Subculture game? Isn’t it enough to just make a bunch of pretty anime girls?

Plenty of new subculture game projects end up failing because they start from exactly that kind of simplistic idea.

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Nexon went through plenty of trial and error as well, but it ultimately proved itself through Blue Archive, finding success in Japan, the heartland of subculture content, and winning plenty of love in Korea too.

More recently, it partnered with the Korean Red Cross on the Saving Lives, Together! campaign, with more than 31,000 users taking part in blood donation efforts, while all merchandise proceeds were donated in full, showing the brand’s positive influence as well.

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That naturally puts the spotlight on what kind of new subculture title Nexon will roll out next.

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And recently, details on two major new titles were revealed.

Project RX

Project RX is a new game currently in development at RX Studio under Nexon Games’ IO Division.

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The IO Division also includes MX Studio, which handles live development for Blue Archive, so in a sense the two teams feel like sister studios.

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In fact, a number of developers with Blue Archive backgrounds are involved in Project RX, and its clean, polished character design gives off a similar feel.

The project’s overall direction is similar too. Project RX is set to center on everyday life in another world, lived alongside anime girls. A strong sense of daily life, routine, connection with characters, and storytelling are its core pillars.

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That said, it is also set to establish clear points of differentiation from Blue Archive. It places more emphasis on portraying everyday life in another world than on combat, and while it is not an open-world game, some content is said to carry an open-world sensibility.

On December 19, a new teaser trailer was released.

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And it does a good job of conveying that everyday atmosphere.

The characters read books,

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work on laptops,

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listen to music,

and relax on a bench with a drink in hand.

There is even a scene of drawing on omurice with ketchup,

as well as one showing them watching a horror movie in a theater.

Shots that appear to be skill animations only flash by for a moment.

Would it feel like dating a VTuber?

These characters are being realized using Unreal Engine 5.

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The reaction seen most often so far is that they look like VRChat avatars or VTuber models.

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With the VTuber market expanding rapidly worldwide, that can be read as a positive sign in terms of familiarity and approachability.

In the interview video released alongside it, Kim Yong-ha, Cha Min-seo, and Ahn Gyeong-seop from the IO Division appeared to share a development update.

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According to the team, most of Project RX’s playable build is now complete, and they said they hope the teaser helps viewers imagine this other world in their own way.

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At the same time, they also said that even after nearly doubling the team size, they are still looking for more developers.

In other words, the core foundation is already in place, and the project appears to have entered the stage of pushing polish even further.

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The question now is whether this new title can once again present a new paradigm.

Azur Promilia

Azur Promilia is a new title from Manjuu, the developer behind Azur Lane, and Nexon is handling its Korean publishing.

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It held an overseas test not long ago, but not much has been revealed in Korea so far. The publishing announcement also only came recently.

Azur Promilia first drew attention around the time Palworld was exploding in popularity, as it showcased a similar capture system built around fantasy creatures called Kibo.

That cabbage chicken is pretty tempting

Players can send their Kibo into battle against each other much like a Pokémon match, and they can also use them to assist in regular combat, ride them as mounts, solve gimmicks, and take part in life-sim style content like mining, farming, construction, and lighting fires.

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On top of that, it is built around three-person party-based tag action and open-world exploration, giving it a very broad overall content scope.

Above all, as a developer that managed to survive in the fiercely competitive subculture market on the strength of Azur Lane alone, Manjuu is generating strong expectations here thanks to character quality that clearly targets player tastes.

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With Nexon taking on publishing for such a highly anticipated title, the move is being praised as a smart read of the market.

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It may be a different genre, but the question now is whether this will become a choice that leaves a mark on game industry history, like ARC Raiders.