[Digital Today reporter Ho-jung Lee] The game market in March is busy with major titles launching and a relay of closed beta tests (CBT) for key new releases. Major South Korean game companies including Netmarble, Pearl Abyss, Devsisters, NHN, Nexon and NCSoft have concentrated a range of titles this month across genres from mobile to console.

◆ New titles from Netmarble, Pearl Abyss, Devsisters and NHN launch

According to the industry on March 4, Netmarble will roll out 2 new titles in succession this month. First, the mobile idle RPG "Stone Age: Growing" launched globally on March 3, excluding some countries such as China and Vietnam. As the latest title based on the "Stone Age" intellectual property (IP) enjoyed by 200 million people worldwide, it reinterprets key original content such as pet capture and riding systems to fit current mobile trends. Popular original pets including Mogaros, Berga and Yangiro return, and players can build decks of up to 24 by combining up to 6 tamers and 18 pets. It also includes competitive and cooperative content such as the large-scale raid "Descent Battle", the server ranking competition "Tower of the Sky", real-time resource battle "Fish Farm" and clan cooperation mode "Mecha Pet Hunt".

The open-world RPG "The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin" is also set to launch. It will be pre-released on March 17 on PS5 and Steam, followed by a grand launch across all platforms including mobile on March 24. It is based on the comic of the same name, which has recorded cumulative global sales of more than 55 million copies. Set on the continent of Britannia, it features tag battles that switch heroes, combo action and multiplayer cooperative content. Key original characters such as Meliodas, Tristan and Diane appear based on a multiverse setting. The game was initially scheduled for release in January, but the timetable was adjusted after an overall system overhaul reflecting CBT feedback, including improved controls, combat tempo adjustments, and UI and UX optimisation.

Pearl Abyss' open-world adventure action RPG "Crimson Desert" will be released globally on March 20 (Korea time) across multiple platforms including PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, Apple Mac and the Epic Games Store. Built on its in-house "BlackSpace Engine", it is a single-player adventure set on the vast continent of Pywel, featuring realistic and large-scale combat, physics-based interactions and a high degree of freedom. The size of the Pywel continent is known to be more than twice that of "The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim". North American tech channel Digital Foundry selected the game as "best game of CES 2026", and IGN named it a "most anticipated title of 2026". At an awards event hosted by Chinese game-focused media outlet 17173, it was listed as "most anticipated game" in both the user and editor categories.

NHN will launch "Dissidia Duelium Final Fantasy", a boss-hunt team battle title co-developed with Square Enix, in March. It is the latest mobile entry in the "Dissidia Final Fantasy" series featuring warriors from the "Final Fantasy" franchise. Two teams of 3 compete, and the team that defeats the boss first wins, emphasising one-handed controls and brisk action. The main story provides a full-voice narrative of warriors summoned to modern-day Tokyo and supports Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese (Traditional). Development is jointly handled by NHN PlayArt and Square Enix, while publishing is handled by Square Enix.

"Cookie Run: OvenSmash", a battle action title produced by Devsisters' development studio Press A, will be officially released on March 26 via Google Play and the Apple App Store. It combines the Cookie Run IP's intuitive action with real-time player-versus-player (PvP) combat, with a focus on forming teams and waging strategic battles across differentiated modes. It surpassed 1,000,000 pre-registrations within 10 days of opening, and overseas users accounted for about 70 percent of participants, confirming global interest.

◆ Nakwon, Time Takers tests to gauge global reaction

Nexon will run a global closed alpha test for its zombie survival title "Nakwon: Last Paradise" from March 12 to 16 for 5 days on the Steam PC version. Test regions include East Asia including South Korea and parts of North America and South America. Set in downtown Seoul left in ruins after a zombie apocalypse, it features equipment with Korean elements such as a Hahoe mask-shaped head protector and a nail-studded baseball bat. The test will introduce more than 60 types of melee weapons, 7 types of ranged weapons and 6 types of new special infected, including runners, policemen and screamers. It also adds a skill tree system and 3 new environments: day, night and heavy rain.

NCSoft's time survival shooter "Time Takers" will run its first CBT from March 13 to 21. It will be operated via Steam for 8 North and South American countries including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru. Users in other regions can also participate by receiving a CBT key through the official Discord. The game presents unique rules using "time energy" as a key resource, and players can try 12 characters and 10 primary weapons in a trio mode with teams of 3. Maps with different concepts, including Future City, Yokogawa and Morschtadt, will also be revealed.