The beloved MMORPG MapleStory is currently celebrating the 20-year anniversary of its global release. Developer Nexon celebrated with a special message featuring a look back on 20 years of the game, along with a special announcement for longtime fans. Although it’s over 20 years old, MapleStory still boasts a solid player base on Steam, showing that love for the game has stood the test of time. However, a lot has changed since the early days of Global MapleStory, leaving some players to yearn for what the game used to be. Now, fans who miss those classic vibes have something to look forward to.
MapleStory captured fans with its adorable 2D graphics, fast-paced combat, and overall cozy MMO vibes. Then, the Big Bang update in MapleStory brought massive changes to the world and the game. This major update, which arrived in 2010, vastly reshaped the game with map redesigns, EXP rate increases, and gameplay changes, along with new combat styles and classes. Since then, MapleStory has undergone several updates that further shifted the game to add new story, new character classes, and more. With each new update, MapleStory shifts and grows with new bosses, challenges, and areas.
Changes and updates like these help keep MapleStory fresh, giving gamers something new to explore with each addition. Even though many of the changes are a good thing, some gamers wax nostalgic about the early days and simpler times of OG Global MapleStory. During the 20th anniversary video, MapleStory revealed a new nostalgic experience called MapleStory: Classic World.
What is MapleStory: Classic World?
This new MapleStory world brings back one of the original designers, Nemi, to bring fans a faithful recreation of the old-school MapleStory experience. She designed much of the game’s original content, and will be bringing back those classic vibes “in a new way.” Gamers who miss the old school days of MapleStory will want to keep an eye out for this project, which the MapleStory team showed off in the video with a sneak peek. The project already captures the early vibes of the game, something fans will no doubt love to see as we get more inside looks at the project.
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MapleStory: Classic World has been in the works for a long time, with a goal to connect the past and present as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations. MapleStory: Classic World will be integrated into the game much like the Heroic and Interactive Worlds. Gamers can create new characters and explore the world of early MapleStory as it once was, with some significant quality-of-life improvements. Basically, it’s like an early Maple Story remaster built right into the current game as an optional gameplay mode, sort of like cozy Fortnite OG.
More details about the exact release date for MapleStory: Classic World will be revealed later this year. For now, gamers can look forward to a nostalgic return alongside the continuation of Global MapleStory. The game continues to get regular updates, ensuring that players can keep enjoying the world of MapleStory both new and old.
Have you played MapleStory recently? Would you jump back in for a Classic World version? Let us know in the comments below.
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