Greetings!

Gravethorn has been a part of my life for quite some time now. After releasing the demo, things finally started to fall into place, and I felt like it was time to start sharing the development process. This will be my first proper devlog, if we don’t count patch notes.

I’ve been working on the game for months, but I’m writing this entry today, so I’ll focus more on the overall state and what I’ve been working on recently rather than going step by step.

Right now, I’d say around 70–75% of the game is complete. Progress is going well, and I’ve been feeling productive lately. Since the demo, countless new additions have made their way into Gravethorn, naturally.

---

Since the demo release, Gravethorn has grown a lot. There are now 8 new bosses, 6 new regions, 15 new enemies, and over 40 trinkets and sigils, along with some surprise features and more yet to come. The game also includes more than 1000 voice lines and 11 different Forbidden Arts, each with their Ascended versions.

For example, the skill "Infernal Woe" continues to burn enemies for a short duration after ascending. Small touches like this keep the gameplay evolving.

At this point, the core structure of the game is in place, and I’m genuinely happy with how it’s progressing.

---

Last month, I focused heavily on boss variety. I didn’t want the fights to devolve into the same “hit, dodge, hit” rhythm like in my previous game, Blood Within. Each battle needed to feel unique, dynamic and memorable, at least as much as my current tools allow.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m developing Gravethorn completely solo. Without much of a budget, I don’t have a dedicated pixel artist, so I often rely on purchased assets and adjust them to fit the game.

That limits what I can do with enemy animations, but it also forces creativity.
When you don’t have everything you want, you start finding clever ways to make what you do have work.

---

Recently, I’ve been focusing on build diversity, particularly around the Forbidden Arts system. In any RPG game, giving players distinct playstyles is crucial for replayability and variety.

I’ve added layers of passive traits and build options to encourage experimentation. Ideally, every player should be able to approach the same challenge differently, with different items and builds.

Of course, some combinations will always stand out more than others. There’s already one specific build I expect to see a lot, it’s fun, flashy, and strong. Balancing every element equally isn’t easy, but that’s part of the challenge.

---

Alongside major systems, I’ve been improving smaller mechanics and the user experience.
One small but meaningful change came from watching a friend play the game.

He would always walk directly into NPCs, stood there and blocking their image when talking to them and it would make me mad.

So I added a small feature that I remember from Hollow Knight, it makes your character automatically move to an appropriate position during interactions. Problem solved.

I also added a HUD fade effect during dialogue to clean up the screen visually, reducing clutter and improving atmosphere.

Since dialogue options with more than two choices started stretching upward too much, I’ve moved them to the left side of the screen for better readability.

Little details like these might not affect gameplay, but they help the world feel smoother and more immersive.

---

Many people who played the demo probably noticed the large empty socket next to the health bar at the top of the screen. I noticed it too, for a long time actually.

I just couldn’t decide what to put there.

Eventually, I came up with the idea of displaying an emblem that reflects Inquisitor’s current number of Memories. So I designed five different emblems in the game’s pixel style.

At the start, the slot remains empty, but once you defeat the first story boss and gain your first Memory, a small emblem appears, representing Inquisitor (and his hat).

As you collect more Memories, this emblem gradually evolves, becoming more detailed and grand.

---

As the Merchant often reminds you, every time you gain a new Memory, his stock refreshes with new items. One of those items is a training dummy you can purchase for a small price.

Once bought, it automatically appears in the courtyard to the left of the chapel.

There, you can freely test your damage, combos, or builds against either a light or armored dummy, since while in this area, Sorrowflame (mana), ammo, and throwables don’t deplete.

When I saw that feature when playing Nightreign, I thought “Why not?”

Because as I mentioned earlier, my goal is to encourage build variety, and giving players a space to test things without any cost felt like the right step.

---

Another update is when you swing your sword into a wall, the attack actually stops on impact, with a small visual effect at the point of contact.

Previously, you could hit enemies even through thick walls if your hitbox reached far enough.

This change not only improves the feel of combat but also makes the visuals more grounded.

Of course, once I added it, a bunch of new problems appeared, like breakable objects or gold veins being mistakenly treated as solid walls and not reacting properly. Thankfully, fixing that wasn’t too difficult.

There’s lots of more new content I’d love to talk about, but I’d rather leave some surprises. I genuinely enjoy watching people’s reactions, whether on YouTube or during playtests with friends.

When the full game releases, I’ll probably end up watching every single gameplay video out there, just like I did with the demo.

---

During recent playtests with friends, the total playtime went past four hours and surprisingly, it didn’t feel that long. The pacing felt tight, and that’s something I really want to maintain.

Each region introduces something new, something the player hasn’t seen before.

It’s one of the golden rules of keeping curiosity alive: the next room should always have a reason to keep you going.

---

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. Early on, I didn’t implement hitstop perfectly, so in some cases, consecutive hitstops end too soon.

For instance, if the player lands a hit and dies immediately after, the death hitstop doesn’t trigger properly, it’s subtle but noticeable to sharp eyes.

There’s also the camera issue, where it sometimes stays a bit too low or high, and occasionally too far to the left.

These fine-tuning tasks take hours of trial and error, and sometimes I make zero progress. When that happens, I’ve learned it’s best to step back, rest, and come back later.

If there’s one thing game development has taught me, it’s this: A fresh mind solves problems that a tired one can’t. Sometimes all it takes is a nap, a short break, or just closing your eyes for a while.

Exactly what I should do right now.

Peace out. ːsteamboredː

-Mirac

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4008940/Pawnbroker_Simulator_Demo/

In this devlog, we’ll go over things that changed since the summer and what you can expect in Demo!

🧓 A New Tutorial

Meet Uncle Barry! He’s here to guide every aspiring pawnbroker on their journey to becoming the next pawn king.

💎 Improved Store Appeal System

Your store’s appeal now reacts to your actions and decisions — and it’s easier than ever to track with the updated interface.

🧍 Smarter Customers

Shoppers now linger longer, browse more carefully, and behave more realistically inside your store.

📘 Enhanced Skills & Knowledge Feedback

Gain clearer insights into how your skills and knowledge impact your success as a pawnbroker.

⚡ Synergy Lines

See how items influence each other’s attraction on display — making it easier to plan your perfect showcase.

⭐ New Reputation System

Your reputation now depends on customer reviews. Treat them well… or prepare to face the consequences.

Experience an endless pawnbroker journey — with a few demo limitations:

• 🧳 Item Catalogue: Reduced to 25 items.

• 🎓 Qualifications: Only one available.

• 🏪 Store Customization: Limited options.

• 🧠 OKEI Catalogue: Limited products.

• 🧩 Skills: Only the first level of each skill is available.

• 🎭 Starting Options: One character class, one game mode, and one script prologue.

• 🚫 No Store Expansion (coming in the full version).

• 🚫 No Pledger Customer Type (coming in the full version).

Even with these limitations, the demo offers a rich taste of the full pawnbroking experience — negotiation, display strategy, and reputation management included!

"Come hang in Discord. We got pawn jokes, hot takes, and at least two people who know what they’re doing. Maybe you’ll be the third."

~ Uncle Barry

Join the Discord Channel

- The Pawnbroker Simulator Team

We are delighted to announce that the Fall Guys collaboration will be blundering back to a realm near you very soon!

Join a Blunderville show and get your hands on a whole host of exquisite prizes, including fetching attire, a marvelous mount, framer's kits, and more!

From Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 12:00 a.m. / 8:00 (GMT) / 19:00 (AEDT)
to Thursday, November 27, 2025 at 6:59 a.m. (PST) / 14:59 (GMT) / Friday, 28 November 2025 at 1:59 (AEDT)

Begin the quest "It Could Happen to You" by speaking to the Well-heeled Youth in Ul'dah – Steps of Nald (X:9.6 Y:9.0).

* Players must be level 15 and above to start the quest.
* Players must first complete one of the following main scenario quests: "The Gridanian Envoy," "The Ul'dahn Envoy," or "The Lominsan Envoy."
* Players can travel to the Manderville Gold Saucer via airship from any of the three city-states upon completing this quest.



* This event is identical to the one previously held.
* Players who have already completed the quest during a previous event release may immediately resume playing the collaboration content.
* After this collaboration event has ended, it will be held as a special event at irregular intervals.

Visit the special site for more details.

Blade & Soul Heroes will undergo an unscheduled emergency maintenance to fix some bugs, and apply some improvements to the build. We apologize for the inconvenience.

When

3:30 AM PST. You can see your time zone here: https://everytimezone.com/s/8f7ad69e

Estimated Downtime

1 hour and 20 minutes

Notes

• Adjusting Dark Gather Support V content: Increased quantity of Limited Hero Plaque from 40 to 130

  • Those who purchased it already will be issued the difference

• Fixing issue where Echoes of Black Rose was displaying wrong quantity for the missions

• Fixing issue where Clan Fund button was not working properly in Battle Pass menu

• Fixing issue where Stellar Wheel tip was directing players to Boon Card menu

• Adding Supreme Accessory Reinforce Stone Combination

  • 10 Exquisite Accessory Reinforce Stone ->  1 Supreme

• Fixing issue where Jinsoyun's Ultimate skill wasn't charging properly in Tactical Battle

• Adding Ranking for Solo Raid Hwali Hwali and Jugwon

• Fixing issue where Ranking for Legacy Grounds - Destructive Rockerite was not displaying properly

• Bounty Hunt Level 10 will be fixed with build update later and cannot be accessed until fixed

Mecharashi 1.3 Trailer: Rising Flames

An unfulfilled vow drifts away with the embers...

This time, our reunion won't be amidst the smoke of the battlefield.

We'll find each other again in the rising flames.

Mecharashi's \[Rising Flames] update arrives on November 6th, featuring new S-Grade Pilots Kelly and Dean and S-Grade STs Rex and Ranger, all ready to storm the battlefield! This is just the beginning—more content and more functions will be online soon! Stand by for action, Commanders!

Freestyle 2 is turning 14 on November 11th — and the celebration is
all about YOU!

We’re rolling out a special Event Pass overflowing with gratitude for our
amazing community!

Log in daily, dive into content, and keep playing matches to level up your
Event Pass!

Event Period
2025/11/05 00:00 ~ 12/02 23:59 (PST)



→ Unlock Exciting Rewards and get Infinite Existence Package!
→ Level up your Event Pass to earn exclusive rewards!

Event Pass Reward
→ Normal Rewards unlock as you gain EXP in every Pass Level.
→ Premium Rewards are unlocked when you purchase the Event Pass ticket



Event Pass Ticket Price:


Event Pass Mission
→ Complete missions daily and earn EXP to level up your Pass!
→ You can raise any missing levels by purchasing Pass Levels one at a time.


Pass Level Price:


[Running Street Outfit Set] - Male & Female Characters



Important Notes:

1. Multiple Event Passes may run simultaneously.
2. Purchased Pass applies only to the title where it was bought.
3. Purchasing the Event Pass grants access to Premium Rewards.
4. Unclaimed rewards will be deleted after the Event Pass period ends.
5. Rewards are claimed via the [Claim All Rewards] button and delivered to
your Gift Box.

Event Pass Mission
1. Missions reset daily at 00:00 and can be repeated each day.
2. Complete missions to earn EXP and level up your Pass.
3. All missions can be completed through regular matches.
4. Raise missing levels by purchasing Pass Levels one at a time.
5. No more EXP can be earned once the final level is reached.

==================================================================================

Dive into the Event Pass and make every mission count!

Thank you for your continued support.

Be free to create your own style, FreeStyle!

- Freestyle 2 Team

• The amount of gold granted to players was slightly reduced to improve game balance.

• The mechanics of the Magic Ball ability were slightly altered; this was necessary to fix a bug.

• The size of the planet stones was increased for better player visibility.

• The bug in the death animation has been largely fixed/eliminated.

Hello Managers!

During the last Steam Next Fest, we released a demo of A Better World to give you a first look at your upcoming missions. Many of you downloaded it and started working to make the world a better place, and for that, we want to say a huge thank you!

A demo isn’t just a glimpse of a game; it’s also an opportunity for us to understand what you enjoy in our game, what could be improved, and how we can make your experience at A Better World Company as enjoyable as possible.

We’ve carefully reviewed your feedback about Globos, especially regarding her presence, her comments, and her voice. To ensure the best possible experience as you explore alternate versions of history, we’ll be refining Globos’ interventions and your interactions with her.

Don’t worry though, your virtual assistant will still be there to support you, but her behaviour will be better suited to your needs in your demanding mission. Our main goal is to keep the time-manipulation gameplay at the very core of your A Better World experience.

Once again, thank you for your support and your feedback: it’s always an incredibly valuable resource for us as creators. Stay tuned: we’ll keep you updated on what’s next!

Many quality of life improvements and bug fixes are included.

No big "features" per say, but lots of little fixes.

~ Cait

• Camera Spinning - Should no longer happen after brushing against terrain.

• Gamepad Crash - After Upgrading to Bevy 0.17 I could not replicate this.

• Several performance issues where found and fixed.

• Settings now use sliders instead of many buttons

• We now have mouse and gamepad sensitivity settings.

• We now have FOV settings.

• Placing mining machines will be MUCH less finicky.

• The game was ported from bevy 0.16 to 0.17

• The game now uses Avian for physics.

Greetings from the Summoners War Dev Team!

First, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all Summoners for your tremendous support for the SWC2025 World Finals held in Paris last week. This year's World Finals once again kept everyone on the edge of their seats until the very last moment. We deeply appreciate every player who delivered incredible matches, and we congratulate PU on taking the championship title.

To repay your support, we’ll return at SWC2026 in an even more improved form.

Before the excitement of the World Finals had fully settled, a showcase video for the Tomorrow Update that highlights the next chapter of change in Summoners War was revealed.

If you haven't watched it yet, please check it out via the link below.

\[▶Showcase Video◀]

In today's Developer's Note, we'll dive deeper into the key changes of the Tomorrow Update that couldn't all fit into the video. 

Before we begin, here's a brief summary of what's coming.

​■ Ameria's Luck: Time Focused on Farming

- In Cairos Dungeon and the Rift of Worlds, drop rates for Legend grade items will be boosted by up to more than 5x for 500 Energy per day.

- While Ameria's Luck is active, Rare grade items, Unknown Scrolls, and crafting materials will not drop.

■ Dimension Hole Revamp

- Drop rates for Ancient Runes/Gems/Grindstones will be greatly increased.

- Dimension Hole Energy recharge speed will change: \[1 every 2 hours → 1 every 15 minutes]

- The maximum storage capacity of Dimension Hole Energy will expand: \[100 → 1,000]

- EXP gained in Secondary Awakening Dungeons will be greatly increased.

■ New Feature: Scout Battle

- Even with the game closed, you can run up to 180 auto battles over a maximum of 8 hours and claim battle rewards.

- Based on your average clear time in Repeat Battle, you can run up to 220 battles.

- You can set Scout Battle durations to \[2 hours / 4 hours / 8 hours].

■ New PvE Content: Temple of Chaos

- Challenge a boss in a relay battle using three teams of five Monsters each to aim for high scores and compete with other Summoners.

- Based on your score and ranking, you can obtain rewards including the new items "Refinement Stones" and "Core Fragment," along with various other rewards.

■ New Items: Refinement Stone & Core Fragment

- Refinement Stone: Used for Rune refinement that redistributes numerical values and power-up levels of sub properties while keeping the sub property types unchanged.

- Core Fragment: Used for Artifact reappraisal that redistributes sub properties and power-up levels. With the sub property lock feature, you can lock up to three sub properties to retain their type and power-up level during reappraisal.

■ PvP Reward Boost

- Rewards for Siege Battle, World Arena, World Guild Battle, and Arena Interserver Battle will be increased, and the new items Refinement Stone and Core Fragment will be added to Siege Battle and World Arena rewards.

■ Special Summons for New Summoners

- A 5★ Summon List (limited for 30 days) for new Summoners will be provided with a fixed pool of 15 Fire/Water/Wind 5★ Monsters; any 5★ summon during this period will occur only from this pool.

: During this period, Monsters from the 5★ Summon List can be summoned up to three times.

- This feature can be toggled ON/OFF via a checkbox.

- A new 4★ Summon List designation feature (available at all times) will let you reduce the Fire/Water/Wind 4★ Monster pool to half or less and set your own pool to summon from.

* These new summoning functions will be available not only to new Summoners, but also to existing Summoners.

Now, let's begin today's note.

■ Experience Focused Play With Ameria's Luck

"Ameria's Luck" is a special effect that boosts the drop rates of Legend grade items by up to more than 5x in Cairos Dungeon and the Rift of Worlds for up to 500 Energy per day.

While Ameria's Luck is active, at the highest difficulty level, Rare grade items, Unknown Scrolls, and Rune crafting materials will not drop.

For example, in the Giant's Keep or Dragon's Lair, only Hero and Legend Runes will drop; in the Steel Fortress or Punisher's Crypt, only Hero and Legend Artifacts will drop.

Ameria's Luck may bring differences in play efficiency across various content types.

Since Ameria's Luck provides boosted drops for 500 Energy, we plan to mitigate gaps by adjusting the Energy costs.

Content with adjusted Energy costs is as follows.

Ameria's Luck resets daily at 12:00 AM (server time). Even if your remaining Luck value is lower than the Energy required to enter a battle, the effect will stay for that battle.

Also, Ameria's Luck is not consumed on defeat. It applies when you obtain rewards from a victory, and the value is deducted at that time.

- Content where Ameria's Luck applies is as follows.

Next, here's how Ameria's Luck is used.

◆ Sky Island Screen

When Ameria's Luck is active, a special Luck icon is displayed next to your Energy at the top of the Sky Island screen.

◆ Entering Battle

​

On the Repeat Battle menu, you'll see the icon indicating that Ameria's Luck is active.

Press the icon to check the remaining Luck and effect details. The Luck icon will also appear on the Start Battle button after selecting a dungeon.

(While the screenshots here show Cairos Dungeon, the same applies to the Rift Dungeons and Rift Raid.)

◆ During Battle

​

During battle, you can track your remaining Luck Energy in real time, and the Ameria's Luck consumed during Repeat Battle will update automatically.

You can also confirm the effect directly on the battle results screen.

After all Luck Energy is consumed, subsequent battles will automatically proceed with normal drop rates.

With Ameria's Luck, you'll earn significantly higher rewards while spending up to 500 Energy each day. We hope you can feel a solid sense of progression in a short time and then move on to other content, or review your Monsters and Runes to prepare for your next Summoners War session.

Alongside Ameria's Luck, major changes are also coming to the Dimension Hole.

Let's take a look at what updates await there.

■ Dimension Hole Revamp

◆ Rewards in the Dimension Hole will be improved.

In Dimension Dungeons and Dimension Raid Lv. 5, 6★ Rare Ancient Runes will no longer drop. Instead, the removed probability will be reallocated upward, significantly increasing the rates of higher-tier items—allowing you to obtain Legend Ancient Runes, Grindstones, and Gems at much higher rates than before.

◆ The recharge interval for Dimension Hole energy will be changed.

Dimension Hole Energy, which previously recharged at 1 every 2 hours, will now recharge at 1 every 15 minutes. Additionally, if you have built both Dimension Hole statues (Ellunia/Khalderun) from the Craft Building, recharge speed will accelerate by 20%, recharging 1 every 12 minutes 30 seconds.

Over the course of a week, this amounts to slightly over 800 Dimension Hole Energy.

◆ The maximum capacity of Dimension Hole energy will be expanded to 1,000.

The maximum capacity will increase from 100 to 1,000, and the effects of the Dimension Hole statues (Karzhan/Lumel/Sacreon) crafted in the Craft Building will also be strengthened.

The +10 capacity per statue will increase to +50, so completing all statues will allow you to hold up to 1,150 Dimension Hole Energy.

Additionally, the number of Dimension Hole Energy purchasable in the Shop for 120 Crystals will be increased from 10 to 50.

◆ The amount of Dimension Hole Energy required for Dimension Hole battles will be adjusted.

In line with the improved recharge speed and expanded capacity, we will adjust the entry cost for each battle so the Dimension Hole content can be played with a more suitable balance.

(As-is)

All Dimension Hole battles: 1 Dimension Hole Energy per entry

(To-be)

Dimension Dungeons: 5 Dimension Hole Energy per entry

Dimension Raid: 4 Dimension Hole Energy per entry

Secondary Awakening Dungeons: 2 Dimension Hole Energy per entry

◆ Secondary Awakening will become much faster.

EXP rewards in Secondary Awakening Dungeons will be significantly increased, reducing the number of runs and time required to fully Second Awaken a Monster.

At Lv. 5, approximately 57 runs will be needed to 2nd Awaken one Monster, allowing you to raise the Monsters you want faster and with less burden.

With the increased Secondary Awakening EXP, you can raise up to seven 2A Monsters per week—you can complete one in a single day—and use the Monsters you need more quickly than before.

◆ We are also preparing balance adjustments to Dimension Dungeon bosses so they can be cleared a bit faster.

As the number of playable runs in the Dimension Hole increases, we aim to reduce the perceived burden by speeding up Dimension Dungeon clears through balance tuning.

That concludes the news on the Dimension Hole revamp.

We aimed to make farming feel more focused by introducing Ameria's Luck to Cairos Dungeon and revamping the Dimension Hole, so that repetitive runs feel more rewarding. 

Alongside that, we're preparing updates that let you enjoy Summoners War more flexibly: play hard when you want, and rest when you don't.

Next, we'd like to introduce Scout Battle, which lets your growth continue even while you step away.

■ Scout Battle: Continue Battles While You're Away

Scout Battle runs battles automatically even when the game is closed.

Choose the dungeon you want and run up to 180 battles over a maximum of 8 hours by default, up to 220 battles at most.

While time-efficiency is slightly lower than actual battles, energy-efficiency is designed to be higher.

Scout Battle has the following characteristics.

◆ You can earn rewards without keeping the game open.

- You can run for up to 8 hours at a time, or choose 2 hours or 4 hours to fit your schedule.

◆ You can run Scout Battle in Cairos Dungeon and the Rift of Worlds by selecting any dungeon and floor you have cleared.

◆ Repeat Battle and Scout Battle cannot run at the same time.

- They cannot run in parallel by design. This is intentional so that when you're not actively playing (PvP, Trial of Ascension, or managing Monsters/Runes), you can feel free to take a break.

While we were preparing for Scout Battle, we had a concern to address.

We thought if Scout Battle were added as-is, the meaning of the strategy decks that many Summoners have optimized for fast clears might be diminished.

So, we set 180 battles over 8 hours as the baseline, and added a system that increases the total up to 220 battles over 8 hours based on the average clear time or score from 30 Repeat Battles on the selected dungeon/floor.

The number of Scout Battles by dungeon according to your Repeat Battle average clear time/score is as follows.

Here are the concrete steps of how Scout Battle works.

▶ How to Use Scout Battle

Step 1. Select \[Scout Battle] at the Gateway.

You can enter via the new \[Scout Battle] button added to the Gateway building.

Step 2. Choose the location and duration for Scout Battle.

​

Actual Energy consumption varies by dungeon difficulty.

For example, Cairos Abyss (Normal/Hard) consumes about 500 Energy for 8 hours, while Rift Raid Lv. 4 and 5 consume about 450 Energy. In short, it looks like this:

Additionally, since Scout Battle increases the Energy required in a single stretch compared to before, the maximum Energy capacity will be expanded from 300 to 500.

Step 3. Scout Battle proceeds.

(You can stop Scout Battle at any time.)

​

Once started, battles run automatically for the set duration, and the necessary Energy is deducted up front. During the run, remaining time and battle count are displayed in real time so you can check progress at a glance.

You can end Scout Battle whenever you wish to switch back to Repeat Battle. In that case, you will receive rewards for the battles completed so far, and any unused Energy will be automatically refunded.

Step 4. Check your Scout Battle results.

​

▶ Scout Battle Applicable Content

- Cairos Dungeon: Giant's Keep / Dragon's Lair / Necropolis / Spiritual Realm / Steel Fortress / Punisher's Crypt / Hall of Magic / Attribute Dungeons

- Rift Dungeons: Fire / Ice / Wind / Light / Dark Beasts

- Rift Raid: Chaos / Blazing / Frostjade / Tempest Beasts

That's Scout Battle in a nutshell.

With this update, instead of pushing you to keep farming when it starts to feel hollow, we want to create an environment where you can focus when you play and rest when you don't.

We hope Scout Battle helps you use downtime efficiently and enjoy Summoners War at a more relaxed pace.

Now, let's talk about the brand-new PvE content where new challenges await: Temple of Chaos.

■ New PvE Content: Temple of Chaos

Temple of Chaos will be added to the World Map.

This is where a powerful boss who wields the power of chaos lies dormant, a place that lives up to its name with overwhelming atmosphere and tension.

Temple of Chaos is PvE challenge content with score rankings among Summoners based on your battle score, with the following characteristics:

​​

◆ What is \[Temple of Chaos]?

▶ Temple of Chaos opens monthly for one week, from 12:00 AM on the first Sunday to 12:00 AM on the next Sunday.

: The showcase video mentioned a Monday-to-Sunday cycle, but after further internal discussion, the final schedule has been set to a Sunday-to-Saturday period on the first week.

▶ You receive 3 battle attempts on the opening day each month; after that, 1 attempt is recharged daily, and you can store up to 9 attempts.

▶ Battles proceed with three decks, each composed of five Monsters.

▶ Duplicates of the same Monster, Rune, or Artifact cannot be used in Temple of Chaos.

▶ Each deck can battle for up to 50 turns. When all Monsters are defeated or 50 turns are used, the next deck takes over.

▶ When a deck is swapped, you return to the preparation screen to review and adjust the next deck. The battle situation, such as the boss's HP or beneficial/harmful effects granted on the boss, carries over.

Temple of Chaos features a battle structure distinct from existing dungeons.

The biggest difference is preparing three decks during the setup phase.

Here's a look at the preparation screen.

Use the tabs labeled 1–3 on the left side to set each of the three decks.

You can enter after setting all three decks at once, or clear with one deck and then return to the setup screen to adjust and proceed deck by deck.

Now for an overview of the boss battle itself.

Here's a look at the boss fight.

​

◆ Boss Battle Characteristics

The Temple of Chaos boss has an HP gauge but revives whenever its HP reaches 0, effectively infinite HP. The boss’s level is shown to the left of the HP gauge. The level increases with each revival, and its HP and Attack Power scale up accordingly.

Instead of an Attack Bar, the boss takes one turn every time the allies take four turns.

Next, let's look at the boss's skill set.

◆ Temple of Chaos Boss Skills

The boss has three attack phases and uses four skills in order during each phase. When all skills in a phase are used, or the boss revives after hitting 0 HP, the battle shifts to the next phase. After Phase 3 ends, it cycles back to Phase 1.

One standout is the passive skill: Chaos Force.

Each time the boss is hit, it gains a stack. The damage it receives is reduced by 1% per stack. The maximum stack count scales with the boss's level, so the longer the battle goes, the more durable the boss becomes. Ultimately, efficient turn management and preventing Chaos Force from stacking excessively is the core strategy.

Looking at the phase skills, you'll notice the boss also builds Chaos Force via its own skills.

For example, in the Darkness Phase, the second skill adds stacks whenever it attacks an enemy with Decrease ATK; the third skill adds five more stacks if the boss has Increase ATK at the time.

Because the boss accumulates stacks through its attacks, you'll need appropriate responses in each phase to keep Chaos Force in check.

◆ Temple of Chaos Rewards

Temple of Chaos offers two types of rewards: Achievement Rewards and Ranking Rewards.

▶ Achievement Rewards

You'll obtain Achievement Rewards when your cumulative damage score during battle exceeds certain thresholds.

Rewards consist of the newly added Core Fragment and Crystals, as shown below.

▶ Ranking Rewards

Rankings are calculated based on your highest damage score recorded during the event period.

Rewards by rank tier are as follows.

Moving on, let's go over the new items in more detail.

■ New Items: Refinement Stone & Core Fragment

Two new items will be added to make Runes and Artifacts even stronger.

By using these items, you can access two new power-up systems: Rune Refinement and Artifact Reappraisal.

◆ Rune Power-up Item: Refinement Stone

The Refinement Stone allows you to redistribute the numerical sub property values and power-up levels of a Rune while keeping the sub property types unchanged.

In other words, it lets you keep the same sub properties, but reroll the values.

Please note that Refinement Stones can only be used on Runes with Power-up Lv. 12 or higher, and cannot be used on Ancient Runes, Intangible Runes or Runes whose sub properties were converted using a Gem.

Try using Refinement Stones on Runes that have the sub properties you want but with rather underwhelming values.

Next, let's look at the other new power-up item, the Core Fragment.

◆ Artifact Power-up Item: Core Fragment

​

The Core Fragment is used for Artifact reappraisal, which lets you reset and redistribute the sub properties of an Artifact.

You can completely change all sub properties, or lock specific ones to keep them as they are.

▶ Characteristics of Core Fragment

- Randomly changes all sub properties of the selected Artifact.

- Both the sub property types and power-up values are reallocated, but the total number of power-ups remains the same.

For example, if a Legend Artifact had a total of 4 power-up levels before, it will still have a total of 4 after reappraisal, though the values will be redistributed.

- You can lock certain sub properties during reappraisal to preserve them.

▶ Sub Property Lock Feature

You can lock up to three sub properties that you don't want to change.

Locked sub properties retain both their type and power-up level, and only the remaining sub properties are changed.

For example:

Suppose your Artifact has a sub property with three rolls on Recovery, which doesn't suit an Attack Artifact.

If you lock the other three sub properties, reappraising the Artifact will get you a different sub property with triple rolls.

The number of Core Fragments required varies depending on how many sub properties you lock:

■ PvP Reward Improvement

Rewards for Siege Battle, Arena Interserver Battle, World Guild Battle, and World Arena will be increased.

Base rewards such as Medals, Guild Seals, and Battle EXP will all increase, and the new items Refinement Stone and Core Fragment will be added as new rewards.

◆ Siege Battle Reward Adjustments

▶ The Guild Seal rewards for Siege Battle season rewards will be increased as follows:

▶ Trophy Boxes will be improved as follows:

: 5★ Runes and 6★ Rare or lower Runes will no longer appear from any Trophy Box.

: In Shiny Trophy Boxes for Guardian 3 guilds or higher, drop rates for top-tier rewards (Legendary Scroll, Light & Dark Scroll, Devilmon, Grindstone) will increase.

: Hero Runes will no longer appear in Shiny Trophy Boxes for Guardian 3 guilds or higher.

Trophy Box adjustments will take effect for 2nd Round rewards obtained on Nov. 13, while other changes will apply immediately after the v9.0.0 update.

▶ New items Core Fragment and Refinement Stone will be added to EXP rewards from Siege Battles.

: With the addition of new items, some existing rewards will be rearranged.

▶ The EXP rewards granted upon victory or defeat will be increased as follows:

▶ The EXP obtained from participating in Siege Battle Tournaments will be increased as follows:

◆ Arena Interserver Battle Reward Adjustments

▶ The base rewards for those who qualified for the Arena Interserver Battle will be increased.

▶ Glory EXP rewards based on personal ranking at the end of each session will be increased.

▶ Glory EXP obtained upon victory or defeat in Arena Interserver Battles will be increased.

▶ Drop rates for Legend Runes and Legend Grindstones/Gems from Arena Interserver Battle reward boxes will be increased.

◆ World Guild Battle Reward Adjustments

▶ Battle EXP rewards upon victory or defeat for Punisher 2 guilds or higher will be increased.

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◆ World Arena Reward Adjustments

▶ Medal rewards upon victory for Punisher and Guardian grades will be increased.

▶ Two new items (Refinement Stone and Core Fragment) will be added to the World Arena Medal Shop.

▶ World Arena Achievements will be improved:

: The cumulative win requirements from Joy of Victory V onward will be adjusted.

: Joy of Victory achievements will expand from \[10 tiers → 20 tiers].

: Joy of Victory XI – XV will each grant 50 Medals, and XVI – XX will each grant 100 Medals.

: Rewards for grade achievements in the World Arena will be increased.

■ Special Summons for New Summoners

Finally, two new Summon features will be prepared to help new Summoners progress faster in the early game.

These features are available to both new and existing Summoners.

◆ A 30-day limited 5★ summon list for 15 Fire/Water/Wind Monsters will be provided after account creation.

(For existing Summoners, this will apply for 30 days from your first login after the update.)

- A fixed default 5★ Monster list optimized for early progression will be available, ensuring that when you summon a 5★ Monster, it will be from the list. The Monster list is as follows:

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This applies to any summoning method that can summon default 5★ Monsters (e.g. Mystical Scroll, Legendary Scroll).

You'll see a special menu like the image above, and can activate the feature with a checkbox.

When a default 5★ Monster is summoned, one from the list will appear. Monsters already obtained through this list will not appear again.

You'll also notice a "(0/3)" indicator. You can summon up to three 5★ Monsters through the \[New Summoner 5★ Summon List].

◆ \[Select 4★ Summon List] Feature

You'll be able to customize your own 4★ summon list by choosing Fire/Water/Wind 4★ Monsters.

This feature is available at all times with no usage limit. You can select up to 24 Monsters per attribute (72 total) to freely configure your list.

The list can be modified anytime using feature ①, or auto-generated based on recommendations or the newest 4★ Monsters via feature ②.

This applies to any summoning method that can summon 4★ Monsters (e.g. Mystical Scroll, Attribute Scroll, Legendary Scroll), ensuring only Monsters from your list appear.

(The details in this Developer's Note are shared for better understanding and may differ from the final version as development and testing are still ongoing. We kindly ask for your understanding.)

Pre-registration for the Tomorrow Update is open until the update goes live.

If you haven't yet checked it out, please make sure to do so and claim an exclusive profile reward prepared for all pre-registrants.

\[▶Pre-register for the Tomorrow Update◀]

We're committed to making each day in Summoners War more enjoyable and giving you even more to look forward to.

Thank you sincerely to all Summoners who continue to support us.

We'll see you again in the next Developer's Note with even more exciting news.

Thank you.