Announcement

Dev Blog - Message from Director Jaeyun Cho
Aug 1, 2024 7,655

Hello, Racers. This is Jaeyun Cho.

It's been a while since my last message after stepping down as director of KartRider: Drift last September and saying good-bye to everyone. I find myself in a very exciting but, at the same time, difficult position. I should have said hello as soon as I was reinstated as director, but I was lost in thought as to how I should greet all of you again. Even as I write these words now, I am in a whirl of different emotions, and I hope you can understand why my greeting was delayed.

I had the opportunity to think a lot after stepping down as director. I was hoping very much that KartRider: Drift would do even better than when I was still a part of it, and I had a chance to look back at my own work in reflection. Although it does feel a bit late, I want to take the opportunity to apologize for not being able to meet your expectations, and for my past statements that may have disappointed you regarding the game. From now on, I promise to do my best to become a director who can properly respond to the passion and love you have for KartRider.

Today, I have some very important news to share with you as the director of KartRider: Drift regarding the game's direction.

KartRider: Drift is a project that was started with grand ambitions and expectations. It was officially introduced to the world last January as a game that supports full cross-platform play to meet the changing game landscape of today. As a developer and player who loves KartRider, this new challenge was incredibly meaningful to me as an individual.

Although some emphasis can be placed on KartRider: Drift for trying something new, we missed the most important core basics that the game was supposed to have. Despite our many goals and aspirations, we continued a service that didn't quite satisfy our players, which in turn made every member of the development and service staff think again and again on how we could change the game's direction in a more desirable way. We also tried to meet current trends in the gaming industry. But seeing as we have failed to meet the expectations of our players with our current service, we have reached the decision to start rebuilding from the ground up.

After careful consideration and discussion, we have come to the difficult decision to end our console, mobile, and global KartRider: Drift services to refocus on the PC platform for Korea and Taiwan, to better prepare for a rebound.

The game will be reborn as the KartRider that was originally envisioned at the start of the project - a new-age version of the KartRider franchise - and a game that Racers will be able to enjoy for hours at a time. The limiting of the service areas and the platform adjustments are both in accordance with realizing that goal, as we still haven't been able to fulfill our desire to deliver the fun of racing and a new experience with KartRider: Drift. To ensure that we achieve it this time, I and all of our staff members will sincerely do our best to make KartRider's legacy continue well into the future.

Currently we are reworking the development roadmap in this new direction, adjusting the update specs and intervals to meet this new change. Since we need to commit to the basic work to support the limited service area and platform adjustment, it will make frequent game updates more difficult. However, we do plan to announce a detailed update plan in the near future, with the ultimate goal of maintaining transparent communication so you remain aware of our development goals and update schedule in a timely manner.

Additionally, while this announcement could mean a new start for our Racers in Korea and Taiwan, I am incredibly sorry to our global Racers for whom this message will mean a sudden ending. Like I mentioned before, we will announce the full details of the platform and service adjustments in a separate notice in the future.

I am very aware of the concerns that have arisen with the news of my return as director of KartRider: Drift. I know that recovering the trust that I lost due to my previous actions will be difficult, but as a player who loves KartRider, I will do my best to make KartRider: Drift rise again. I promise everyone that with this responsibility, I will put all of my efforts into making KartRider: Drift shine.

Thank you,

-Director Jaeyun Cho and the KartRider: Drift Team-

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