An Update on the Development Team and Our Path Forward #2

Director's Message

Hello, Survivors around the world. This is Ray, Director of The Midnight Walkers. Today, I would like to speak openly about the situation our development team is currently facing, as well as a major structural change coming to The Midnight Walkers. First of all, I am deeply sorry to share such difficult news with you. Since the launch of The Midnight Walkers, our team has spent a great deal of time trying to improve the game and keep the service running. We have continued to review your feedback, address the game's issues, and explore different ways to create a better combat system and overall gameplay experience. Internally, we discussed and tested many possible directions, including reducing the emphasis on melee combat and strengthening the shooter experience, making major changes to the PvPvE ecosystem, and redesigning the overall flow of the game. However, the development team has been going through an extremely difficult period. We explored every realistic option available to continue development and service, but maintaining the live servers has become a significant burden under the current circumstances. It has also become increasingly difficult for us to continue active, large-scale development. As time passed, many players moved on from the game. Instead of being able to focus on bold improvements, we had no choice but to spend much of our time stabilizing the situation and keeping the service running. As a result, we were unable to develop the game at the pace or in the direction that many of you expected. On behalf of the entire development team, I sincerely apologize. Even so, we did not want The Midnight Walkers to simply disappear without taking responsibility for it. This game is a project our team has spent a long time thinking about and building. Despite its shortcomings, it is also a game that has been shaped by Survivors around the world who continued to wait for us and support us. For that reason, the small team that remains has been working to change the game's structure so that it can continue to be played without live servers, rather than shutting it down completely. Going forward, The Midnight Walkers will transition from its current dedicated live-server PvPvE structure to a PvE-focused structure that supports both solo and Co-op play. This may not be the complete version of The Midnight Walkers that we originally dreamed of creating. However, under the current circumstances, we believe this is the best way to preserve the game in a playable form and ensure that it does not disappear from your libraries even after maintaining the live servers is no longer possible. At the same time, this change gives us the minimum foundation needed to avoid giving up on The Midnight Walkers entirely. We cannot promise when another opportunity may come. But if we are ever given the right conditions and resources again, we want to keep looking for a way to develop The Midnight Walkers into something better. This transition is also a decision made to keep that possibility from being closed forever. To every Survivor who has played The Midnight Walkers, waited for us, and supported us: thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are also deeply sorry that we were unable to live up to your expectations. We are profoundly disappointed by this situation as well, and we do not take it lightly. We will continue doing everything we can to preserve the game in the most responsible way possible. Thank you. The Midnight Walkers Development Team and Director Ray

Major Update Notes

This update is a major structural patch that changes both the service model and gameplay direction of The Midnight Walkers. The game will move away from its live-server-based PvPvE structure and transition to a PvE-focused format that supports both solo and Co-op play. The update is scheduled to go live on July 23, 2026 at 2:00 PM (KST) / July 23, 2026 at 5:00 AM (UTC).

1. Transition to a Client-Based P2P Listen Server Structure

The game will move away from dedicated live servers and transition to a client-based P2P listen server structure. This will allow the game to remain playable without the need to operate separate live servers.

Key Changes

• Marketplace removed

• Ranking system removed

• Game server structure changed

• Transition from the existing game-server-based structure to a client migration structure

• Squad system reworked

• Changed from the existing system to an invite-based structure

• Matchmaking system reworked

• Updated to support the new PvE gameplay structure

2. Major Changes to User Data Structure

As the game transitions from a live-server-based structure to a client-based structure, major user data and system structures will also be changed. Due to this transition, all existing user data will be reset when the patch is applied.

3. PvE-Focused Balance Overhaul

As the game transitions to a PvE-focused structure, both the economy and combat balance will be broadly adjusted.

Economy Balance Changes

• Rewards and progression will be adjusted to better fit the PvE gameplay loop.

• The economy will be rebalanced so that progression feels rewarding in both solo and Co-op play.

Combat Balance Changes

• Character progression will feel more noticeable than before.

• The difference between basic store-bought items and higher-grade items will be made more meaningful.

• Higher-grade items will provide clearer improvements to combat performance and progression.

• Differences in monster strength between difficulty levels will be made more distinct.

4. Vendor Mission Changes

As part of the transition to PvE, existing PvP and player-elimination missions will either be changed into PvE objective-based missions or removed.

5. Shared Storage System Added

A new shared storage system will be added to support the new gameplay structure. Shared storage will allow players to manage items more conveniently and store or use resources in a way that better fits PvE-focused progression and equipment management.

6. Combat Feedback System Added

A new combat feedback system will be added to improve the PvE combat experience.

• Damage numbers added

• Monster HP bars added

These features will make it easier to understand how much damage you are dealing and read the current combat situation at a glance.

7. Automatic Storage Sorting Added

An automatic storage sorting feature will be added to improve inventory and storage convenience. This improvement is intended to reduce friction during item management and allow players to focus more on PvE gameplay and looting.

This update represents a different direction from the one we originally envisioned for The Midnight Walkers. However, under the current circumstances, it is an important turning point that will allow us to preserve the game in a playable form rather than shut it down completely. Within the resources still available to us, the development team is preparing this transition as responsibly as possible. Once again, we sincerely thank every Survivor who has waited for us, and we deeply apologize for not being able to meet your expectations.