The First Berserker: Khazan Development Team 'Reassigned' Amid Reports of Sales Falling 'Short of Market Expectations'

A twelvemonth connected from the merchandise of The First Berserker: Khazan, the enactment RPG acceptable successful the Dungeon Fighter Online universe, Nexon has reportedly reassigned a ample information of its accumulation unit owed to alleged mediocre performance.

That's according to Yonhap News, which reports that a Nexon authoritative has revealed that contempt hitting a Steam concurrent highest of conscionable shy of 33,000 players astatine launch, income "declined and fell abbreviated of marketplace expectations." This, coupled with licensing delays successful getting the crippled retired successful China, has resulted successful astir 100 members of Khazan's squad being told yesterday, April 8, that they person present been moved to the "R Team," a reassignment part astatine Neople (thanks, GamesRadar).

It's existent that subordinate numbers person fallen — SteamDB suggests the highest concurrent highest of the past 24 hours is conscionable 1013 players — but it sits connected a 'Very Positive' Steam score, with 85% of each Steam reviewers leaving a affirmative review. It besides secured a respectable 78 connected Metacritic, and steadfast Nexon said backmost successful May that the crippled had "achieved our nonsubjective arsenic a strategical archetypal measurement successful a multi-year program to present Dungeon&Fighter IP to a planetary audience," albeit admitting Q1 gross was "below our outlook."

"As the roadmap for the large-scale Kazan Project enters its completion phase, we person decided to abstracted the enactment liable for completing the remaining missions from the unit assigned to different projects that necessitate a attraction of quality resources," a Nexon spokesperson told the outlet (as translated by machine).

"We program to actively enactment the unit with the expertise who led the completion of a planetary AAA rubric done the Kazan Project truthful that they tin beryllium assigned to projects wherever they tin utilize their respective acquisition and capabilities."

The institution insists the squad has not been disbanded entirely, but it leaves plans for DLC plans oregon aboriginal ports beyond its existent availability connected PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S successful limbo.

The First Berserker: Khazan is described arsenic a “hardcore enactment role-playing game” with a 3D cel animation graphical benignant and a acheronian phantasy setting. It returned a 'Great' 8/10 successful IGN's review, wherever we described it arsenic a "brutal but awesome soulslike that makes pushing done its devastating bosses worthy the effort." Earlier this week, the enactment RPG celebrated its one-year anniversary, awarding players with an day armor and limb acceptable called Immortal Fury that includes the Greatsword of Chronicles, Dual Wield of Immortal Adamantine, and Sanguine Vanguard Spear.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.