Nexon announced that plans are in place to launch a public test server for MapleStory. Now before you get too excited, there's still a long way to go before it goes live.
Chief Product Officer Hanbyeol Oh revealed that they're internally reviewing the introduction of a public test server. This came as a result of recent occurrences of various bugs along with subsequent increase in service downtime. For the team, having a PTS should reinforce the game's bug and quality management system.
The idea is not new as Hanbyeol Oh revealed that discussion on this started last winter. However at that time, the team realized it wasn't feasible because of the different "practical constraints and conditions." This changed over the summer when it was raised again that there should be a push in a more concrete direction.
Hanbyeol Oh shared that after a review, they learned that the introduction of a public test server is not something that can be resolved with schedule adjustments. It would need new infrastructure along with introducing changes on the whole entire production process. However, since it's sure to take some time, it won't be possible to do it this year. Instead, the plan is to launch it sometime in the first half of 2026.
New Content
Aside from what's already been mentioned, Hanbyeol Oh also gave everyone a peek on what's arriving in the next two months. The first is the v.262 update which arrives August 27. The highlight is the introduction of a Legion Champion. This is a system where some characters within the same world are going to be designated as Champions and the stats of all Champions increase together based on the progression of each Champions. Other content arriving in this update are:
- Midnight Carnival: Mu Lung
- Champion Burning
- Challenger World Pre-Leap
- Dave the Diver Crossover Extension.
The second is the v.263 update that's coming out on September 24. It's going to introduce a skill revamp for all jobs. In particular, the burst damage cycle for all jobs is to be unified to 2 minutes. Other new content are:
- Boss Improvements & Special Skill Rings
- HEXA Stats III
- Boss Bladrix
- Destiny Weapon
- UI Revamp
- Cash Shop UI and MVP Revamp
- Strange Tides Event
Read more about what’s being planned for the game here.
MapleStory is a classic and highly popular MMORPG with over 260 million players worldwide. The game immerses players in a mythical world filled with quests, boss battles, and an endless array of challenges. The game features a stunning 2D art style and a unique class system that allows players to create custom heroes with over 40 distinct classes and an almost limitless number of cosmetic options. Get MapleStory for the PC on Steam.
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