As Mabinogi, the long-standing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), approaches its 19th anniversary (in Korea), Nexon, the team behind the beloved game is looking to breathe new life into its realm. As announced in Nexon's recent development stream, Mabinogi will undertake a massive upgrade to Unreal Engine 5 as part of their ambitious project dubbed Mabinogi Eternity.
The game's developers are adamant to push Mabinogi forward, keeping it vibrant and relevant for both current players and future generations of gamers. During the “Fantasy Party” stream, Nexon introduced several changes to the game, including their upcoming Proceed update and initiative, set to launch on July 13th in Korea. The summer Proceed update will be followed later in the year by the much-anticipated Arcana, Second Revelation update. Both updates will make some quality of life and content updates that will hopefully get rolled out to their global releases later this year.
The choice of Unreal Engine 5 is a clear indicator of Nexon's vision for Mabinogi. The robust capabilities of this game engine, and the time it will take to transition their development to the new engine, promise to elevate Mabinogi to a whole new level of gameplay experience. However, this change won’t happen over night, as Nexon has stated that this is considered a “long-term development project” and replacing the PlayOne Engine that the team has used for the past 19 years was not done lightly.
The 19-year journey for Mabinogi leads us back to its launch in Korea in 2004. The game was welcomed with by Korean gamers who were enchanted by its innovative gameplay and deep lore inspired by Celtic mythology. Over the years, Mabinogi's rich narrative and character customization, combined with its ability for player-create experiences, have forged a compelling game that has kept players engaged.
The game made its journey westwards in 2008 with Nexon America’s launch of the American version. This marks the 15th Anniversary of their Western Version which happened earlier this year. Though Mabinogi's unique, non-linear gameplay style represented a break from conventional MMORPGs, it found a receptive audience in America. The game launched on Steam in 2012, and to this day garners around 400 peak daily players according to Steam Charts. Players were drawn to the game's unique life simulation features, which offered them the freedom to compose music, cook, and run a farm.
As Mabinogi approaches its 19th year, it is clear that the game's strength lies not only in its gameplay mechanics and compelling narrative but also in its ability to evolve with the times. A mobile version has been in the works, (not to be confused with their other mobile offerings) which points to the possibility that Mabinogi may find itself expanding in more ways than just the PC versions visuals. Mabinogi Eternity is a testament to this, and as the game prepares to leap forward with Unreal Engine 5, we hope that the fans of the game will find the upcoming updates freshing, dynamic, and immersive for the Mabinogi experience that both honors its past and embraces its future.
