Hello Berserkers,
This is Junho Lee, Creative Director of First Berserker: Khazan.
Around this time last year, I remember thinking, "By next spring, Khazan will be out…"
Now, summer is already upon us here in Korea. It's been three months since launch, almost 100 days now.
It hasn't been an easy journey, but thanks to your support and enthusiasm, Khazan has achieved great results so far. I'm truly grateful.
And now, I can finally reveal a spoiler I've been holding onto!
We're preparing a special gift as a token of our appreciation for everyone who has played the game since launch.
We'll be sharing more details in a separate announcement soon, so please hang tight.
Now, let's dive into the upcoming update!
Gameplay Experience Improvements
We're finally adding some long-awaited features!
- Skill Preset System added
- Gear Preset System added
- Inventory sorting by name added
- Storage capacity increased from 100 to 500 slots
We're also updating the drop rate for set item crafting materials from main mission bosses to 100% and increasing the drop rate for the Augment of Wisdom.
Combo Tutorial Added
We've made it easier to learn various skill combos.
You'll now find a new "Combo" tab in the Encyclopedia, with basic combo guides for each skill tree level. Try checking out combo information and practicing directly in-game.
Difficulty System Improvements
Big changes are coming to the difficulty system.
The current "Easy" difficulty will be renamed to "Normal," and "Normal" will become the default setting when starting a new game. The current "Normal" difficulty will be renamed to "Challenge."
A new difficulty "Beginner" is being added.
This new setting includes added conveniences to help players who are new to action games learn Khazan's combat system in a more comfortable and less stressful way.
If the difficulty feels too low, you can always switch to "Normal" or "Challenge" at any time.
For those looking for a real challenge, we're adding a new "Hardcore" difficulty.
"Hardcore" is a special difficulty that unlocks after completing the first playthrough on "Challenge."
It can be started as a New Game, and difficulty cannot be changed mid-playthrough.
As the toughest difficulty, Hardcore hides monster HP and Stamina gauges. Support systems such as the Spirit of Advocacy, Phantom Form, and Change Attributes are also disabled.
Hardcore also features its own balance settings and a unique camera lock-on perspective, offering a fresh and intense way to experience Khazan.
Online Demo Temporarily Suspended
Following steady updates after launch and the major difficulty revamp in this patch, the gameplay experience between the demo version and the full game has grown significantly different.
We have therefore decided to suspend access to the demo version for now and will reassess our future plans before providing an update.
We appreciate your understanding as we strive to provide a more consistent experience across the board.
. . .
About Our Patch Philosophy
We've consistently worked to improve the game by listening closely to your feedback both before and after Khazan's release.
We believe that game design isn't something set in stone. It's something we shape and refine together with our players.
That's why the most important question we ask ourselves when reviewing feedback is: "Does this expand Khazan gameplay experience?"
Our goal isn't just to remove inconveniences. It's to help players better understand and enjoy the game.
For example, the previous balance patch included a nerf to the "Trance" spear build.
Even though this might be less fun for existing players, we made this decision because we believe it is more important to provide new players with an experience and environment where they can explore various playstyles and carve out their own paths.
Before the patch, the "Trance spam" build was widely seen as the only viable option while other styles were considered inefficient or not worth using. This seemed counter to our intent, which is for players to better understand the game, discover diverse strategies, and develop their own playstyles.
Our approach is to support diverse playstyles and find the in-game balance by improving underused skills and builds rather than weakening strong ones.
However, in the case of "Trance," the performance gap compared to other weapons and skills was simply too large, and a nerf was unavoidable.
We realize no balance patch can be perfect. Even so, we've done our best to find the most reasonable middle ground.
After this patch, we'll continue to collect feedback and work toward a game experience that satisfies as many players as possible.
We're deeply grateful for your continued support, patience, and willingness to share your thoughts, even if the direction of a patch wasn't what you hoped for.
We're especially careful when it comes to balance-related feedback. Each comment is thoroughly reviewed, and we closely monitor gameplay data to track trends and identify where future adjustments may be needed.
We'll keep pushing forward in every way we can to make this game even better.
Thank you, truly, for your unwavering love and support for Khazan.
Sincerely, Junho Lee
. . .
※ Some terms are subject to change depending on the development progress.