Vortex Gaming

On January 22, 2025, a media session was held at the Devsisters headquarters in Gangnam, Seoul to commemorate the 4th anniversary of 'Cookie Run: Kingdom', review its achievements, and introduce upcoming content and events. The session consisted of a brief presentation followed by a Q&A session, with Kim I-hwan, PD of Cookie Run: Kingdom, presenting the achievements of the past four years and announcing the 2025 update roadmap.

As of last year, Cookie Run: Kingdom has surpassed 72 million cumulative users. In terms of content, in 2024, Cookie Run: Kingdom added various new content such as the Beast- ইস্ট Continent, the relationship between Beasts and Ancients, My Cookie where players can create their own owner characters, and the Plaza system, a social space.

In addition, we have strengthened our IP in various fields through art collaborations with intangible cultural heritage artisans, offline pop-up stores, F&B, fashion, and collaborations with brands in the automotive industry.

The 4th anniversary update was released a week ago, and sales increased by 37.5% and the number of users increased by 16.3% compared to the 3rd anniversary event. Kim I-hwan, PD, said that it is common for mobile games to see a decrease in the number of users and sales over time, but the fact that Cookie Run: Kingdom is showing an increase every year is proof that it still maintains its potential as a sustainable game.

The 4th anniversary event was conducted on a two-track approach: updates to improve the experience of existing users, and updates to compress and enhance gameplay so that new and returning users can naturally digest and keep pace with accumulated content.

Events commemorating the 4th anniversary will be held not only online but also offline. From February 22nd to 23rd, an offline fan fest with a theme park concept will be held at the Suwon Convention Center, and a 4th anniversary theme album will be produced in collaboration with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra to enrich the 4th anniversary event experience.

Meanwhile, Cookie Run Kingdom's YouTube channel reached 1 million subscribers as of January 6th, and will be actively communicating through various video projects and channel expansion.

Kim I-hwan, PD, says that 2025 for Cookie Run: Kingdom is 'the year to keep promises'. As a year to achieve the various plans that have been mentioned, we will achieve multifaceted content expansion such as My Cookie battles, island decoration content, mines, and guild content. At the same time, we will also improve and renew outdated systems and add collectibles.

Another major axis to be added within the year is the expansion of 'narrative'. In 2025, the narrative of Cookie Run: Kingdom will describe the conflict between Beasts and Ancients in more detail and explain the process leading to the conclusion.

Q. You became PD at the end of 2023, so it's been a little over a year. There have been some twists and turns surrounding 'Cookie Run: Kingdom' during the period you were in charge, but how is it now?

= Personally, I think it was a time of learning a lot. It was a time of learning about the game Cookie Run: Kingdom and the gamers, and learning about what I should do in this position. I think that having some expression about the game is ultimately proof that you have affection for this game. That's why I prepared even harder.

Q. If I ask about sales, what is the percentage of sales within the company?

= It's difficult to say the exact figures, but it has the largest share among the company's projects.

Q. How is the performance in the Chinese market?

= Sales in China fluctuate greatly, and the sales trend has not yet stabilized as it is still in the early stages. Last year, we worked harder to build a pipeline with publishers in China, and I think we will see solid sales starting this year.

Q. Are you considering entering more regions?

= There are no specific plans yet, but we are keeping all possibilities open. We are currently providing services in more than 200 countries, and we have never stopped providing services in any specific region.

Q. Looking at the response to the 4th anniversary update, even though it has improved a lot, new and returning users are feeling confused and difficult. Are there any plans you are preparing?

= I think it was difficult to cover all areas even though I put a lot of effort into it. We are trying to compensate through various training devices, and I think we will be able to fill it in without any gaps in the next content update.

In fact, I think it's a fateful task for long-term service games. However, as one of our development philosophies is to create a game that can be played without external information, we will continue to improve accessibility.

Q. What do you think is the reason why you have been able to consistently increase indicators even though you have been providing services as a mobile game for a long time?

= I don't know if it's a secret, but what we are trying to do is to be seen as a 'game that is okay to return to at any time'. There are often cases where you can't proceed because something is missing when you return after a break, and we are minimizing this. We are improving the game in a way that makes it easy to play, such as obtaining legendary rewards through simple processes or giving them away as attendance rewards.

Q. The story of Dark Enchantress Cookie, who has been showing her presence for a long time, is slowly coming to an end, so what will happen to the story after that?

= It's true that Dark Enchantress Cookie has been the alpha and omega in the storyline so far. That's why there has been a lot of discussion about how to unfold the story after this Cookie disappears, but to put it simply, we are considering expanding the world. I think we will be able to talk about the next story around the end of this year.

Q. Cookie Run: Kingdom is constantly collaborating with traditional culture, and various media mixes are being made. Are there any plans to further strengthen this in terms of narrative?

= First of all, this year's update will mainly deal with the story of Dark Enchantress Cookie rather than anything else. Collaboration with traditional culture is slightly off-center, so simple updates are possible, but I don't think it's time to release it as the main focus.

Q. Did art collaborations such as the collaboration with mother-of-pearl lacquerware and the collaboration with Talchum have a positive effect only in terms of image? Or did it actually affect sales? I would also like to hear about the reactions of overseas users to this.

= When we first started the collaboration, we didn't have any direction, and most users probably thought it was a one-off project. However, I think we were able to show that it is sustainable content by collaborating with Talchum, and the positive response to this has increased significantly. Of course, we were also able to confirm positive responses overseas.

Q. Cookie Run: Kingdom emphasizes its world and narrative, and many users enjoy it. However, unfortunately, there was a report several months ago that the animation project was canceled, so are there any other media mix projects being planned?

= As the PD of Cookie Run: Kingdom, it is difficult for me to know all of the company's business directions. However, the know-how for Cookie Run: Kingdom is gradually accumulating, and I myself am positively considering unfolding the narrative through videos in the game, so I think there will be more opportunities in the future.

Q. The 'Beast' narrative is about halfway through, and some people think that the narrative structure pattern is too simple. What do you think?

= I agree. The main framework is that the hero Cookie who was in crisis awakens and wins, but we gave it a slight twist through the 4th anniversary event. And the upcoming content will show a change worth looking forward to.

Q. Some people say that some characters are being treated too poorly. Do you have anything to say about this?

= We are conducting our own art development internally, and we are working to improve existing characters by giving them new roles and matching them to the main narrative.

Q. The game is quite difficult to play without high-ranking Cookies. The use of Epic Cookies is quite ambiguous, so are there any plans to increase the use of these Cookies?

= It is true that characters are accumulating more and more because the character addition speed is very fast compared to typical collectible RPGs. It is important to match this overall speed, and we are aiming to create a form that creates uses through content that only Epic Cookie grades can participate in. 'Mine' is being developed in various directions. Combat may be a little lacking, but I think Epic Cookies can be used enough in the mine.

Q. You achieved a record high earlier this year, do you have a separate target for the cumulative number of users this year?

= We don't set any specific targets. The goal is not to create a decrease in the inflow of new users, so I think the indicators will naturally improve if we achieve this goal.

Q. You have collaborated with various brands. Are there any new brands that you are considering collaborating with in the future?

= I am personally very interested in collaborations, but it is difficult to say yet because nothing has been confirmed yet, but we plan to actively pursue collaborations with other games this year.

Q. Shadow Milk Cookie is currently a hot topic among users. Can you tell us about the development process? Also, Kang Su-jin voiced Shadow Milk Cookie, so what was the voice directing process like?

= Shadow Milk Cookie was designed to be a Cookie with a more three-dimensional and complex narrative that is not consumed in a short period of time. It has a background linked to the concepts of lies and truth, and unlike previous villain Cookies who were simply evil and trying to destroy everything, it was designed as a Cookie with a slightly different perspective.

In the process of giving voice directing to Kang Su-jin, I asked her to act in a way that would reveal the complex inner self and ambivalent emotions of Shadow Milk Cookie, and I am very satisfied with her excellent performance.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about what you will be showing at the 4th anniversary fan fest?

= First of all, we plan to have direct communication in the form of director talks at both days of the event. Also, I might become a coupon uncle wandering around the site like before. I hope you will actively approach me.

Q. Wasn't the early heyday of Cookie Run Kingdom the time when Cookies and voice actors were matched like this? Will we be able to continue to see this matching in the future?

= In fact, users are very interested in voice actor casting. It's harder to find games without voice actors these days, but Cookie Run: Kingdom is probably the only game that has a separate voice director and goes through a lot of discussion in the matching process.

Q. The Cookie Run: Kingdom and voice actor scenes are definitely intertwined. Are you not planning any content that you can create together with the voice actors' fandom?

= We have held autograph sessions for voice actors at offline events, but we have not yet conducted this as separate content. However, we are actively considering using videos or planning larger-scale events.

Q. Finally, do you have anything you would like to say to the gamers who enjoy Cookie Run: Kingdom?

= I can't thank you enough. I don't think there has been an update that has been liked as purely as the 4th anniversary update among the updates that have been conducted so far, and I have had so many proud and happy moments as a developer. I ask for more love in the future.

웹진 인벤정재훈 기자
2025-01-22