MapleStory N Launches May 15: Classic MMO Meets Web3 on Avalanche

It's official—MapleStory N, the long-awaited blockchain MMORPG, goes live tomorrow, May 15. With pre-downloads now open, Nexon's new web3 world is ready to welcome a wave of early players who've been waiting years to see this next chapter unfold.

This isn't just another version of MapleStory. MapleStory N brings full-blown item ownership and a gasless blockchain economy via Avalanche's custom Layer 1 network, Henesys. At its core, the game retains the nostalgic 2D side-scrolling and quirky pixel world that defined it, but combines it with player-driven markets, NFT items, and a new economy that hands over real control to the players. 

Pre-Launch Highlights: Pre-Download, NFT Drops, and Early Rewards

Ahead of tomorrow's launch, MapleStory Universe has been on a roll. On May 8, pre-downloads went live at msu.io, letting players prepare their systems and wallets before servers open. You'll need at least 30GB of free space and a connected wallet to dive in.

From May 6–12, the team also ran the OpenSea Primary Drop Campaign, where over 1.7 million wallets minted the MSU Scroll SBT. These scroll holders will receive two exclusive SBT items—an OpenSea Chair and an NXPC Headband—starting May 13.

And it's not stopping there. The OpenSea XP Shipment Event kicks off on launch day, giving MSU Scroll holders the chance to earn bonus XP through in-game achievements. Complete your 4th Job Advancement, either through gameplay or by snagging a character on the MSU Marketplace, and you're in the running for OpenSea rewards.

The Game: MapleStory, Reimagined

At a glance, MapleStory N feels familiar—but it plays very differently under the hood.

Built on the Henesys L1 chain, this version is completely gasless, meaning players can mint and trade items freely without worrying about transaction fees. The real kicker is the Reward Experience 2.0 (RX 2.0) system. Instead of loot drops inflating the economy, MapleStory N treats gear like assets, where items are finite, tradable, and meaningful over time.

Nexon's goal? To build a game where every item has value, scarcity matters, and players shape the economy.

Players can earn NESO, the main in-game currency, by completing quests and other gameplay tasks. Though it's initially off-chain, NESO can be converted into on-chain tokens. These on-chain NESO let players create NFTs from their in-game items and trade them.

The second token, NXPC, is the core utility token of the MapleStory Universe and has a fixed supply of 1 billion. It powers two key systems: Fission, which lets players use NXPC to issue new in-game items (this is the only way to create items in MapleStory N); and Fusion, which allows players to merge NFTs and get NXPC in return. 

Early Momentum

MapleStory N already has serious traction. During its two public test phases, over 31.5 million on-chain transactions were recorded. Of the in-game tokens earned, 76.2% was spent—a strong sign of economic activity. Nearly 1 million wallets were registered during test phases, and user retention hit an impressive 47–54%. 

To celebrate launch week, players who join early can unlock exclusive cosmetics like the Coin Mount and Opening Party Set. Plus, Discord users who show up during the launch window can earn the coveted @Orange Mushroom role—a fun badge of honor in the growing community.

Welcome to MapleStory Universe

MapleStory N is just the beginning. It's the first major release under the MapleStory Universe (MSU) umbrella—Nexon's broader push into web3. MSU includes multiple projects:

• MapleStory N Mobile for on-the-go gameplay
• MapleStory N Worlds, a sandbox builder with player-made content
• MapleStory N SDK, which opens up the IP for third-party devs

Together, they create a platform where players can play, build, and even develop their own apps and games.

Backing this ambitious vision is NEXPACE, Nexon's web3 arm. Based in Abu Dhabi, NEXPACE has steered the ecosystem from concept to launch with a strong focus on ownership and community tools. 

What's Next?

As the game launches, early contributors will get to claim their NXPC rewards at msu.io/claim. A total of 14.2 million NXPC will be distributed to testers, early community members, and top event participants. These tokens can be used in-game, staked, or bridged across chains for broader ecosystem use.

The NXPC token will also be tradable on Binance Alpha, PancakeSwap, and other exchanges, opening up further utility across web3.