Japanese gaming giant Nexon today announcedProject DW, a new game based on theDungeon & Fighterseries. While the core franchise consists of side-scrolling beat-em-ups with RPG elements,Project DWis going to be an open-world action RPG developed by Nexon Games, the same studio that’s currentlywrapping up work onThe First Descendant, among a handful of other endeavors.
This is the thirdDungeon & Fightergame that Nexon announced in just as many years, followingDNF MobileandDNF Duel, the former of which has yet to release outside of Japan. Over the last 15 years, Nexon embraced a liberal licensing strategy concerning their hit action RPG series, paving the way for numerous third-party spinoffs.
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Given an almost complete lack of details accompanying Nexon’s latest announcement, it’s safe to say thatProject DWwon’t be hitting the market anytime soon. The game is not to be confused withProject AK, anotherDungeon & Fighterspinoff that’s currently in the works at Neople, the developer behind the originalDNFfrom 2005. WhileMMOs are Nexon’s bread and butter, the company’s latest announcement suggests thatProject DWmight not be an online-focused experience.
Nexon says thatProject DWis coming to PC, as well as both mobile devices and consoles. While the company didn’t name any specific platforms, its track record suggests that the “mobile” label entails both Android and iOS. Its view of consoles might not be as inclusive; like many Japanese developers and publishers,Nexonhas a tendency to ignore the Xbox ecosystem, with limited exceptions. On the other hand, all of its existing PS5 releases such asDNF Duelhave also targeted both the Switch and PS4. It’s hence plausible thatProject DWwill be available on a comparably varied list of platforms, especially since Nexon already highlighted cross-platform play as one of the key selling points of the upcoming RPG.
Project DWseems to be a continuation of Nexon’s strategic shift toward global markets which the company announced in 2021. Prior to that, it was primarily interested in appealing to Asian audiences, even as its mobile games were officially available in nearly 200 countries since the dawn of the smartphone era, as per the conglomerate’s official website. Its first large-scale Western push encompassed announcements of a wide variety of games, includingfree-to-play arcade racerKart Rider: Drift,The First Descendant,ARC Raiders, andThe Finals.
The first title from that batch to hit the market wasKart Rider: Drift, which debuted on PC, mobile, and consoles just yesterday, January 11. The rest areexpected to debut in 2023 following some delays.
Project DWis currently in development for consoles, mobile, and PC.
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