With subculture games firmly establishing themselves as the mainstream, many Korean studios that saw success with their debut titles are now gearing up for their next big swings. The industry is witnessing a shift from the 'first generation'—those who cut their teeth on the initial wave of titles—to a more seasoned second generation building on deeper, more refined experience. With a solid roster of established hits still holding their ground, the real question is whether these newcomers can stir up fresh demand and genuinely expand the market.

First on our radar is 'Project RX', a new PC and mobile subculture title from the IO Division at Nexon Games. Blue Archive previously turned heads with its unconventional move of prioritizing the Japanese market—the spiritual home of the genre—before expanding to Korea and the rest of the world. Its initial success in Japan paved the way for Nexon Games to establish the dedicated 'IO Division' for subculture development.

Project RX is set to inherit the hard-won wisdom of the Blue Archive team. Development is led by Cha Min-seo, who oversaw the Korean and global operations of Blue Archive, with Utokamizu—known for the clean, striking aesthetic of the original—serving as Art Director. Kim Yong-ha also continues to oversee both titles. Naturally, the industry is watching to see if this team can capture lightning in a bottle for the second time.

The game aims to build an 'otherworld' where characters and players coexist. Leveraging Unreal Engine 5 for 3D visuals, it promises immersive storytelling and lifestyle content shared with characters. The title made its public debut with cosplayers at Anime Expo 2026 this July, and the team plans to cement its presence at Tokyo Game Show 2026 this September.

Shift Up, the studio behind Goddess of Victory: NIKKE—a title that stands toe-to-toe with Blue Archive—is also moving forward with its next project. Originally announced in 2024 as Project Witches, it has since been rebranded as 'Project Spirit'. The project is headed by Director Han Dae-hoon, who joined in 2025. Han previously made waves as a solo developer with titles like Smashing the Battle, Overturn, and Metallic Child, following an artistic career on Mabinogi and Blade & Soul.

It is a multi-platform project spanning PC, console, and mobile, with Tencent handling global publishing. Beyond simple publishing, Yongshi Interactive, a Tencent subsidiary specializing in anime-style subculture games, is participating as a co-developer. Given Shift Up's previous success in propelling NIKKE to global heights through a partnership with Tencent's Level Infinite, expectations for synergy in Project Spirit are high.

Shift Up is pouring the development expertise gained from NIKKE and Stellar Blade into this project to target the next generation of the subculture market. Aiming for a 2027 global launch, Shift Up announced at its March shareholder meeting that concrete details would be shared later this year. With major events like Gamescom, Tokyo Game Show, and The Game Awards lined up for the second half, keep a close watch for developments.

Newer studios are also bringing their own expectations to the table. 'Miraesi: Invisible Future' (hereinafter Miraesi) is the debut from Control Nine, a studio founded by core developers behind NIKKE and Seven Knights 2. Notably, Art Director Kim Hyeong-seop—widely known as 'Hyeola' for his work on NIKKE—is a core member. Publisher Smilegate, having already carved out a niche with titles like Soulworker, Epic Seven, and Chaos Zero Nightmare, is looking to further expand its footprint with this new release.

Miraesi supports cross-platform play between PC and mobile. The narrative centers on a protagonist who saves a world on the brink of collapse alongside various girls, with the theme of traveling through time to rewrite destiny woven into the title. On the gameplay front, it aims for a unique feel with real-time turn-based combat that prioritizes character positioning and movement as key strategic elements.

With a launch targeted for this year, the studio has been aggressive in its promotion. Following appearances at Tokyo Game Show and AGF last year, pre-registrations opened in June, and recruitment for partner creators is underway. It operated a demo space at Anime Expo in July as well. As Smilegate is participating in this year's Tokyo Game Show, there is a high probability that Miraesi will be part of the lineup.

Last Origin, which secured a dedicated fan base through its unapologetically mature themes, has officially confirmed a sequel. The development team is comprised of veterans who worked on Gran Saga, Soulworker, and Starseed: Asnia Trigger. The core staff in scenario, planning, and client development boast over a decade of experience in the subculture genre, reflecting a strong determination to keep the sequel on the right track.

While based on the original's world, the sequel expands the setting from Earth to outer space to allow for long-term series development, maintaining the narrative of humans and bio-roids surviving in a post-apocalyptic world. While some core combat elements remain, deck-building mechanics are being introduced to differentiate the experience. The plan is to allow players to shape the flow of battle through card selection and growth choices that differ with every encounter.

The goal is to provide a familiar yet evolved experience for existing fans, while offering an intuitive, deep entry point for newcomers. Since moving to Valofe, Last Origin has been expanding its global footprint in Japan and the Chinese-speaking markets. Notably, a figure based on the character Titania Frost topped the overall rankings on the Japanese retail site AmiAmi. Whether the sequel can sustain that momentum remains to be seen.

Trickcal, one of the rarest examples of a 'reverse-run' success story in the Korean industry, is daring to take on a successor. 'Trickcal Fatima' was first unveiled via a teaser page this June. It is a subculture title about a journey through deep space, with the dream of building the best company in the universe. The teaser video even features characters lamenting the woes of office life—complete with subway commutes and empty bank accounts—implying that players will hire these characters to build the ultimate cosmic enterprise.

Trickcal's signature 'chubby-cheeked' character design carries over to the sequel. However, the cheeks are slightly smaller, and finer details like noses have been added. The setting takes a new direction; the character 'Byul-in' is introduced as one born with starlight who wields the power of stars. Sion, a familiar face from the previous game, also returns, providing a bridge between the two titles.

Trickcal Fatima is currently in the midst of a major recruitment drive as development ramps up. Consequently, the release date and platforms remain unconfirmed. Epigames CEO Han Jung-hyun stated in an interview with Denfaminicogamer at Bilibili World in Shanghai this July that news should be forthcoming in two to three years. Having weathered the storm to achieve profitability, expectations are high for what a more stable Epigames can deliver.

The upcoming Tokyo Game Show in September is shaping up to be a fierce battleground for new Korean subculture titles. Project RX has already confirmed its attendance, and Miraesi is highly likely to join. They will be joined by Netmarble's Shangri-La Frontier: Seven Best Ways and Pearl in Blue, as well as NC's Astrae Oratio.

In particular, with Chinese studios—traditionally dominant in the subculture space—scaling back their presence at this year's Tokyo Game Show, this is a golden opportunity for Korean studios to put their new titles in front of local fans and make a mark. Tokyo Game Show is set to be the stage for the first clash of the second generation of subculture games.