Vortex Gaming

📌 Q&A

Q. New/Returning hunters seem to be having a hard time catching up.

- During the November update period, many hunters returned to or newly discovered Solo Leveling:Arise. Moving forward, we aim to make the game more accessible for newcomers. In line with this goal, we plan to introduce special missions for new hunters.

Through these special missions, new hunters will be able to obtain SSR Cha Hae-In and her exclusive weapon simply by playing the game. Additionally, through supporting draws, hunters who complete 20 draws will be able to select and guarantee one SSR Hunter of their choice. Of course, existing hunters will also have the opportunity to participate once.

Q. When will Sung Jinwoo’s Ultimate Skill with short casting time be released?

- We will reveal it through a video with tomorrow’s update.

Q. It is positive that the game is becoming easier but wish there was content for high-level hunters.

- Until now, updates have primarily focused on new and returning hunters. Of course, we greatly value our dedicated high-level hunters who continue to support the game. As revealed in the update roadmap, we are also preparing exciting content specifically for our advanced hunters to enjoy

Q. The Artifact Modification Event was so inconvenient.

- It is true that there were inconveniences, such as having to repeatedly equip and unequip items and needing to complete enhancement up to +20 before resetting. We are fully aware that these aspects caused discomfort in the hunters' experience. We will address the identified issues and make improvements to ensure a smoother experience in the next event.

Q.  Wish we could fuse unused Tier 5 Gems.

- It seems that discussions about Tier 5 Gems are starting to surface. However, apart from the high-level hunters, the supply rate of Tier 5 Gems is still insufficient. While it’s not an urgent issue, we do agree on the need for improvement. We’ll make sure to share our direction on this matter in the next livestream.

Q. It would like to see Cooperation Content & Guild Competition added to the game.

- 2024 has been a year focused on enhancing the fun of single-player experiences. For 2025, we believe it’s time to introduce collaborative content. However, this won’t be implemented immediately; instead, we are gathering ideas from various angles and developing prototypes. Please refer to the roadmap for more detailed information.

Q. It has become too much of a burden to play mini games for Guild Coins.

- We will discuss adjustments to mini game balance and the resource requirements for Guild Buffs to make essential purchases more accessible. Regarding Guild Coins, there have been ongoing discussions, as they were designed with relatively high investment costs to encourage participation in cooperative content. However, given the significant feedback, we will consider making changes.

Q. Why isn’t Goto Ryuji added through the December Update?

- We conducted a survey among users to determine the most desired hunter, and Thomas Andre received the highest preference. As a result, he was prioritized for release, which delayed Goto Ryuji's turn. After Thomas Andre's release, he has firmly established himself as an essential character. Considering the character's high importance, we are also exploring the possibility of extending his rate up period to support new and returning hunters.

📌 Real-Time Q&A

Q. Adjustments for Tier 5 Gem’s random option values are necessary.

- There has been some discussion about the stats of Tier 5 Gems being too close to those of Tier 4 Gems when the minimum values are assigned. We understand the concern that the minimum values are too low. While it’s difficult to promise an immediate update, we will review the possibility of making adjustments.

Q. Please apply multiplay to Workshop of Brilliant Light and Simulation Gate content.

- The multiplay will be applied to the Workshop of Brilliant Light. 

Q. We wish there were more sources to claim Simulation Gate Entry Codes.

- As this is new content, many hunters feel the opportunities to play are too limited. Given the nature of the Simulation Gate, where the gameplay experience can vary significantly depending on the Code, we've received numerous requests for more chances to play. We will discuss the possibility of increasing the number of attempts.

Q. Guild Boss and Power of Destruction rankings for team fight setups have not been widely shared yet.

- We don’t consider this to be too difficult. We will discuss whether this can be implemented as a feature by reviewing the most used deck list or recommended list.

Q. Can’t wait to see Beru’s appearance and performance.

- Please check the update for today.

Q. There is a higher tier of Shadows in the manhwa. Will this be implemented to the game?

- In the manhwa, Beru appears as “General” tier and this will be applied to the game through this update.

Q. Hunter Upgrade materials are too hard to get such as Advanced Mana Crystal.

- Additionally, there have been many discussions about Gold acquisition. We are aware of the shortage of resources and plan to continue expanding ways to obtain them through events and login rewards. Due to the impact of the Artifact Modification Event, Advanced Mana Crystals, which previously showed surplus in our data, have now become significantly scarce. To address this, we will ensure that Advanced Mana Crystals are also distributed through upcoming events.

Q. The Battlefield of Time seems to lack distinctiveness.

- Battles ending in just 10 seconds after starting indicate that the element of luck has become overly influential. As hunters have grown stronger, we will review whether adjustments to the content's balance are necessary to provide a more consistent and satisfying experience.

Q. Are there any plans for a Costume discount event?

- As mentioned in the previous livestream, some costumes will now be available at a lower price and purchasable with diamonds. Please check the detailed list after tomorrow's update. Diamond discount coupons can also be applied to these purchases.

Q. Could you please clarify the reason for the ongoing bans?

- It would be best to explain the situation clearly. The Faction of the Shield program has been detecting unusual gameplay, and in the past, there were numerous instances of abnormal play, such as client manipulation or unauthorized programs leading to excessively high records. When the service was first launched, issues related to cheating were significant, but these have decreased as the Faction of the Shield has been continuously updated.

However, it's clear that strengthening such defense systems can result in unfair bans for some, while weakening them can lead to inadequate responses to cheating or abuse. In fact, during the recent attempt to increase precision by checking certain areas, a large number of bans occurred over a four-hour period. A notice was immediately issued, and recovery was carried out.

We understand this may be inconvenient, but we ask for your understanding, as programs like the Faction of the Shield need continuous updates and improvements in order to provide a cleaner environment for others. Once again, we sincerely apologize to those who were affected unjustly.

Q. Share with us some information on the Guild contribution abusing issue.

- It has been identified that hunters could increase their contribution points by rejoining a Guild, and a patch has been implemented to address this issue. Now, hunters must wait a certain amount of time after joining a Guild before they can accumulate contribution points.

Q. Make subscriptions purchasable also on the PC.

- The subscription service with regular payments has a slightly different system, so it is taking some time, but it is currently being prepared. We definitely want to provide it to you, so we would appreciate it if you could wait a little longer.

Q. Regarding the lags and optimization for mobile devices.

- 매As I have mentioned, optimization updates will be carried out in both this update and the one in January. Since a dedicated TF team is already in operation, we will ensure that we can show you improvements.

Q. The number of shadows has increased, but is there any plan to provide additional features for arranging them?

- In the case of shadows, there are relatively no issues on PC, but there are optimization-related concerns in mobile environments. Once optimization progresses further, the feature to expand Shadow arrangement may also be considered.

Q. When a new Story is added, shouldn't the Challenges also increase?

- We will make sure to add them in line with the timing. Since Challenges serve as a driving force for enjoying the game by fulfilling a kind of desire, We will continue to update them regularly.

📌 Upcoming Updates

■ Ant King is Coming! Jeju Island Story Update

The moment has finally come to introduce the Jeju Island update. While we've already shown some great aspects before, this time we've poured all our resources into delivering the best possible direction. You'll experience a level of quality so overwhelming it could be considered a highlight. The difficulty of the Normal mode has been significantly eased through revisions, so I hope you'll play it and experience it firsthand.

In the final battle against the Ant King in the Jeju Island raid, you'll find the action to be bold and frenzied, perfectly capturing the feeling of "this is exactly how the battle with the Ant King should be" from the original webtoon.

▲ Jeju Island Raid Story Update has finally arrived!

■ Defeat the Ant King and Reach Sung Jinwoo Lv. 100! Unlock New Job Change “Master of the Abyss”

Sung Jinwoo's maximum level has been expanded from 95 to 100. In the original manhwa, Sung Jinwoo reaches level 100 after defeating the Ant King, and we've timed this update as a tribute to that moment. Achieving level 100 will unlock expanded activity support rewards, new Gate difficulty levels, and expanded Bond rewards.

By clearing the Story, Hunters can unlock the new Job Change "Master of the Abyss." The requirements for this Job Change are relatively easy to achieve, with a combat power of 150,000, clearing the Jeju Island story, and passing the Battlefield of Trials Floor 40. The Job Change dungeon is designed to be fun, with a battle between the Army of Shadows and its own kind. Hunters will also receive the costume worn during the battle with the Ant King, a new Ultimate Skill, and an expanded Blessing Stone slot as part of the reward.

The new Ultimate Skill is named "King's Domain." We’ve designed its animation to be both concise and powerful, resolving the issue of the previous ultimate skill "Truth: Mutilate" being too long to use in time attack, making it visually stunning and strong.

  ▲ Maximum Sung Jinwoo level expanded to 100 along with additional benefits

▲ A new Ultimate Skill “King’s Domain” with short casting time is added.

■ Offers Increase in Attack and Critical Damage effect, New Shadow “Beru”

The long-awaited new Shadow, "Beru," finally makes its debut. Just like in the original work, it is expected to become one of the most beloved Shadows by the hunters.

Beru provides a team attack power and critical damage boost when placed in the leader slot. In alignment with the storyline where the Ant King absorbs Min Byung-gu's power, Beru's summoning will trigger abilities related to healing. Since no other Shadow has healing-related skills, it will carve out a unique position for itself.

 At the same time, the Shadow promotion system has been expanded to include the "General" rank. With the introduction of Beru, the first General rank Shadow from the original work, existing Shadows can now be promoted to enhance their powers and acquire new skills. To make it easier to grow your Shadows, we will also be offering rewards through events.

▲ Beru is expected to be preferred by numerous hunters due to its increase in Attack and Critical Damage effect.

 ▲ New “General” rank will be added to all the existing Shadows along with Beru.

■ Satisfy your competitive spirit and desire for honor! Challenge Medals

The Challenge Medals system, which allows you to fill the sense of pride in achieving milestones, will be implemented in this update. You can display and show off your trophies and seals.

 ▲ Boost your achievements through the Challenges Medal content.

■ Five new Blessing Stones have been added! Will they become the new meta for setups?

Five new Blessing Stones have been added: Intuit, Desire, Mana Powered Shield, Solidify, and Aggressive Defense.

Intuit increases attack power based on intelligence, while Desire boosts attack power when mana is below 60%. In the past, an "All Intelligence" build was popular for cooldown reduction, but due to the significant damage reduction, it became obsolete, and the "All Strength" build has since remained dominant. To add more variety to setups, these new Blessing Stones have been introduced. While they offer new options, it’s important to note that "All Intelligence" is not necessarily the best choice, and there will be an optimal balance point, adding a layer of strategy and experimentation.

 Mana Powered Shield absorbs damage by consuming mana, Solidify reduces damage taken by 1% every 6 seconds, and Aggressive Defense generates a shield on landing a normal attack. Mana Powered Shield not only enhances survivability but also increases mana consumption, synergizing with the new Blessing Stone "Desire." Aggressive Defense, with its continuous shield generation, can also complement other items that rely on shield mechanics, providing potential synergies with increased firepower. These additions are expected to attract significant attention and become impactful in different builds.

▲ New Blessing Stones with a variety of effects have been added, allowing for the consideration of different stat setups.

■ New Hunter Shimizu Akari Released! Thomas Andre Specialized Light Attribute Support

In this update, the new hunter Shimizu Akari, a powerful supporter who wields a large axe and was originally part of the Japanese team in the original work will join. Shimizu Akari continues to strengthen the light attribute, providing a damage increase effect to light attribute hunters, boosting firepower with tailored debuffs for enemies, and offering shields to synergize with Thomas Andre.

While Min Byung-Gu, as a light attribute, holds a strong position as an all-around supporter usable in any deck, Shimizu Akari is specifically designed as light attribute supporter, particularly enhancing the performance of Thomas Andre.

▲ Light attribute new hunter Shimizu Akari is specialized in supporting Thomas Andre.

■ Clear Workshop of Brilliant Light at once? Provides Rate Up Draw Ticket through Hunter Preview and other content added

Improvements to existing content are also being made. In the Hunter Preview, rewards have been upgraded, and the currency rewards previously given have been increased. Additionally, Rate Up Draw Tickets will be provided to make it easier to draw hunters.

In repetitive content such as Encore Missions, Instance Dungeons, and the Battlefield of Chaos, the formation used to clear the stage will now be automatically saved. This addresses the inconvenience of having a different formation load each time, which we have been aware of for some time. The scale of the fix was larger than expected, but it has finally been completed in this update.

For the Workshop of Brilliant Light, which has been a high-difficulty weekly content with considerable fatigue, a multiplay system has been applied. Going forward, hunters can use up to 3 tickets at once to play. Additionally, a new "Proof of the Strong" system has been added to the Workshop of Brilliant Light, offering honor rewards such as titles and frames.

 ▲ In the Hunter Preview, rewards and convenience have been enhanced, including the addition of tickets.

▲ In the Workshop of Brilliant Light, the new multiplier system allows players to set up to 3 times, reducing the stress of repetitive tasks.

■ SSR Hunter+Weapon & Costume, and a powerful event weapon! Holiday Party Event

The Holiday Party event will be held with a Holiday theme. In the event dungeon, the Gift Bomb Hobgoblin will appear, spreading presents and offering Essence Stones and Boss Challenge Keys.

Additionally, this event will feature the new SSR weapon for Sung Jinwoo, "Gold-tailed Fox." Unlike previous SSR event weapons, the Gold-tailed Fox is focused on performance, making it a viable primary weapon. Since it can be obtained through the event, it is highly recommended to collect it. The weapon has a Light attribute and can be combined with various other weapons, including the Guild Weapon "Truth: Demon Knight's Spear" and the recently released Divine Quarterstaff.

The Holiday Party event will be held with a Holiday theme. In the event dungeon, the Gift Bomb Hobgoblin will appear, spreading presents and offering Essence Stones and Boss Challenge Keys.

Additionally, this event will feature the new SSR weapon for Sung Jinwoo, "Gold-tailed Fox." Unlike previous event SSR weapons, the Gold-tailed Fox is focused on performance, making it a viable primary weapon. Since it can be obtained through the event, it is highly recommended to collect it. The weapon has a Light attribute and can be combined with various other weapons, including the Guild Weapon "Truth: Demon Knight's Spear" and the recently released Divine Quarterstaff.

Other mini-games, such as card matching, will also be available, offering rewards like Alicia Blanche's chroma costume, SSR Hunter and Hunter weapon selection options, and more. During the event period, Mirei and Shimizu Akari's Holiday costumes will also be on sale.

 ▲ A Holiday Party Event is scheduled to prepare for the year-end season.

 ▲ The Light attribute weapon "Gold-tailed Fox" is an event weapon, but it has been uniquely designed to hold value as a primary weapon.

▲ Obtain Essence Stones and growth materials through various mini games!

▲ New Alicia Costume and SSR Hunter and Weapon selection tickets will be obtainable.

▲ Mirei and Akari’s special costume will be purchasable.

■ Endless Abundant Update! 2025 First Half Roadmap

In January, Deimos will be released in the Workshop of Brilliant Light. Additionally, Esil Radiru, a Demon character who is not a Hunter in the original work, will be introduced as a Hunter. This character is imagined as part of an "if" story, exploring what it would be like if Esil Radiru were a Hunter. With the original author's approval, this character is highly anticipated, and we plan to explore more "if" storylines in the future.

From January to March, content related to the Jeju Island Raid will be featured. We are preparing cooperative content where hunters can reenact the battle with the Ant King, offering the fun of collaborating in raids. In February, a new Guild Boss, Queen Ant, will be released, marking the start of the regular season for the Simulation Gate. In March, the hidden story "Monarch of Transfiguration Yogumunt" will be introduced, alongside the highly anticipated new Hunter, Goto Ryuji.

Starting in April, new story content will be available, including the Busan Knight Raid and School Raid content(working title). In June, a storyline related to the system's designer will unfold, filled with impactful scenes that will rival those of the Jeju Island Raid.

As for the Championship, we are discussing ways to allow mobile players to participate as well. The goal is to move away from offline qualifiers, such as visiting PC cafes, and enable players to participate on their own devices, allowing them to compete in the environment where they normally play the game.

Additionally, we will be offering the 2024 Korea Game Awards reward costume, featuring a glamorous gold trim design, which can be obtained in tomorrow's update.

▲ The year 2025 will also be filled with new enemies and various content.