Kakao Games will globally launch its only major new title of the second half of this year, 'Guardians Order,' in September. This 2D side-scrolling action RPG features manual controls without auto-battle, showcasing retro graphics and a console-level combat system to combine nostalgia with modern immersion. Prior to its official release, the game underwent significant content restructuring after a soft launch in some regions and is currently implementing expansion and collaboration strategies.
On the 7th, Kakao Games held a media briefing at its headquarters in Pangyo, Seongnam, to introduce the combat structure, content composition, and global service strategy for 'Guardians Order.' Developed by Pixel Tribe, founded by key developers of 'Crusader Quest,' the game is now in the final stages of development, aiming for a simultaneous global release in six languages in September. Currently, it is undergoing trial operations in Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
Baek Jeong-hyeon, CEO of Pixel Tribe, said, "This game is a new title after 10 years and is the project we have put the most effort into," and noted that "initial feedback indicated that the combat was lacking and the text volume was high, and we are currently overhauling the main scenario and pacing based on this. He added, "We will present more refined content when we launch globally."
'Guardians Order' is a side-scrolling RPG that allows players to fight by swapping among three knight characters in real time. It emphasizes strategic depth of control with a 'link system' that performs automatic combo attacks when the link gauge is filled upon character swapping, alongside dodge, break, elemental affinity, and class combinations. It features five classes (assault, tactics, suppression, charge, support) and over 20 character types, each with unique attributes and synergy effects.
Choi Jin-seong, the overall director at Pixel Tribe, explained, "In the beginning, it was designed to be easily accessible to everyone, but as the game progresses, an understanding of controls and character combinations will significantly impact gameplay," adding that "while the combat itself is intuitive, the key aspect is that it is designed to allow for various strategies to be employed." The feedback at the experience zone during the briefing included reactions like "the quality of a packaged game," leading to questions about the potential for platform expansion. Director Choi responded, "Internal builds are already undergoing pad testing, and we are also considering long-term expansion to the PC platform."
At launch, the main scenario will open up to Chapter 5, and core contents such as 'quests (dungeons),' 'tactical training,' 'northern front,' 'black crack,' and 'knights grand prix (PvP)' will be fully available from the start. For PvE, weekly property and rule changes will be applied, while PvP will feature an asynchronous structure allowing for manual selection of switching and ultimate abilities.
Lee Jeong-hwan, the system director at Pixel Tribe, stated, "In PvP, we are preparing ongoing balance adjustments and system overhauls to prevent reliance on one-hit meta combinations," adding that "ranking content is designed to showcase play rather than excessively competitive forms, and we will consider a replay privacy feature if necessary."
'Guardians Order' aims for a business model (BM) structure that allows even free-to-play users to develop characters sufficiently. Character liberation can be achieved by collecting fragments daily after obtaining a business card, and with the 'delivery of memories' system, SSR characters can be fully liberated in 20 days. Exclusive equipment is designed not through random gacha but rather through fixed-price purchases and exchange, emphasizing a design where growth cannot be achieved solely through payment.
The global service officially supports six languages: Korean, English, Japanese, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and Spanish, with full voice dubbing provided in Korean and Japanese.
CEO Baek noted, "We are working on refining each country's language versions so that users can better understand the scenario, aiming for localization quality on par with console games," and mentioned that "marketing strategies tailored to regional major influx channels and cultural characteristics are also being developed individually, along with planning for global integrated promotions."
There were also questions about the potential for collaboration with external intellectual properties (IPs). Director Choi explained, "While I cannot disclose specific schedules, we are internally preparing collaborations with external IPs that fit the game's atmosphere," assuring that "we will approach this in a way that meets existing users' expectations." Earlier, the Pixel Tribe development team had experience collaborating with various IPs such as Goblin Slayer and King of Fighters during the time of 'Crusader Quest.'
For Kakao Games, the success or failure of 'Guardians Order' is a significant variable. The company recorded a consolidated revenue of 115.8 billion won, an operating loss of 8.6 billion won, and a net loss of 33.6 billion won in the second quarter of 2025, continuing three consecutive quarters of losses. Revenue from its existing flagship titles, 'Uma Musume' and 'ArcheAge War,' has been stabilizing at a lower level, and large anticipated titles such as 'Chrono Odyssey' and 'Project C' have been postponed for release until next year. 'Guardians Order' is essentially the only major new title in the second-half lineup.
CEO Baek stated, "I hope this game can be remembered by someone as 'the game that truly made them happy back in those days,'" adding, "Like StarCraft or WoW, I want to create a piece that remains an experience worth investing time in without regret."