Vortex Gaming

· Arknights: Endfield initially faced mixed reactions to its factory tutorial and early story, but there were expectations that the second region would improve.
· However, recent Korean metrics show a shocking 66% decrease in Monthly Active Users (MAU) from 640,000 in January to 215,000 in March, a drop in just two months.
· This is particularly concerning given Korea's high interest in the title, having been the second-highest in lifetime downloads for the mobile version.
· Alongside a recent decline in the 30-day download rankings, Korea also ranks fourth in estimated lifetime mobile revenue, leading to the analysis that 'many users tried it casually but churned heavily, and new user acquisition has also decreased.'

· Despite this, Endfield still holds an estimated fourth-place revenue ranking in the Korean market, showing a similar revenue share to the third-place United States. This suggests that even with unprecedented user inflow and churn, the remaining players have formed a solid 'concrete base' supporting the game.
· One of the main reasons for this phenomenon is the 'factory system.' Unlike many sub-culture games that focus on open-world exploration, Endfield introduced a unique system requiring players to use their brains to manage factories.
· This is a shrewd survival strategy by the developers to stand out in the saturated 'Genshin Impact-like' market, differentiating itself by allowing players to experience the life of a worker by installing structures, connecting power, and extracting resources.
· This unique system has become a factor in many users investing more time in the game than the developers anticipated, and those who endured the initial mixed reception have become a 'concrete base' capable of withstanding any hardship.

· Initial story reception for Endfield was not positive. Unlike its predecessor, Arknights, which could deliver sufficient immersion through text-based narration, Endfield, a 3D game, was criticized for making it difficult for players to follow the story due to text dumps and excessive use of proper nouns.
· Particularly, the story in version 1.1 felt like it rushed forward, and from the protagonist's perspective, reactions like 'What is this?' were inevitable. The method of requiring players to read documents, complete side quests, and analyze to find missing links was deemed a failed storytelling approach for a 3D sub-culture game focused on mass appeal.
· In response, the development team significantly enhanced 3D cutscene direction and reduced the emphasis on documents in the 1.2 version update. Although players still need to fill in some gaps themselves, the story was perceived as more engaging due to the improved direction.
· However, the continued use of lore known only to the developers still needs improvement, as it deviates from mainstream storytelling.

· Endfield's Business Model (BM) is based on character gacha, and the elaborate narrative serves as a sophisticated monetization tool that makes players feel 'it's worth spending money for this quality.'
· In the initial version (1.0), free-to-play users could aim for 2-3 of the three featured characters with the provided in-game currency.
· However, with version 1.1, the currency acquisition rate decreased for two featured banners over five weeks, leading to increased dissatisfaction among free-to-play users. This was interpreted as a strategy to 'allow one pity pull per version, but require payment for guaranteed acquisition.'
· This dissatisfaction with the BM, combined with the low points in story content, worsened player sentiment.
· Consequently, in version 1.2, the developers appeased users by releasing only one new featured character, 'Jangbangyi,' over seven weeks to reduce the burden of currency acquisition, revamping the monthly subscription, and even retroactively applying changes to past purchasers.

· The developers' recent actions are interpreted not just as appeasing players but as building up for future versions. The high-difficulty content, 'Contracts,' is scheduled for release, which relies on diverse character development.
· To facilitate this, the developers are increasing the acquisition rate of 'Energy Consumption Permits,' providing support for character development through 'Growth Support Events' and monthly subscription revisions, thereby reducing player fatigue.
· Furthermore, releasing only one new featured character in version 1.2 appears to be a strategy to prepare for potential currency shortages if multiple characters are released simultaneously in the next update, and to give players time to accumulate various resources.
· This involves accepting short-term losses for long-term revenue, a decision interpreted as focusing on maintaining content quality and improving user satisfaction.

· Arknights: Endfield is now entering its third month, a crucial period that will determine its potential for long-term success. The game is currently strengthening its foundation and continuing to improve.
· From story direction to user convenience, the game is gradually improving by reflecting player feedback, which is a positive sign for its overall quality.
· Although some aspects remain disappointing, the developers' commitment to listening to player voices and consistently striving for improvement makes their future endeavors exciting.
· While it remains uncertain how Endfield will evolve, the current improvement efforts are increasing the game's potential for long-term success.