As major gaming companies in South Korea increasingly enter the subculture game market, Smilegate is drawing attention for maintaining the long-term success of its subculture game 'Epic Seven' by leveraging global eSports competitions.
According to Smilegate, the subculture role-playing game (RPG) Epic Seven officially launched in South Korea in August 2018 and is now celebrating its 8th anniversary. By its fifth year in 2023, the game surpassed 1 trillion won in cumulative revenue and has gained popularity across the globe, including in the United States, South Korea, Japan, and China. Following its 8th anniversary update, the game has even re-entered the top 30 in Google Play revenue rankings.
A key factor in this success is the 'Epic Seven World Arena Championship' (E7WC), a global eSports event organized by Smilegate. Since its inaugural event in 2021, the E7WC has grown from an initial prize pool of $40,000 to $100,000 this year. The finals held last year in Seoul attracted 1,000 attendees.
The ongoing eSports competitions have helped sustain the fanbase for Epic Seven. Last year's orchestra performance and pop-up store sold out immediately upon ticket release. The Epic Seven booth at the 'Anime x Game Festival' (AGF) also drew large crowds.
The foundation of Epic Seven's eSports is the real-time player-versus-player (PvP) content known as 'World Arena.' Smilegate has integrated real-time competitive content into its character collection and story-driven subculture game, allowing for long-term operation. The E7WC enables players to explore new hero strategies and combinations, making the tournament viewing experience directly relevant to gameplay.
Additionally, a new online competition called the 'Masters League' has been established. This initiative aims to broaden participation in eSports, allowing more players to enjoy competitive content. During the tournament, an original soundtrack created in collaboration with influencers will be released, along with a roadmap for future updates.
A Smilegate representative stated, "The E7WC is an event where Epic Seven fans from around the world can enjoy and communicate together. This year, we plan to expand eSports participation opportunities through the introduction of the Masters League and offline finals."
Meanwhile, the E7WC kicked off its regional online qualifiers on September 12. The competition will determine the ultimate champion through qualifiers and finals across five regions: Global, Asia, Korea, Japan, and Europe. The finals will be streamed live in four languages on the official YouTube channel, with the championship match scheduled for November 28 in Jamsil, Seoul.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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