Nexon Takes Action on Khazan Team
A year after its launch, The First Berserker: Khazan faces significant changes as Nexon reshuffles its production team. Reports indicate that around 100 members of Khazan's development staff have been reassigned due to sales that fell short of market expectations. This decision comes on the heels of a steep decline in player numbers and complications in licensing that have delayed the game's release in China.
At launch, Khazan peaked at nearly 33,000 concurrent players on Steam, but recent data from SteamDB reveals that number has dwindled to just 1,013 in the last 24 hours. Despite these figures, the game maintains a 'Very Positive' rating on Steam, with approximately 85% of reviewers expressing satisfaction. It also achieved a respectable score of 78 on Metacritic, suggesting that while player engagement may have dropped, critical reception remains favorable.
Nexon has acknowledged the dip in revenue, stating that Q1 income was below expectations. However, they also noted that the game had met initial strategic goals. A spokesperson for Nexon said, "As the roadmap for the large-scale Kazan Project enters its completion phase, we have decided to separate the organization responsible for completing the remaining missions from the personnel assigned to other projects that require a concentration of human resources." This restructuring indicates a focus on maximizing team efficiency.
Although Nexon emphasizes that the Khazan team has not been disbanded completely, the future of planned downloadable content (DLC) and potential ports remains uncertain. Players are left wondering if further expansions or support for additional platforms like the Nintendo Switch will materialize.
The First Berserker: Khazan is characterized as a "hardcore action role-playing game" with a distinct dark fantasy setting and 3D cel animation graphics. Celebrating its one-year anniversary recently, the game rewarded players with an exclusive armor and weapon set called Immortal Fury, which features notable items like the Greatsword of Chronicles and the Sanguine Vanguard Spear. IGN's review praised the title, granting it an 8/10 and calling it a "brutal but impressive soulslike that makes pushing through its devastating bosses worth the effort."
As Nexon navigates these changes, the future of Khazan hangs in the balance. Whether the revised team structure will lead to revitalized player engagement or fresh content remains to be seen. Fans of the franchise hope for a turnaround that can reignite interest in this ambitious title.
