WarpPortal:Blog

Hi, everyone!

This week we’re taking it easy due to the hot weather and celebrating National Video Games Day this Saturday, September 12th.

This day honors games because they are both fun and challenging. Video games also connect people and help us learn more about ourselves.
Another great thing is that video games evolve. They have been around so long that we now make retro games to honor the design, systems, and artwork from previous generations.

Things are changing quickly in video games, as well. Smaller teams now make games where that was not really possible due to technical limitations.
Now, some people even make games with artificial intelligence to help cover gaps in the development process.

It’s an exciting time to be a gamer. So let’s celebrate video games together!
Play with a friend or tackle some challenges alone – it’s up to you. That’s another one of the great benefits of video games!!

See you next time!
Have a great weekend!!

Pre-registration for Ragnarok Zero is open now.

Sign up before launch to claim a Blue Poring Balloon costume, Red Potions, Bubble Gum, and a Growth Elixir when the game launches.

There are extra rewards to collect along the way.
Check in each day during the 30-day event, invite friends with your referral code, and keep an eye on official channels for hidden codes that can be exchanged for potions.
Returning players can verify their accounts for VIP items, and community goals may unlock buffs and bonuses for everyone.

Visit the Ragnarok Zero pre-registration page to get started.

The Future of iRO: A Look Ahead

The adventure never stops, and neither does the work behind it. Check out our new video for a glimpse at what’s coming to Ragnarok Online:

For more than twenty years, adventurers have battled monsters, joined guilds, and built memories in Rune Midgard. Episode 20 is still fresh, and many of you are deep in its stories and toughest fights. That journey isn’t over, but the road ahead is already taking shape.

We’re sharing a glimpse of what’s to come:

– A look back at Episode 20’s adventures
– Peeks at challenges and moments waiting down the road
– A reminder that Ragnarok Online keeps growing, even beyond what’s currently scheduled

Not everything shown is locked in yet, but we’ll get there. Consider it a window toward the horizon.

To everyone who’s been with us since Prontera’s gates first opened, and to everyone just starting out, thank you for being part of this world.
Whether you’ve got twenty years in or twenty minutes, welcome to the community.

We’ll have more to share soon, so keep an eye out.
Drop your thoughts in our community channels, we’d love to hear what you’re most excited for.

See ya next week, adventurers. We’ll see you in Rune Midgard!

For me, National Lazy Day—or Relaxation Day—is all about doing as little as possible and enjoying it without feeling guilty. My perfect lazy day starts with a good meal, then I lie down, get comfortable, and spend hours watching YouTube or reading webtoons. When it comes to gaming YouTubers, I don’t really stick to one specific game or creator. I like watching all kinds of games, whether it’s an MMORPG, an H5 game, some random game someone discovered on Steam, or even a horror game that I would probably never play myself. I can easily spend hours going from one video to another, or getting completely lost in a webtoon without realizing how much time has passed. On a true relaxation day, the only reason I want to get up is because it’s time for lunch or dinner. Sometimes the best way to recharge isn’t going somewhere exciting or doing something productive—it’s simply having good food, lying down, and enjoying whatever keeps you entertained for the day.

— Justin J, Asst Project Manager

---

After a tough day, I like to relax to some heavy action game like a shooter or ARPG. Most recently, Warframe… for the second time.
I just slap on the noise-cancelling earbuds and just drown out everything. That’s my post-stressful day relaxation mode.

On more calm days I like to play something that can focus my mind like an RPG.  Lately, I’ve been playing Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (Switch 2) and that’s been a nice break from the routine. With its many jobs called ‘Lives” it can be fun to just do some logging, fishing, or mining to advance within the guilds. Getting in a little progress before winding down for the evening is a nice way to take my mind off of the summer heat and just chill with a cold drink.

— Mace T, Project Manager

We’re celebrating International Cat Day and Friendship Day!

Due to a technical issue, we are a few days late.
So we’ll have two blogs this week!

Let’s jump in…

We decided to ask the team to share some of their favorite moments about cats in-game or in real life or talk about memorable moments related to games and friends, both real ones and digital. Let’s check in to find out what they had to say…

---

Games used to feel like a place where friendships happened naturally, whether you were playing an MMORPG, a multiplayer FPS, a MOBA, or even a single-player console game and asking others for help online. I made many friends while exploring worlds, completing quests, grinding levels, fighting bosses, and joining guilds together. Age or background rarely mattered; what mattered was that we enjoyed the same game. Unfortunately, modern games, especially MMORPGs, often encourage solo play and make it easier to experience everything alone. I also prefer playing solo more than I used to, but part of me still misses the culture of meeting new people and forming lasting friendships through games.

Justin J, — Asst. Project Manager

---

Cats shared by Kevin D, Client Success.

---

One of the great things about gaming is the friendships that can develop. Sitting on a couch with your friends can be a great way to bond or test how well you know one another. Sometimes, you’re perfectly in-sync and you’re moving together in harmony and other times you can want to shut down everything and send your friend home. These moments help to define us and allow us to grow together when it all works out.

For those of us who like to play games online we are offered similar experiences from time to time but they seem to be more rare as games become more competitive.

I was fortunate to have really meaningful remote-friendships in early MMOs like Final Fantasy XI and DC Universe Online that I will carry with me always. While I made some friends in other games like the Elder Scrolls Online, Final Fantasy XIV, and Warframe, the depth of shared experience was just not the same as later games have so many side quests and progression paths to take which often splinter cooperative play more than foster it.

That heavy grind for epic gear may seem really important to you but lackluster to your friends.
Sometimes you compromise and do raids that you’re not fond of to appease your friends which can be worthwhile or heartbreaking, but in the end, that’s what friendship is all about: growing together and growing apart and, hopefully, growing together again. I am grateful to the game industry for providing many great moments with friends both real and digital and look forward to more in the years to come.

The resurgence of co-op games is definitely a ray of light here. Despite the industry’s heavy focus on games that pit one player versus the world, I look forward to games that allow two or more friends to bond and tackle challenges together while learning together, working through each other’s strengths and weaknesses. That’s one of the beautiful things about gaming that has less to do with frame rates, art direction, or hours played – they bring us together. And that’s worth celebrating.

— Mace T, Project Manager

---

PLAY TOGETHER!
For more games that are designing to help maintain and grow your friendships check out this list:

• Co-Optimus
• r/couchcoop
• r/CoOpGaming
• Couch Co-Op Favorites
• New Game Network
• Screen Hype
• Classic Co-Op (YouTube)
• itch.io Local Co-Op
• Gaming Couch
• CrazyGames Co-op

That’s all for now.
Look out for our second blog later this week.
Thanks for reading!