Lineage Classic, which has drawn intense anticipation from gamers in their 30s to 50s since before its release, launches service in Korea and Taiwan today.
NCSoft (036570.KS) announced it will release Lineage Classic in a pre-open format starting at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Korea and Taiwan. Lineage Classic is a PC game that recreates the early 2000s version of NCSoft's flagship title "Lineage." The original Lineage is credited with establishing the foundation of Korea's massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) genre. Its enduring popularity even spawned the Korean neologism "Linjussi" (a portmanteau meaning "middle-aged men who play Lineage").
The newly launched Lineage Classic features four character classes including Monarch, Knight, Elf, and Mage; early-version content such as Talking Island, Dragon Valley, and Giran regions; and an interface familiar to Lineage IP users.
Lineage Classic demonstrated strong user interest through several notable events before launch. During the pre-registration period last month, gamers flooded the servers, causing all 10 initial servers and five additional servers to reach capacity early. Server access delays also occurred as players rushed to secure rare character names.
NCSoft will offer Lineage Classic free of charge from Wednesday through the 10th. Starting at 10 a.m. on the 11th, players can purchase access passes to play. A 30-day pass costs 29,700 won, while a 90-day pass is priced at 70,400 won. Details about the monthly subscription service are available on the official website.
NCSoft is also running a "Rare Character Name Time Attack" event through February 25 to celebrate the launch. Players who complete designated missions can claim character nicknames based on the four classes—Monarch, Knight, Elf, and Mage—as well as famous boss monster Death Knight and boss monsters Kurtz, Baphomet, Black Elder, and Drake, allocated by server.
Meanwhile, the gaming industry is seeing a wave of classic game revivals from titles popular more than 20 years ago. Nexon (263750.KS) is developing "KartRider Classic" and "MapleStory Classic." Netmarble (251270.KS) plans to reinterpret its steady-selling IP "Stone Age" as an idle game.