Extraction games used to face a lot of resistance, but players seem far more open to the genre now. Nexon’s zombie-infested open-world title is another strong example of that shift, as its closed beta has already posted numbers that are hard to ignore.
Major trends sometimes appear out of nowhere. Years ago, the very concept of extraction games met with heavy resistance, but over time titles such as ARC Raiders, Hunt: Showdown, and the more recent Marathon have attracted hundreds of thousands of players. The current state of the industry suggests audiences are much more willing to give this genre a chance, and in that context NAKWON: Last Paradise looks well positioned to build on the momentum it is already generating.
Last week, Nexon’s new game was already making headlines after its first closed-beta weekend drew no fewer than 37,000 concurrent players, roughly half the number that Resident Evil Requiem managed. However, the South Korean company did not stop the test after just a few days, and the closed beta ultimately attracted nearly 280,000 players in total. Nexon itself confirmed the figure, while making one important clarification: this number refers to the total player count, not the Steam peak concurrency. In other words, while the game peaked at 37,468 concurrent users, around 280,000 people tried it over the full test period, including both one-day visitors and players who stayed with it throughout the beta.
Not only popular, but also demanding
According to Nexon’s data, only 393 players managed to reach the maximum level allowed in the test, level 10, which suggests the studio was not exaggerating when it said the game’s challenges are genuinely tough. On top of that, players recorded 1.8 million successful extractions, and one person reportedly escaped a raid carrying loot worth 3.7 million credits.
For those unfamiliar with it, NAKWON: Last Paradise is an extraction game, but not a shooter. Nexon places the action in a South Korean city devastated by a zombie outbreak, where players must fight not only the undead but also other humans in order to secure resources and equipment. What makes the game stand out is the way it blends survival, PvPvE, and extraction mechanics without relying on firearms. Players are expected to make do with whatever they can find, from sticks and stones to scraps of metal, if they want to survive each raid.
The game will also feature a personal shelter where players can rest and customize their surroundings, along with a basic crafting and progression system aimed at supporting a somewhat more arcade-style experience. There is still no confirmed release date, but Nexon says development is progressing smoothly, and more testing is planned before launch. That means there is a good chance players will get another opportunity to try it before release, possibly through an open beta.
Source: 3DJuegos
