This post was created as part of NEXON PEAK activities.

There is one project I have been following with all the anticipation of a new game release.
That project is Mabinogi Eternity.

Strictly speaking, Eternity is not quite a new game.
It is a project to replace the engine powering the existing PC version of Mabinogi.
Still, the journey from its first reveal in 2023 to its first alpha test in 2026
took more than 3 years, and substantial parts of the game are being rebuilt.
Having tried it myself, I feel almost as though I am waiting for a new game.

I started playing Mabinogi around the 2nd anniversary of its official launch.
Between all the breaks and returns, Mabinogi has been part of my life for nearly 20 years.

I am not currently playing the original Mabinogi,
but I have continued to follow development news for the Eternity project.
Taking part in this year's alpha test, in particular,
has made me even more eager to return to the new Erinn.

🎬 2023 : The Day Erinn's Future Was Revealed

I attended Mabinogi's 19th Anniversary Fantasy Party in 2023.
I was playing Mabinogi at the time,
and I remember cheering alongside other players
during the announcements for the summer update and Preseason benefits.

Then, in the middle of the showcase, the venue suddenly went dark,
and a video featuring the iconic NPC Nao began to play.
Mabinogi's familiar scenery gave way to updated visuals,
revealing the Eternity project, built with Unreal Engine, for the first time.

At the time, Mabinogi faced persistent problems and technical limitations imposed by its aging engine.
And now the team was going to rebuild it with a new engine!

I also liked the choice of the name “Eternity,”
which expressed the team's intention to make Mabinogi a game that would last forever.
From that day on, Director 민경훈 was
갓경훈 to me and to the wider community ㅎ...

🛠 Mabinogi Eternity : Rebuilding Mabinogi from the Ground Up?

Mabinogi Eternity is a project to replace the engine powering the existing PC version of Mabinogi
with Unreal Engine 5.
The goal is to preserve existing players' characters and progression data,
improve the graphics and overall gameplay experience,
and lay the groundwork for continued content development.

Category	Key Development Areas
Graphics	Improved scenery, lighting, and environmental visuals using Unreal Engine 5
Characters	Improved facial rendering, character appearances, and animations
Customization	An improved dye system and more convenient character customization
Movement	Improvements to movement speed and walking and running animations
Combat and Quality of Life	Improvements to combat controls, the impact of attacks, UI, and interactions

Although the plan is to carry over existing characters and progression data,
the rollout schedule and details of how the live game will make the transition have not yet been fully revealed.

Since the project's first reveal in 2023,
the team has regularly shared development updates on the official website.
These have covered everything from rebuilt towns and NPCs to facial rendering, the dye system,
and even the movement of hair and skirt hems.

Even after I stopped playing Mabinogi, I kept reading these development logs.
I was no longer playing, yet I checked each new development update as it appeared.
I suppose that says something about how much I love Mabinogi.

🕹 2026 : 15 Minutes of Disappointment, Four Days of Alpha Testing

I also attended Mabinogi's 22nd Anniversary Fantasy Party in 2026.
Even after I stopped playing Mabinogi, I have still been going to the Fantasy Party every year ㅋㅋㅋ

At the 21st Anniversary Fantasy Party in 2025,
we watched the developers give a live demonstration of Eternity.
At this year's 22nd anniversary event,
players had the chance to try the game themselves for about 15 minutes.

I tried it myself at the event.
I created a character, explored the new fields,
and tested how much of the original Mabinogi's combat feel had been preserved.

To be honest, my first impression was not particularly good.
I had been looking forward to this game for a long time, but the hands-on experience left me disappointed in several ways.
Of course, it was still in development, and I only had a brief 15-minute session,
but it dampened much of my anticipation.

So when I heard about the alpha test planned for September, I was apprehensive.
I had not enjoyed it much at the Fantasy Party. Would this time be different?
Still, the only way to judge it was to try it myself.

In the end, I applied for the alpha test and was fortunate enough to be selected.
The test ran from September 3 to 6, 2026,
giving me an early look at the new Mabinogi and more time to experience it.

By the time the test was over, my opinion had changed completely.
Despite my disappointment at the Fantasy Party,
I found myself thinking about Eternity's Erinn long after the alpha test ended.
Even now, I am waiting for the day I can play it again.

🌿 Could This Really Be the Erinn I Knew?

Ever since I was young, I have liked games with a balanced mix of life skills, combat, and social activities.
Mabinogi was a perfect fit.
I enjoyed the combat and character progression,
but much of the appeal was in pursuing life skills and spending time with other players.
I think that blend is also why Mabinogi remains so well loved.

Still, for a game released in 2004,

some dated graphics and systems were inevitable.

Looking back at the old Mabinogi feels like seeing black-and-white photos of my parents when they were young,
or watching an old home video of an elementary school sports day.
It is familiar and full of warmth, but unmistakably a picture of the past.

In Eternity, though,
exploring Erinn as it had been recreated with Unreal Engine gave me a curious feeling.

Had the windmill in Tir Chonaill always turned like this?
Had the fountain below the church in Dunbarton always felt like this?

Had Erinn always been filled with these sounds of rain and insects?

These were places I had known for years, yet they held the wonder of a first visit.
It felt like seeing a novel adapted into a comic, then watching that comic become a live-action film.
Or perhaps like seeing a remake fill in, one by one, the details missing from a picture book I had read as a child.
The Erinn I remembered had become so much more vivid.

Simply wandering through the newly reimagined towns was enjoyable.
I especially liked the character customization and the overall visual atmosphere.
Seeing the changes to characters' appearances, movements, and even their clothing
made me start to imagine the kind of life I could lead in this world.

💖 A New Life in a New Erinn!

If Eternity is rolled out to the live servers,
I plan to create a new character and start from scratch.
My character in the original Mabinogi was a Giant,
but this time, I want to play a cute-looking Human character.

In Mabinogi, finding and dyeing clothes I liked
and styling my character to suit my tastes were important parts of the fun.
With Eternity improving both character visuals and the dye system,
I am curious to see what kind of character I can create.

I also want to experience Mabinogi's progression from the beginning with that new character.
Today's Mabinogi is different in many ways from the game I first encountered as a child.
I want to see for myself how the progression experience has changed in Eternity, too.

Of course, with no official rollout schedule announced yet, all I can do for now is imagine the possibilities.
I am already planning a fresh start with a new character,
so even I cannot say how much I will end up playing once it goes live.

⏳ I Really Want to Play Eternity Again

Mabinogi Eternity is still in development.
Following the alpha test, the developers announced plans to improve controls and interactions,
the impact of attacks in combat, the UI, and several other areas.
There is still plenty to revise and refine.

Having come away disappointed from the 22nd Anniversary Fantasy Party,
I intend to keep watching how development progresses.

Even so, the enjoyment I felt during the alpha test is still vivid.
Nearly 20 years after first discovering Mabinogi,
I am waiting to begin another adventure in a newly reimagined Erinn.

I really do miss Eternity's Erinn!!