SEOUL, Jul. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – Nexon, a leading South Korean game developer, is ramping up efforts to launch its blockchain-based game MapleStory N, which has been in development since 2022. The company has begun recruiting testers, signaling a move towards the game’s official release. 

According to industry sources on July 4, NexSpace, a Nexon subsidiary, opened applications for MapleStory N pioneer testers through the official MapleStory Universe website on July 1.

NexSpace, established last year in the United Arab Emirates by Nexon Universe, Nexon’s blockchain gaming division, is spearheading the MapleStory Universe project. This initiative aims to leverage the popular MapleStory intellectual property (IP) in the Web3 gaming space. 

MapleStory N, the flagship game of the MapleStory Universe, allows players to convert in-game items into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), enabling free trading between users. This feature represents a significant shift from traditional gaming models, integrating blockchain technology into the beloved MapleStory franchise.

To support the MapleStory Universe ecosystem, Nexon reportedly adopted a subnet based on the Avalanche (AVAX) blockchain mainnet earlier this year. This move underscores the company’s commitment to building a robust infrastructure for its blockchain gaming ventures.

The game’s development team has been actively engaging with the community, sharing information about MapleStory N through an official Discord channel launched last month. The channel’s popularity has surged, surpassing 100,000 users as of July 3. 

However, due to regulatory restrictions on blockchain gaming in South Korea, the MapleStory N website is inaccessible within the country. Currently, there are no plans for a domestic release.

Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)