Look, let's be honest: Kakao Games has finally pulled back the curtain on the official world-building for 'Dokkaebi-ui-segye', the upcoming MMORPG currently in development at Supercat.

The game is built upon the intellectual property of the web novel 'Myeolgwisudojon'. This fantasy series, penned by author Yeon Woo-sol and published by Red Ice, is currently serialized daily on Naver Series. To add to the hype, a webtoon reinterpretation of 'Myeolgwisudojon' is set to launch this July.

The narrative follows 'Lee Se', a boy who lost his family to spirits known as 'Yogwi', as he apprentices under a master of the Dokkaebi tribe, 'Mongryeon'. It leans heavily into Korean folklore and Eastern fantasy, featuring concepts like Dokkaebi, Yogwi, and the disciplined practice of 'Sudo'.

Dokkaebi-ui-segye is a prequel, set roughly 300 years before the original source material. We are looking at a time when humans and Dokkaebi didn't exactly see eye-to-eye, and players will be tasked with charting a path toward a new era. It is quite the cheeky setup, allowing us to witness the origins of legendary figures and events that were merely lore in the original book.

Kakao Games has been working in lockstep with author Yeon Woo-sol from the very first draft. By co-designing the tribe lore and the period setting, they are aiming for a seamless narrative bridge between the novel and the game.

On the gameplay front, they are promising a flexible growth system that blurs traditional job boundaries, alongside skill combinations and clan-focused co-op. Visually, it opts for a 2.5D aesthetic, marrying 2D dot-art characters with 3D environments.

Cha Myeong-soo, Head of Business at Kakao Games, noted: "We have collaborated closely with author Yeon Woo-sol since the early design stages of the world-building. We put in the hard graft to ensure that both novel readers and gamers can immerse themselves in a living, breathing world. We are committed to delivering deep immersion, not just in visuals, but in the scenario and delivery as well."

So, when can you get your hands on 'Dokkaebi-ui-segye'? It is slated for a Q3 release this year, with pre-registrations kicking off in July. Keep an eye out for an online showcase in August, where they will reveal more juicy details on content and services. Best of luck!