JoyCity said on Tuesday it has confirmed Aug. 13 as the official release date for its new online basketball game, "Freestyle Reboot," and has begun pre-registration.

The new title was developed to carry on the legacy of JoyCity's original "Freestyle" intellectual property. It keeps the original's 3-on-3 real-time match format and the street basketball feel, while fully adopting a new engine to significantly raise graphics quality and character movement to a modern level, it said.

In gameplay, it put "fair competition centered on skill" as its top value. It sharply reduced reliance on item stats, which had been criticized in existing sports games, and designed its system so players' control skills and experience can directly affect match results.

It also plans to expand its service stage sequentially across global markets, including China, after starting official service in South Korea.

JoyCity is running a pre-registration promotion ahead of the official launch. Users who take part in pre-registration will receive character decoration items and points usable in the game as basic rewards. Those who complete social network service sharing missions will also be given additional decoration items and points, among other benefits.

Jeon Hyeon-gyu (전현규), head of JoyCity's Freestyle business division, said, "As we have strengthened convenience while keeping the fun of the original, we will make thorough preparations so we can provide a stable and fair play environment for the official launch on Aug. 13."