April DEV LOG

In this DEV LOG, we’d like to share details from Vindictus: Defying Fate's first-ever FGT (Focus Group Test).

This FGT was primarily conducted as an offline test in South Korea. Using the same build, we also made it available online for global media outlets and creators to experience.

We once again ask for your understanding that, due to limited circumstances and test conditions, we were unable to invite more of you to participate.

That said, our goal was to run a more focused test and gather denser, more in-depth feedback, and we'd like to walk you through the details below.

1. What We Wanted to Learn from the FGT

Since the Alpha Test, we have continued refining the combat system, and we wanted to receive deep, firsthand feedback on those improvements.

Combat is the core pillar of Vindictus: Defying Fate and one of the areas many users shared feedback on during the Alpha Test. With that feedback in mind, we moved as quickly as possible to refine the overall combat experience while preserving the unique action identity of Vindictus: Defying Fate.

Through this test, we aimed to validate that direction by hearing testers' thoughts on those changes. We also wanted to compare how the experience felt between players who had previously played Vindictus: Defying Fate and those who had not, so we could identify further areas for improvement.

2. What We Learned from the FGT

There were three main areas we set out to validate through this FGT.

• Updates to controls and hit impact: This was one of the areas that received the most feedback during the Alpha Test. Thus, we focused on making every exchange in combat feel more satisfying.

• AdjustedWork to support brisk, player-driven actionWe adjusted certain enemy patterns and reinforced both the sense of reward and the follow-up actions available when players respond to enemy attacks with precise timing.

• Combat learning and guidance: We strengthened our onboarding elements so that even first-time players could quickly find the appeal of Vindictus: Defying Fate's character-based action elements.

To validate these points, we structured the test so players would progress through each area in order, from the tutorial to the Northern Ruins, up to the Frozen Valley. Boss enemies that appeared in the Alpha Test also returned in this FGT, from "Sharptooth" to "Chimpuu Emuloch".

For this version of the build, we revised the combat balance of all enemies and removed the so-called "red attacks" (attacks that cannot be dodged or guarded) from boss encounters.

The offline test in Korea included both players who had previous experience with the Vindictus: Defying Fate Alpha Test and players who had not played Vindictus: Defying Fate before, but had extensive experience with similar or different genres such as casual action games and MMORPGs.

We'd like to share some of the survey results from those testers.

The most notable takeaway was the increase in both overall satisfaction (a metric that includes characters, controls, and sound) and combat satisfaction compared to the Alpha Test.

Players who had experienced the Alpha Test, in particular, responded positively to enemy-pattern interactions such as Precision Actions, while the group playing Vindictus: Defying Fate for the first time felt that early onboarding elements, such as the combat tutorial and guide, navigation, and camera controls, still had room for improvement.

At the same time, the first-time players shared that the improved impact of combat felt satisfying. We'd also like to share feedback on other aspects of the game, along with comments from several media outlets.

3. What We're Working on Next

Right now, the team is doing what development teams do best after a test: digging through domestic and global feedback, survey results, and plenty of gameplay data to pin down exactly what needs improvement next.

The encouraging part is that the combat direction we intended to pursue received a strong positive response. That gives us even more confidence to keep refining it until Vindictus: Defying Fate's combat feels unmistakable—sharp, weighty, and full of its own character.

At the same time, we know there are still areas that need more work. Early onboarding elements such as the tutorial and guides, which some testers found lacking, are already back on our adjustment list. We will continue tuning those parts so players can get into the game smoothly.

We hope this DEV LOG has helped answer at least some of your questions about the recent FGT.

As we mentioned in the previous AMA, the schedule for the next public test has not been finalized yet. That said, we will keep preparing carefully so we can return with good news when the time is right.

As always, thank you to everyone cheering us on.

─ From the Dev Team

(* All system names are temporary and subject to change.)