Talk with Designers – Player Meet-up Q&A

On October 18th, the AFK Journey team had the pleasure of hosting a player meetup in San Diego, where we were excited to connect with so many passionate players. It was a fantastic opportunity for us to share some exciting updates on the game’s future and directly address players' questions. In this special edition of Talk with Designers, let’s take a look at the highlights from the event!

Q: Are there any plans to increase rewards for specific game modes or gameplay?

In short, as we introduce more game modes and events in the future, the rewards will gradually increase in a balanced and structured way.

After the release of Song of Strife, we realized that the gameplay content we had prepared was consumed faster than we expected. Meanwhile, we can’t simply inflate rewards, as that would negatively impact the players who’ve already invested time and effort. Therefore, we have prioritized the development of diversified gameplay content. And by building on top of these improvements, we will increase the rewards accordingly. For example, regarding the progression of hypogean and celestial factions, we are making Stellar Crystals more accessible by introducing new events. At the same time, we have also brought in new game modes, such as the recently launched Clashfronts, to boost overall guild medal earnings, which helps to address the concerns.

Q: What's the roadmap for updates regarding gameplay, and what will the new game modes be like?

Disclaimer: Although we can’t disclose specific details about future game developments, there are a few guiding principles we are following.

We will continue developing new, exciting game modes around core combat mechanics. The most recent example is Clashfronts, which was released a few days ago. We aim to cater to different types of players, whether competitive or non-competitive, social or solo, hardcore or casual. On top of this, more casual, fun-driven content will be added to the game, such as various mini-games, vast world gameplay, and new events featuring fresh game modes.

While we are adding these new features, we also want to prevent the game from becoming too exhausting or grindy. We are optimizing existing game modes. For instance, with the recent launch of Clashfronts, a team event, we simplified the existing Battle Drill by adding a battle skip function.

Looking ahead to next year, we’ll introduce a multi-option system, allowing players with different preferences for game modes—like Honor Duel, Arcane Labyrinth, or fishing—to select what suits them best while still earning the same rewards (with the exception of certain game modes like AFK Stages). The goal is to design more distinct content and let players pick their own path. For example, Honor Duel is a unique mode enjoyed by some players. Naturally, they want better rewards from HD, but increasing those rewards might undermine players who don’t enjoy it as much. In short, this is a mechanism that allows players to receive the same amount of rewards through different paths.

Q: How do you plan to encourage the use of non-meta characters?

We’ve been paying close attention to the viability of underused heroes. On one hand, we’re working on new gameplay related to core combat, such as new battlefield environments or boss mechanics that provide opportunities for these non-meta heroes to shine. On the other hand, seasonal updates, like new Magic Charms or Faction Bonuses, can also make certain heroes more relevant in the game. For example, the design of the new Primal Lord, Plague Creeper, allows some Graveborn heroes to become more active by leveraging their faction talents.

Q: How will you address the issue of inactive servers and the inability to play with friends?

To tackle the declining population in specific servers, which of course makes it more difficult to recruit new players for those guilds, we plan to implement a "Social Server Merge" function. This feature will allow players from neighboring servers to join the same guild without affecting individual server rankings.

In addition, we are considering a server transfer feature. Rest assured, we’ll establish mechanisms to maintain balance in the original server. In future events, we also plan to introduce cross-server multiplayer gameplay, similar to warzones, allowing more players to play together.

Lastly, a small teaser: Next year, we will introduce a dungeon-like game mode, providing non-competitive PvE content in a vast world with an immersive environment. We are also working on designing a shared map feature, which will allow more players to explore the world map together. It is currently under development, and if possible, we aim to release this feature next year.

Ending Remarks

In closing, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks not only to the players who joined us at the meetup but also to everyone in the community. Your passion and feedback are invaluable to us, inspiring us to keep working toward a richer and more enjoyable gaming experience for all. We’re excited to continue this journey with you and can’t wait to see where it takes us!