Throne and Liberty: Everything We Know

The Lineage video game series was a popular medieval fantasy MMORPG franchise that saw one sequel, and a handful of prequels, between 1998 and 2017. Back in 2011, Lineage developers NCSoft announced Project TL (Throne and Liberty) as the third sequel in the series. However, following a lengthy string of delays, it was assumed that NCSoft had abandoned project TL entirely.

Fast-forward over a decade later to 2023, and it appears that NCSoft hasn't actually given up on Project TL, or Throne and Liberty. In fact, they announced that the sequel is ready to release soon as a completely new IP for consoles and PC. Consequently, that's we're covering everything there is to know about Throne and Liberty right here.

What is Throne and Liberty?

Throne and Liberty is a brand new IP from NCSoft, the South Korean developers behind the Lineage and Guild Wars series. Their newest title will come as a free-to-play medieval fantasy MMORPG with features such as a seamless explorable map, dynamic weather, PvPvE, and the ability to transform into creatures to take on fights across land, sea, and air.

The entire premise itself looks rather ambitious for a free-to-play title, however, they have had quite some time to bring it to fruition. As a result, we have high hopes for Throne and Liberty. Nonetheless, let's see what the developers have in store for us in terms of story and gameplay.

Story

Since Throne and Liberty is an MMORPG, it will give players the chance to write their own stories. That being said, there is still an overarching narrative to the game. According to the games website, “It is said that the stone that sealed the Goddess of Destruction shattered and its fragments scattered around the world like stars in the sky. Those born with the power of these “stars” became known as Star Children.”

To prevent the Arkeum Legion – the new evil power that took over and now rules Solisium – from using these Star Children as weapons, wizard and resistance member Yan Junion was tasked with hiding them in secret. Despite his best efforts, the Arkeum Legion found their hideout and sent witch Calanthia to abduct the Star Children. In quick conclusion, the Star Children survived and grew up to become Resistance Army Soldiers.

Now that you're all caught up in the timeline, this is where you step into the storyline. “Now, you must leave Whisp Island and head to Laslan to train the innate power of the stars and liberate Solisium from the Arkeum Legion.”

Gameplay

In terms of gameplay, Throne and Liberty will consist of a single huge zone that players can explore. This will include both surface-level sections and underground dungeons. It will also have a day and night cycle, as well as a dynamic weather system.

Despite the fact that Throne and Liberty will have character customization, it will not feature a traditional “class” system like other MMORPGs. Rather than a predefined class, such as a mage or archer, your character's playstyle will be dictated by the weapons they use. With the ability to equip two weapons, you define your character's playstyle with these weapons and the abilities they grant you. What's more, NCSoft did mention and showcase the ability to morph into animals. However, we do not yet know the specifics of how this gameplay feature will be implemented.

The game is PvPvE, however, PvP is not forced. Instead, players can engage in PvP in dedicated zones and during special PvP events. What's more, is that there will be a guild system in Throne and Liberty. Players can then join guilds and engage in turf wars for map control.

Development

As we mentioned, Throne and Liberty is being developed by South Korean game studio NCSoft. What's more, they are backed by publisher Amazon Games. Aside from that, little is known about the game's current phases of development.

The game was slated to release in the first half of 2023, however, that window is closing quickly. So, that could mean Throne and Liberty will arrive far sooner than we expect. On the other hand, it could also mean it will arrive far later than expected in 2023.

Trailer

The promising news is that Throne and Liberty did have a reveal trailer featured at the Summer Game Fest 2023. As a result, we'd assume they are on track to launch soon, with the trailer reaching generating as much excitement as possible. Nonetheless, check it out for yourself and let us know what you think.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

As we mentioned, the Throne and Liberty release date seems pretty flexible throughout 2023. So, we can only speculate and hope that it will arrive sometime in the summer, rather than in Q4 of 2023. In any case, we know it will be a free-to-play title for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Furthermore, it is confirmed the game will support full cross-platform play between systems. Aside from that, nothing is known about editions other than the standard version at launch. Although, assuming all goes well, we expect DLC to arrive in the months after launch.

Be sure to wishlist Throne and Liberty on Steam to know when it releases. Other than that, stay tuned to Gaming.net as we'll be sure to provide any updates and news on Throne and Liberty when it sheds. In the meantime, take a look at these other MMORPGs that might intrigue you.

So, what's your take? Are you excited about Throne and Liberty? When do you think it will release? Let us know in the comments below or over on our socials here!