And again, not very good news for all those waiting for the global version of the MMORPG Throne and Liberty. As the Korean portal writes: sisajournal, Amazon’s version of the game may be delayed from the first or second quarter of 2024 to a later date. Moreover, the console version of the game is generally experiencing some serious problems, the details of which are not available.
The reason for pessimism, in particular, is NCSOFT’s still unfulfilled promise to release Lineage W on consoles. Although two years have passed since the announcement, there is no news on this topic. The game was supposed to be released on Nintendo Switch in 2021.
As of today (literally, January 23), NCSOFT has not yet determined the global release schedule for the game. There is no official news from the company, or from Amazon, which is uncharacteristic for a game that is “just about” preparing for a worldwide release. Moreover, Throne and Liberty is still not listed as a release on the PlayStation Store.
“According to experts, a console version is necessary for domestic (meaning Korean) games to enter Western markets. This is due to the fact that in the West, consoles are still more popular than PC games. Recognizing this, NCsoft has repeatedly stated its intention to release a console version of TL for the West.”
It is reported that Amazon Games is demanding that NCsoft solve problems with jobs (we are talking about restructuring in the company) before the global launch. If the jobs issue is not resolved, which could negatively impact the game’s success in the West, then it is unlikely that TL will release in the second quarter of this year, as previously reported (albeit unofficially).
Further more. Throne and Liberty was presented to investors and partners as an industry powerhouse, but the Korean release turned out to be very shaky. The number of users turned out to be much less than expected, and NCSOFT had already merged the servers. It is possible that these facts also influence Amazon Games’ desire to postpone the global release of the game to a later date.
In addition to technical difficulties, the console release is also affected by major releases at the beginning of the year. Experts call products such as Stellar Blade, Tekken 8, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Like a Dragon 8, which will take away a huge audience from MMORPGs, and Throne and Liberty will be very difficult to be in the spotlight of the gaming press and streamers. Additionally, MMORPGs like TL aren’t particularly popular in the Western market, so it’s unclear whether it can catch on in the console market.
A more prosaic option is not excluded. NCSOFT will not release a console version of TL at the same time as the global release, but Amazon is very interested in this particular version.
In response to a request from the site, a representative of NCSOFT responded that TL is planned for a global release and access to console platforms within a year. A detailed schedule will be announced later by Amazon Games.
