Drakantos is one of those upcoming MMORPGs that looks so familiar while still being distinct. Its got undeniably gorgeous pixel art, a nostalgic retro style that evokes classic SNES RPGs or even games like Tibia, and yet at the same time developer Wingeon Game Studios looks to be attempting to make something distinct in spite of those references. In short, it’s something we’ve been eagerly keeping an eye on for some time now.
I was given the opportunity to ask some questions about Drakantos – where it’s going, what its overall gameplay looks like, and what sort of things there will be to do for MMORPG fans, as well as some prodding about the game’s monetization, testing plans, and release timing. Here are those answers from lead developer Frost.
MassivelyOP: You’ve recently begun work on creating more open world content after saying that the base mechanics of the game are at the right place. Has adding things in the open world changed anything for those mechanics? Has it made combat feel different or made existing quest content feel like it needs a tune-up?
Wingeon’s Frost: Not really. The additions we’ve made in the open world are focused more on exploration and progression, while our core mechanics were designed with endgame and replayability in mind. We’ve added new minigames and features, but these are enhancements that don’t impact the existing systems or require any rework of combat or quest content. We anticipated this expansion from the beginning, ensuring it complements rather than changing what players already enjoy.
Tell us a little bit more about the open world content planned for Drakantos. The recent gameplay video had a quest line pop up. Is that what players can expect, or will there be other things like events, world bosses, or open dungeons?
There will be some “instanced” quests in the open world for the story. For example, when you enter a cave in the open world, it may open an instance for a quest if it’s your first time in that place and things like that. So it will feel natural while exploring like a single player game. There are events and random things that can happen as well that will require more players, like the “world bosses” you mentioned. For example, the Hellgates are like that: events that happen from time to time, where lots of players need to enter the portal and clear the dungeon, along with defeating the boss, to close the gate. There are four different bosses planned for this mode, and because many players can join, it can give a raid-like feel as well.
But even so, the open world is designed for quests and exploration. The most complex mode for replayability and endgame is the Adventurers Guild, which has a lot of variables and random events.
How will teaming up with others work in the open world, particularly since missions have a matchmaking system? Will players be able to form groups in towns or is there something else planned?
The open world can be played solo if you wish, or you can manually form parties like in other MMORPGs. Parties in exploration are not mandatory because we already have the Adventurers Guild matchmaking to fill that gap. You can see the open world as something more focused on story, puzzles, and exploration, but of course, you can group up with friends to do that too.
How group-focused or solo-focused is Drakantos on average? Can most of the game be played solo with group content waiting at endgame, or are parties going to be encouraged along the leveling path?
The story and exploration can be done solo, but the Adventurers Guild will always try to match you with others. Even if you are not matched, you can still complete those dungeons without waiting for other players, as the system automatically adjusts the difficulty when players join or leave the mission you are working on. Still, it’s better to play with more people because the game is designed to be played with friends. A lot of enemy mechanics are harder and more punishing when playing alone, so it’s always advantageous to play and level up with friends.The only mandatory content for groups is the endgame bosses, because their mechanics require more players, and you will need the “holy trinity” party to do so: tank, healer, and DPS.
How has moving devlogs to release every three months changed communication for the game? Has there been more interest as a result or have you seen it wane since then?
We did that especially to have more things to showcase or talk about, because with a monthly schedule, we were feeling a lot of pressure. Sometimes, we worked on internal things that aren’t interesting for players, so with a three month timeframe, it’s easier to present something more engaging. Another thing is that creating monthly videos takes too much time from the development team, which is the main reason for the change. Obviously, community discussion decreases, but that’s for the better for now, and we can always increase the pace once the game is near its release.
It looks like there are 21 characters slated for the game. How do you make that many characters distinct?
This is actually the most fun thing to do. We enjoy doing it and had to control ourselves to not do more! Usually, MMORPGs have few classes and stick to more classic ones. With a lot of heroes, we can go overboard like in MOBA games and be more creative, for example, Yuki, a Frost Kitsune, or Iris, a Tank Mage who uses illusions to mitigate damage. The major challenge is making the heroes mechanically different, not just visually, so we usually sketch a main gameplay mechanic first and work from that. Even if some abilities are “equal” to other heroes, the core is so different that the hero doesn’t feel the same.
How does the Wingeon team look at balancing its characters? What will it do when, for example, players require specific characters to engage in certain activities or climb in difficulty ranks?
You’ll never need specific heroes to tackle bosses or any main content. Some side quests and storylines might be unique to certain heroes, reflecting their individual journeys. However, we’re committed to ensuring that all heroes, both new and old, remain competitively viable. Unlike gacha games that often rely on power creep, our approach is more like Brawl Stars or League of Legends, where every hero feels relevant and valued. While metas will naturally emerge, we’re prepared to balance and update regularly based on our past experience. For bosses, naturally, some heroes will feel better suited to counter them, but this is intentional. Unlike MMORPGs where you play only one class, our game is designed to be played with a roster. We have a lot of horizontal progression, so you can easily swap heroes for PvP and PvE to meet your needs. However, if you want to main and play only one hero, that’s also viable. With updates, we’ll also release more orbs, artifacts, and relics, so older heroes can upgrade their kits and gain new mechanics as the game evolves. This way, even if you main and play only one hero, new things will come your way in future updates as well.
You mentioned in an earlier blog post that Drakantos is an MMORPG designed for long-term play. So what does endgame look like in Drakantos roughly? Will it involve some high-level boss fights and gear chases, will it rely on leveling up other roster characters, or is there something different planned for MMO fans?
Our game offers a mix of content, including high-difficulty boss fights, solo endgame challenges in the Colosseum, Hellgate battles, and ranked PvP. We emphasize horizontal progression, with account-wide features like Artifacts, Relics, and visual Collectibles, so players always have something meaningful to pursue. Long-term progression is central to MMORPGs, and we want every player to feel that investment. Even when trying out new heroes, you’ll earn benefits for your entire account, all things mentioned above are shared and Accessories, which are the primary stat boosters in endgame, are shared across heroes once they reach a certain level. This approach ensures that you can play the heroes you love while keeping versatility in endgame content. And as a brand new game, things will obviously improve overtime, adding more content to do and leaning towards community feedback
Are you still on course for a mid-2025 release? Is this going into early access first or will it go directly into full launch?
It’s hard to predict because the scope of the game for launch is very big, and we don’t want to release it half-cooked. So we can’t give a definitive response at this time, but we promise to keep the community updated on how the progress is going!
What is the monetization model of Drakantos?
We are still discussing this internally, because it’s a very complex subject in the genre. But we are leaning towards an F2P model with an optional subscription, like RuneScape, so if you subscribe, you have advantages, but the game can be played for free. We also don’t want to rely on a cosmetic shop, because MMORPG players like to achieve things through playing, earning that mount, pet, and cosmetics. That is the most rewarding thing in MMOs, and a lot of games nowadays have lost this feeling. So we will probably not have a cosmetic shop in-game, except maybe some cosmetics for a founder’s pack or exclusive events, but in general, we want players to get things by playing the game.
I can’t possibly have an interview without asking: Beta or alpha tests when?
Hah! We’re excited to get players in ASAP, too. We should have an update on playtests sometime after the new year.
