NCSOFT to run Battle Crush’s CBT in October for H1 2024 launch  

NCSOFT Corp., a major South Korean game developer and publisher, is inviting game lovers to take part in the closed beta test (CBT) of its new action title Battle Crush next month, one of the four new titles the company has been developing in search of new growth momentum.

The company has opened the sign-up page for Battle Crush’s CBT, which will be available in 25 countries in North America, Europe and Southeast Asia from Oct. 23 to 30, NCSOFT announced on Thursday during the title’s showcase at the Nintendo Direct.

The CBT sign-up is available on Battle Crush’s official website.

The company said the new game will be played on not only Steam and Google Android but also Nintendo Switch for the first time among NCSOFT games with cross-play support.

NCSOFT has been focusing on massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) since the launch of its legacy MMORPG game Lineage, which has been the company’s cash cow.

Battle Crush is not an MMORPG but a player verse player (PvP) game.

ON THE HUNT FOR NEW GROWTH DRIVER

The Korean major game publisher is currently developing four new titles in various formats, including Battle Crush, in hopes of finding a new growth driver after it recently reported poor earnings without new blockbuster games.

The company reported a 71% on-year fall in operating profit in the second quarter ended in June this year, with a 30% drop in revenue on a 33% contraction in Lineage sales.

The medieval fantasy MMORPG Lineage series – Lineage W, M and 2M – accounted for 99% of NCSOFT’s mobile game revenue of 475.2 billion won in the second quarter.

But the time has come to reduce its hefty reliance on MMORPG games as younger generations are playing RPG games less than those born before 1996, according to Korean marketing firm UNITOMORROW.

The company pins high hopes on new non-MMORPG games like Battle Crush to revitalize its game business.

Its other new title PUZZUP AMITOI, which is a mobile puzzle game, is set to hit the global market in 35 territories on Sept. 24, while it is developing a real-time strategy game (RTS), the company said.

NCSOFT plans to roll out Battle Crush in the first half of next year after its global testing.

ACTION BRAWL AND MYTHICAL ADVENTURE

Battle Crush is an action-packed game with simple controls and intense battles, according to the company.

The goal of the game is to fight among up to 30 players, or Calixers who are heroes, on the arena to become the last survivor and conqueror.

It is a fast-paced game as the arena ground collapses beneath the players’ feet while fighting enemies coming from all directions. Each round lasts for 8 minutes at most.

Players choose their own Calixers, which are mythological figures, and each Calixer has their own story and unique action skills.

The game also comes with three play modes - Battle Royale, Brawl and Build-up - that up to 30 players can enjoy simultaneously, the company said.

Write to Ju-Hyun Lee at 2juhyun@hankyung.com

Sookyung Seo edited this article.