[This post was created as part of Nexon PEAK activities.]

Hello! I’m Onya.

This time, I’m writing as a player who returned to Elsword after about 10 years.
It was one of the games I loved when I was younger, so after a long break, I decided to jump back in.

Compared to the Elsword I used to play, the game’s systems and content have changed a lot.

I first came back thinking I’d just raise a familiar character again, but once I actually started playing, there was so much to learn and so many more ways to grow than I expected.

In this post, I’ll share how I progressed through the early game as a returning Elsword player, along with the process of working my way up to raids, one of the game’s current endgame contents~

1. Starting Elsword again after 10 years

My last real memory of Elsword was around Elrianode.

The very first thing I felt when I came back this time was, 역시...

“Is this really the Elsword I used to know?”

There were so many new regions and dungeons, and all kinds of growth systems had been added that simply didn’t exist back then.

The most surprising part for me as a returning player was the growth support event.

Through the summer and winter events held each year, you can get various time-limited items, and thanks to that, I was able to grow my character quickly right from the start.

Honestly, without events like this, I don’t think it would’ve been easy to settle back in.

With the event support, you can quickly reach ERP 350, Master Class, and around 1 million CP.

The pace of growth was so fast that I was genuinely surprised as soon as I came back.

2. My new main

Back then, my main was Sariel.

Since I was returning after such a long time, I decided to start fresh with a new character this time.

The character I chose was Esencia (Eve 2nd path) .

Right now, I’m playing as Antithese (Eve 4th path) after using a class change ticket.

Back then, it felt like every character was basically there to deal damage, but in today’s Elsword, each character’s role in party play feels much more clearly defined.

It’s not just damage dealers that matter now—characters who provide buffs or support to the party also play an important role.

Antithese mainly fills a damage role, though after the recent balance patch, it feels like most characters other than healers are functioning as pure dealers.

After coming back, I realized it’s important to look not only at a character’s own performance, but also what role they can take on in a party.

3. Is leveling up enough? Elsword’s growth system

Elsword’s maximum level is 99.

But if you’re a returning player, this is where things can feel a little confusing.

Because level 99 isn’t the end.

Elsword has a separate growth system called ERP.

Once your character reaches max level, you can keep progressing further through ERP.

ERP not only boosts your character’s stats, but also serves as an important progression element for later content.

I also had to relearn what ERP even was when I first came back.

In the past, I thought progression was mostly about leveling up and gearing up, but now it really feels like managing ERP, gear, and other character growth systems together is what matters.

4. The first raid I challenged after returning

Once I had developed my character to a certain point, I naturally started getting interested in raid content too.

The content I challenged was Serpentium Raid.

The problem was...

I had only barely cleared single mode!

I was pretty worried, since I still hadn’t properly learned the patterns for party raid.

Raids are multiplayer content after all, so one person’s mistake can affect the entire party. (ㅠㅠ)

I joined a try party before I had fully learned the patterns and ended up failing several times.

Since I still wasn’t used to the mechanics, I got a lot of help from my party members… (thank you)

It took quite a while to clear the two dungeons, but my party members kindly explained the patterns and stayed with me to the end, so we managed to clear them safely.

As someone returning after a long time, that was one of the most memorable parts for me.

Not only had the game systems changed a lot, but I was also able to feel again the fun of clearing content together with other players.

If you’re planning to challenge raids after returning!!

• Check what role your character plays in a party

• Learn the basic raid patterns in advance (YouTube, etc.)

• If possible, practice in single mode first

• In party play, pay attention to how other players approach the raid as well

I’d recommend preparing these four things first.

Wrapping up…

The Elsword I returned to after 10 years was quite different from the game I remembered.

From new dungeons to ERP, raids, and each character’s role, there was a lot I had to learn again from the ground up.

I’ve been enjoying it for about 11 months now, since last October.

Even so, thanks to the 10 million CP and Abyss weapon distribution event for new and returning players, I was able to move through the early growth phase quickly, and by taking on raids myself, I’ve gradually started to understand how Elsword is played now.

Going forward, I’m planning to keep building up my account little by little through ERP, collections, and other account growth elements while continuing to improve my specs.

In the next post, I’ll talk in more detail about Elsword’s collection system and how to grow your account by raising alts.