Vortex Gaming

A new Seven Knights IP title announcing both expansion and a new beginning. The preview day to check out the current state of 'Seven Knights Rebirth' was held on the 24th at the G-Tower Convention. The event was a gathering for Seven Knights players, featuring pre-build game experiences and talk sessions with developers. Vivi, the advertising model for Seven Knights Rebirth, also joined the event as a special guest. In addition, the official service schedule for May 15 was announced at the event.

- Date: April 24, 2025 (Thursday) 2 PM

- Presentation: Seven Knights Rebirth Preview and User Experience Session

The event, which began with the progress of voice actor Nam Dohyeong, who is also active in the game industry, officially opened with the appearance of special guest Vivi.

Vivi also performed the stage of '밤양갱', one of her representative songs, along with the newly released The New Seven Knights Song to the Seven Knights fans at the venue.

After the cinematic trailer, new information about Seven Knights Rebirth was revealed in earnest. Netmarble Nexus CEO Kim Jungmin, who took the stage shortly after, announced the new start of Seven Knights Rebirth through a welcome speech.

CEO Kim said that Seven Knights, which was launched in 2014, has been around for more than 11 years, and that meeting Seven Knights was fortunate in his life, and looked back on the good and bad points. In particular, he expressed his determination to make the last Seven Knights of his game life while developing this Seven Knights Rebirth.

CEO Kim said that while developing this Seven Knights Rebirth, he aimed to develop a game that would restore the fun parts of the original while reflecting the latest trends and following the changed flow well.

In addition, he cited developing a game that is loved for a long time while communicating with users with sincerity as an important task. To this end, he said that he is currently working hard to reflect user feedback, and that he will make communication a core value beyond the fleeting interest at the time of launch.

After that, Kim Junggi, head of development, came to the stage to explain the game in detail. The game is being developed with three main themes.

The first is the Seven Knights we loved, a continuity of memories and fun.

Seven Knights Rebirth was reborn to suit the latest trends while inheriting the original from that time. In order to inherit the memories and beauty of Seven Knights 1, various elements such as characters, content, story, and music were inherited. It was made to feel the emotion of the original as much as possible.

At the same time, it promoted the use of content that contains the restoration of strategic play and the fun of targeting. For example, you can easily clear a growth dungeon by using a specific effect, or include a unique strategy for each raid boss.

By utilizing various heroes depending on the situation, we are developing it so that you can feel not only characters with high attack power, but also the fun of various effects, combinations, and strategies.

In addition, we will revive the same Jjoljak system as the original so that anyone can enjoy the game without burden. In adventure content, we draw a cycle structure of playing adventures again by growing heroes and using the rubies collected through them, and acquiring heroes.

In addition, we draw a structure that makes it possible to acquire all heroes through synthesis. You can get heroes of all grades from 2 stars through the synthesis system. In addition, you can get more heroes through attendance.

Kim added that he is pursuing a game environment where players can enjoy the game in various ways without burden.

The second is development that fixes the disappointing parts and improves the inconvenient parts.

The developers planned to enable better strategic play through system improvements. The big frame is similar to the original, but by inserting normal attacks between skills, we tried to reduce hero fixation by creating all heroes and various metas.

In addition, by introducing a grinding system, we draw offline play that replaces the repetitive play set by the player. The goal is to avoid simple repetitive farming and preserve the fun of growth.

In addition, he explained that the Galaxy S9 and iPhone 7 Plus are the minimum specification devices, and that the game can be enjoyed on various devices. In addition, you can find better game quality in higher-spec games.

The third theme is Seven Knights created together.

Seven Knights Rebirth is scheduled to be officially launched on May 15. The roadmap released together included guild battles and costume systems in June, the Tower of Trials in July, and the Sena Cup in August after the Korean launch in May. The developers plan to introduce various content and heroes quickly with each update.

Kim said that the game is just the beginning and promised a game that users can create together with transparent service.

On this day, the Q&A was conducted in the form of first digesting questions received from users in advance by Netmarble, and then immediately answering additional questions on the spot.

Q. Is the arena the same as before, or are there any improvements?

Son Geonhee, Planning Team Leader (Son Team Leader) = In addition to the existing method, the concept of a defense deck is newly added. Users can set up attack decks and defense decks separately, and up to 3 skill reservations are possible. Skill reservation is a part that was decided after much consideration and testing internally, and I hope users will trust and enjoy it.

Q. Can you do a good job of operating in communication with users?

Cho Seongyoung, Head of Business Division (Head Cho) = We plan to disclose the core update direction and roadmap to users, and will continue to improve live services through regular surveys and feedback collection. Please look forward to communication-oriented operation.

Q. What platforms will be supported when the game is launched? Is the release date the same for all?

Kim Junggi, Head of Development (Head Kim) = We aim to provide the same user experience on all platforms, and we are optimizing for all platforms. The release date will also be the same on all platforms. (You can also play on PC through the Netmarble Launcher.)

Q. Are there any hidden stories or side story-like events prepared?

Hwang Hae Bitnuri, Creative Director (Director Hwang) = The strength of Seven Knights was in the numerous heroes, their individuality, and their stories. Based on this, we plan to introduce scenario events that can be said to be mini-scenarios or side story forms. The first scenario event is Knight Crow 'Taka'.

Q. There are so many heroes, so there are concerns about inflation. What are the countermeasures for this?

Kim = Inflation is a common problem in RPGs that have been serviced for a long time. Seven Knights Rebirth is planned so that all characters can be used, and we plan to adjust the balance through communication with users.

Q. Are there plans for content after August?

Kim = We plan to sequentially introduce various contents of the original, such as guild battles, world raids, guild raids, and real-time arenas. We are preparing in a way that can give you definite fun, while considering with users what content is fun and what parts need improvement.

Q. Will the characters that first appear in Sena Rebirth continue to be active even in long-term service?

Kim = We think it is important to preserve character value, and we are designing it so that it can be used in various ways.

Son = We are balancing the combat power standard and setting the numerical value for each grade. We are trying to delay the period in which a specific hero is abandoned as much as possible.

Q. I saw the arena video on YouTube and there were problems with the camera angle and visibility. Can it be improved?

Son = It is configured so that you can zoom in and change the viewpoint, so you can zoom in or rotate the screen as you want. This can solve the viewpoint problem.

Q. Will the myth awakening of the characters in the original also be achieved?

Kim = We are not currently considering myth awakening. Awakening itself is under review, but the timing has not been confirmed. When introducing it, we plan to prepare so that it can be a meaningful awakening.

Q. How will the arena closing time and deck separation be handled?

Son = It is designed so that attack decks and defense decks can be operated separately. We are encouraging the defense deck to be placed more strategically, and it is planned in a direction that the battle will be longer. The attack deck can be strategically configured, such as a physical deck or a magic deck.

Q. What is the content called 'Total War' that is visible in the lobby?

Kim = It is a differentiated end content that is only shown in Rebirth, and the combination is very important content. It is difficult to explain everything in this place, but we will release detailed information soon through the developer's note.

Q. Is there no soul enhancement planned?

Son = We are not considering soul enhancement. Currently, it is based on the pre-reboot.

After the interview, Kim Junggi, head of development, said that he would continue Q&A through communication channels and thanked the fans who attended.

After the user preview day, the Seven Knights Rebirth development team conducted a media Q&A, and additionally took time to answer questions from reporters who attended the event.

Q. Sena IP expansion and reinforcement are noticeable, how do you plan to expand it in the future? Are there any other IP-based games?

Cho = I think the Seven Knights IP is an important asset of Netmarble and an IP that we should be with. The company is moving under the same recognition, and the publication of web novels is also the result of meeting the needs of Sena fans. However, I am cautious about giving specific details about the future direction. I think it is right to focus on Seven Knights Rebirth as much as possible now, and both Netmarble Nexus and Netmarble are focusing on it.

Q. Netmarble's new works have also achieved good results, but what about sales results in both markets and intentions to enter the global market?

Cho = We are focusing on long-term results rather than temporary sales results. We are aiming for sustainable service through communication-oriented operation, and we do not place much significance on the sales ranking itself. However, I think that if we operate in this direction, we will naturally achieve results.

Thankfully, we have achieved cumulative downloads of 70 million globally, and global users are also waiting. We are preparing for a global launch quickly after the Korean launch, and we are also working on localization. We have seen even sales results in several countries, including the United States, Japan, Thailand, and Hong Kong, and this time we hope to be loved by global users in a wider area.

Q. You emphasized communication, but sometimes excessive communication can blur the direction. What is your position on this?

Son = Saying that we will communicate hard does not mean that we will unconditionally accept user voices. Since development has direction and balance, we will consider it if there is a conflict with users, but if not, we will maintain our beliefs and direction.

Cho = I think the communication of game companies has been one-way so far. Game companies deliver to users, and users react to it, each with one-way communication. We think it is important to fully explain and persuade why we cannot do what users want, and we plan to continue that way of communication.

Q. How do you respond to engine aging?

Cho = We have also experienced various technical limitations while servicing Sena 1 for a long time. This time, we switched to Unreal Engine 5 instead of our own engine, and we are also approaching BM and balance design from a long-term perspective. It may be declarative now, but I hope you will trust and watch.

Q. How are you setting the balance direction?

Kim = The original was a 5:5 structure, but this time we are introducing various team compositions such as 3:3. We are trying to expand the use of each hero by utilizing effects that have not been used well so far. We are avoiding patches that overturn the game board like a reboot, and we plan to continuously balance each hero.

Q. There was Jjoljak, what is your position on BM?

Kim = Jjoljak is a system that affects sales, but it is also an element that cannot explain the original without it. It is a system that can be enjoyed enough without paying, and it is one of the core elements of Sena that users expect.

Cho = I thought it wouldn't be the game users expect without Jjoljak. We have structured BM so that more users can enjoy the game lightly and with less payment, rather than focusing on payment to a small number of users through summons or synthesis. I think it plays an important role in expanding the user pool.

Q. Why did you choose Unreal Engine?

Kim = There were limitations in developing and maintaining our own engine, and there was also a problem that excessive resources were required when reorganizing the system. We expect that Unreal Engine 5 will improve both production quality and work efficiency.

Q. What was the reason for developing a new game?

Kim = At first, we considered remastering, but if we simply supplemented the art, the problems of the past would inevitably be inherited as they were. So, we decided to switch to a completely new development direction instead of a remake. We are also planning original characters, content that was not in the original, and we will also supplement the story.

Q. What are the strategies or plans for new users?

Kim = A game only for original fans may feel old to new users. So, we are planning original characters, new content, and story supplementation.

Hwang = We are developing in a direction that can satisfy both existing fans and new users. The basic scenario will be developed quickly so that existing fans will not get bored, and it is difficult for new users to immediately experience the charm of numerous heroes when they first encounter it, so we have created a separate scenario in the form of a short play to compensate for this. These short scenarios are provided in the form of scenario events, and naturally convey the individuality and charm of various heroes through short and impressive developments. This approach is in line with the latest game trends, and we believe that it will be interesting for new users as well.

Cho = I think it is very important to attract new fans in order for an IP to be loved for a long time. We believe that Sena Rebirth has its own competitiveness as a game, and we are thinking about how new users can naturally settle into the game. Currently, we are continuously providing light-feeling content on official communities and Facebook to induce inflow, and we see Jjoljak itself as an element that reduces the user's payment burden. There is a possibility that younger or younger users can enter without difficulty, and we expect the inflow of various user groups through these elements.

Q. What content will be released at the time of release?

Son = Major content such as adventure, arena, raid, growth dungeon, and siege warfare are included. We have also prepared a roadmap in detail so that we can quickly update additional content afterwards.

Q. Is there a plan to match the hero addition speed and the content addition speed?

Son = We cannot solve the hero fixation problem 100%, but we are designing it so that as many heroes as possible can be used.

Q. Sena IP has a strong turn-based RPG identity, are there any plans to expand into other genres?

Kim = We have challenged various genres such as the original, Seven Knights 2, Time Wanderer, and Revolution, but what fans wanted most was the gameplay of the original. Rebirth was developed to revive that essence, and we are currently focusing on Rebirth without any plans to expand into other genres.

Q. Finally, if you have any greetings to the users?

Cho = As a fan, regardless of my title, I really enjoyed Sena 1. I think it is my mission to make a game that I like so that users can sympathize with it, and I will create a game that is loved for a long time through communication-oriented operation.

Kim = Thank you for asking so many questions, and I felt a great sense of responsibility as a developer while answering. I will do my best to make it a long-lasting game.

Son = I started planning because I liked Sena, and it is meaningful just to be in this position now. We are preparing thoroughly to create a work that can revive past memories.

Hwang = I hope you can enjoy Sena enough from the outside. Since there are so many heroes, it can be fun just to talk about them, and if there is an opportunity for goods or collaboration, we will try our best to prepare so that users can enjoy it.

Webzine InvenReporter Kang Seungjin
2025-04-24