Lionheart Studio has announced significant news for mobile gamers, as their upcoming release, VALHALLA SURVIVAL, has surpassed one million pre-registrations globally. The pre-registration campaign, which launched on December 24, 2023, reported this impressive milestone just seven days after its initiation. The surge in interest can be attributed to the game's immersive dark fantasy world inspired by Nordic mythology and its user-friendly controls, catering to gamers around the world.
To celebrate this achievement, Lionheart Studio plans to reward all pre-registrants with bonuses, including diamonds, gold, and summoning tickets. If the pre-registration surpasses additional goals, the studio has announced plans for even more rewards, enhancing player anticipation even before the game’s formal launch. The campaign is open across over 220 countries, including South Korea, Japan, North America, and Europe, allowing wide access for potential players. According to sources from GameView, VALHALLA SURVIVAL promises high-quality graphics built on Unreal Engine 5 and calls for players to fend off waves of enemies with exhilarating skill-based action.
On December 18, 2023, Kakao Games unveiled new content for their popular MMORPG Odin: Valhalla Rising. This major update introduced the new class, 'Destroyer', following the previous classes 'Valkyrie' and 'Axler'. The Destroyer class emphasizes close combat using unique 'Gauntlets' and features powerful crowd control skills. This third variant will prove particularly effective against multiple foes, providing players with fresh strategies and experiences.
Alongside the class introduction, Kakao Games added new growth content labeled 'Alchemy', enabling players to craft helpful elixirs using materials obtained within the game. Launching diverse events to commemorate the new release, Kakao Games offers class-changing options, gift events, and the chance to earn 'Odin coupons', providing users with added incentives to engage with the game.
Despite these engaging updates for Odin: Valhalla Rising, competition within the mobile gaming market is intensifying. Recent reports from mobile analysis platform MobileIndex indicate the rise of Chinese strategy games, such as Last War: Survival and WOS: Whiteout Survival, which have captured the top rankings, overtaking established titles like Lineage M and pushing Odin to sixth position. This shift is largely attributed to the depletion of MMORPG player interest following substantial updates.
Interestingly, Odin: Valhalla Rising experienced impressive traction with its December 18 update. Nevertheless, as noted previously, the game could not maintain its ranking due to the waning engagement after the consumption of new content. Historically popular MMORPGs such as Lineage M face similar challenges, with players quickly exhausting available content.
Meanwhile, other games are witnessing growth as well. Girls Frontline 2: Exile, a subculture collection-style SRPG, saw remarkable success following the introduction of characters derived from popular previous content, illustrating the importance of new charters and elements to maintain player attention.
The December weekly rankings captured a diverse lineup, highlighting the strength of casual and strategy games. Titles like Roblox ranked high due to its broad appeal among younger audiences, alongside other popular genres such as puzzle games and RPGs. The market dynamics indicate shifting preferences, where even the titans of the MMORPG genre, once reliably dominant, are now sharing space with newer genres and fresh offerings.
Looking to the future, both VALHALLA SURVIVAL and the updated Odin: Valhalla Rising aim to capture player interest and adapt to the rapidly changing market. How these games and others navigate this competitive environment will be pivotal for their success moving forward.