Webzen's 'MU Archangel' Shows Positive Signs for Long-Term Success

Selling Fixed Items... Reducing Probabilistic Elements
Focusing on IP Expansion Including Webtoon 'SlaveB' Serialization

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-gyu Lee] Webzen's new mobile game 'MU Archangel' has secured a foundation for long-term success by ranking high in application market sales charts from the early stages of its release, thanks to its differentiated monetization model.

According to the gaming industry on the 25th, MU Archangel, which began service on May 27, ranked 3rd in sales on the Google Play Store just one week after its release on the 3rd, and has maintained a top position since then. This sales growth trend is similar to that of 'MU Origin2,' released in June 2018, which reached 2nd place in sales within a week.

The reason MU Archangel has laid the groundwork for long-term success appears to be largely due to its monetization model, which is differentiated from existing mobile games. While most PC MMORPGs in the past adopted a subscription model allowing players to enjoy the game without additional charges after paying a fixed amount, many mobile MMORPGs have chosen probability-based item sales as their main monetization model since the popularization of mobile games in the 2010s.

However, MU Archangel sells guaranteed items that allow players to obtain desired items and reduces probabilistic elements such as destruction during equipment enhancement, thereby lowering fatigue related to monetization. In MU Archangel, packages combining content elements that help increase combat power and 'Garnet,' the core in-game currency, account for a high proportion of sales.

Starting with the PC game 'MU Ignition2' earlier this year, Webzen has introduced new games based on the MU intellectual property (IP) across various platforms, including MU Archangel. They are also focusing on IP expansion by serializing the webtoon 'Slave B,' which is based on the MU Online universe.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.