if this seems too simple for some, we also want to provide more intricate, complex tactics for players who are seeking out more to do, and more to master. Those who crave detailed combat experiences can learn to defend, block, break defenses, and dig deep into absorbing unique skill sets of each of the characters. There's going to be a lot to do!
The Immortal system allows Soldier characters to transform into powerful supernatural godlike beings, and gameplay as Immortals is where players of all skillsets can have their moment to shine. Immortals are particularly powerful as they wield magic, and their play styles are very different than that of the Soldier characters. We really hope that every player can experience their own power-burst moment of the match as an Immortal.
Along with these features, we also have a Perks system; by equipping Perks (which are unique for each character), players can enhance each Soldier's skills and play completely differently each time. Perks are very easily customizable, and therefore you can set up your Soldier to play the way you like. In addition, we also have a 'Relics' system; various Relics exist to provide players with different ways to respawn faster, and right next to your friend in the heat of battle. In extent, we hope that these Relics will allow players to cooperate and have further fun especially with their squad-mates. Warhaven is definitely best played with friends.
MMORPG.com: The trailer hinted somewhat to the backstory of Warhaven. Will there be any type of in-game story or campaign to follow, or will more background details be provided outside of the game?
Eunseok Yi: We are not planning on any story-driven single player campaign modes for Warhaven, and the aim is to provide an always-online, group-based experience to enjoy with friends. However, we are looking to expand the world and lore of Warhaven through other media, such as cinematic game trailers. There's always room to expand the world we've created.
MMORPG.com: Can you provide any information on when the next Beta test or official launch will be?
Eunseok Yi: We cannot specify the exact dates, but we are preparing for an Early-Access launch in 2023. You will be able to play very soon.
MMORPG.com: I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions about Warhaven. Is there anything else you would like our readers at MMORPG.com to know about the game?
Eunseok Yi: Warhaven is a 16 vs 16 multiplayer, big team battle game in which you fight your way across vast battlefields with swords, shields, maces, and magic in hand. We hope we can meet with our player base again very soon, and our goal is to create an experience where players from around the world can access and enjoy the game with ease, fun, and sometimes even over-the-top victory moments!
Thank you for taking an interest in Warhaven!
