NCSoft is opening its new title "Astra: Knights of Veda Oratio" to global players for testing. After holding its first public demo at Tokyo Game Show 2026, the company will run a five-day global closed beta test starting Oct. 2. The test will feature main and mini storylines, raid content being unveiled for the first time, and 18 playable characters. Com2uS (078340) will host the Europe Cup of the Summoners War World Arena Championship 2026 (SWC2026) in Hamburg, Germany, on the 26th. Eight players who advanced through the European regional qualifiers will compete for three spots in the World Finals, which will bring together 12 players from the regional cups in Seoul on Nov. 14. Netmarble (251270) marked 85 million cumulative global downloads of "The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross" by adding a new hero, the almighty supreme god Odin, and Chapter 10 of the Ragnarok storyline. To celebrate the update, the company is running events offering up to 400 diamonds, summon tickets and growth materials through daily log-ins and special missions.
NCSoft's "Astra: Knights of Veda Oratio" to Run Global CBT on Oct. 2
NCSoft's new magic RPG "Astra: Knights of Veda Oratio" will begin a global closed beta test on Oct. 2.
The company recently announced the list of selected testers through the game's official social media accounts. Applications were open to players worldwide from Aug. 19 through Sept. 21, and those selected will receive confirmation emails in stages.
Selected players can take part in the test on mobile platforms, both Android and iOS, for five days from Oct. 2 to Oct. 6. Supported languages are Korean, Japanese, traditional Chinese and English.
The global CBT will showcase three main storylines, two mini storylines, raid content being revealed for the first time, 18 characters, and combat and social features.
NCSoft held the game's first public demo at Tokyo Game Show 2026, which ran from the 17th to the 20th. The company said it plans to gather a wide range of player feedback through the global CBT and reflect it in development to improve the game.
Com2uS to Hold SWC2026 Europe Cup in Hamburg
Com2uS will host the Europe Cup of its global esports tournament, the Summoners War World Arena Championship 2026, in Hamburg, Germany, at 9 p.m. Korean time on the 26th.
Now in its 10th year, SWC is a global esports competition to crown the world's strongest player of "Summoners War: Sky Arena." Regional online qualifiers to determine main-draw participants have been held since August.
The Europe Cup will take place at XPERION, a gaming and esports complex in Hamburg with an event arena seating about 200, in front of local fans. It is the first time the Europe Cup is being held in Hamburg and marks the start of the regional cup schedule for SWC2026.
Eight players who came through the European qualifiers will face off in a single-elimination tournament with best-of-five matches. The top three finishers will earn berths in the World Finals.
RAXXAZ, who won the European region last year and finished runner-up at the World Finals, will compete alongside P4FFIX, last year's Europe Cup runner-up. They will be joined by NEF, the 2024 Europe Cup champion, as well as veterans OBABO, PINKROID, MALIGNANT, SAMBSEPP and REINCA in a tight contest for World Finals spots.
All Europe Cup matches will be streamed live worldwide on the official Summoners War esports YouTube channel with expert commentary in multiple languages.
The Americas Cup will follow in Toronto on Oct. 11, and the Asia-Pacific Cup in Bangkok on Oct. 17. A total of 12 players, including the top three from each regional cup, will compete for the 10th SWC world championship at the World Finals at KBS Arena in Seoul on Nov. 14.
Lost Ark Adds Extreme Mode to Kazeros Raid Acts 3 and 4
Smilegate's MMORPG "Lost Ark" has added an Extreme mode to the third and final acts of the Kazeros Raid and is running a slate of autumn events.
Extreme mode lets players take on existing raids at a higher level of tension. Boss attack patterns become more powerful, and new patterns that play up each boss's distinct traits have been added. It is also limited-time content available only during set periods.
Extreme mode for Act 3 of the Kazeros Raid runs through Oct. 21, and the final act from Oct. 21 to Nov. 18. Three difficulty levels are available — Normal, Hard and Nightmare — with minimum item levels of 1730, 1770 and 1780, respectively.
Regardless of difficulty, adventurers who clear the content for the first time receive growth materials including a Legendary Card Selection Pack and a Heroic Gem Selection Chest. Clearing the hardest Nightmare difficulty also awards a legendary title and Kazeros Raid-themed emoticons. Those who clear Nightmare difficulty in both Act 3 and the final act receive crafting materials for an Ancient Core Selection Chest and a relic title.
Each time adventurers clear Extreme content, they receive gold along with dedicated currencies called Lightning Coins and Coins of Light and Dark, which can later be exchanged for growth materials such as a Relic Engraving Book Selection Chest.
Smilegate is also holding a Chzzk drops event to mark the update. The event will run in two rounds, the first from Sept. 23 to Oct. 7 and the second from Oct. 21 to Nov. 4. Rewards are given based on viewing time, and adventurers who receive at least one drop reward will be entered in a drawing for mobile chicken meal coupons.
An autumn season event packed with rewards is also planned. During the Mokoko Harvest Festival, which runs through Oct. 21, a Mokoko legion appears in the in-game combat content Chaos Rift and Kurzan Front, and hunting the legion yields items that grant various random rewards. Players who log in during the event period can also collect stamps, with additional rewards such as a Lion Mask Mount Selection Chest and a Chuseok Mokoko Pet Selection Chest given based on the number collected.
Netmarble's "The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross" Marks 85 Million Global Downloads
Netmarble has rolled out a God Festival update for its mobile RPG "The Seven Deadly Sins: GRAND CROSS" to mark 85 million cumulative global downloads.
The game launched in Korea and Japan in 2019 and began global service in 2020, and has since drawn more than 85 million downloads worldwide.
The update adds a new UR-grade hero, the almighty supreme god Odin. As the highest god in the Ragnarok setting, Odin protects allies by reducing damage they take and weakens enemies. Notably, when a single-target attack skill deals fatal damage to an enemy under an ability debuff, Odin inflicts additional damage proportional to his own maximum health, making it easier to finish off revived enemies.
Players who reach 300 and 600 mileage points in the "King of Asgard" summon can each secure one UR or SSR character from the lineup, and those who reach 900 mileage points can obtain Odin.
New content also includes Chapter 10 of Ragnarok, which features a new storyline and lets players obtain an artifact set, and a new demon battle against Surtr, where players can craft ancient relics. Playing the Surtr demon battle three times awards Skuld's relic.
Netmarble is running several events to mark the update. Players receive up to 200 diamonds simply for logging in over 28 days, and completing all 16 special missions — eight in each of two rounds — earns an Odin's Authority Chest containing summon tickets, growth materials and up to 200 diamonds.
A bingo event can be entered using tickets earned by playing content, with various growth materials awarded for completing individual bingo lines and the full card.
