Early Access Developer's Note #3-1

Hello, this is SJGO, the head of development for Dungeon Stalkers.

After we announced the season reset in the last developer's note, many of you Stalkers have expressed your concerns and disappointment. We sincerely apologize for the lack of information we shared, which has caused unnecessary misunderstanding and anxiety. We are taking every one of your voices to heart and would like to explain in more detail the direction of the season reset and what we are preparing.

■ Your Efforts Will Absolutely Not Be Lost

After listening to your diverse opinions and carefully reviewing them internally, we have decided to exclude Hideout ‘Build’ progress from the season reset.

• Excluded from Reset: Hideout ‘Build’ Progress

Through this decision, we want to show you that we are listening and that we never take your feedback lightly.

Other than this, major currencies like Gold and Coins, as well as progress such as Stalker levels and owned equipment, will be reset as planned. However, this too never means that all the effort and time you Stalkers have invested during the past season will disappear.

We plan to introduce a new point system that reflects all your gameplay achievements from the previous season. Through this system, you will be given what we're tentatively calling ‘Honor Points’ at the start of the new season, ensuring that all your accomplishments and activities from the last season serve as a strong foundation for your journey in the new one.

■ 'Honor Points' (Tentative Name) to Start the New Season With

As this system is still under development, it is difficult to disclose the detailed specifications today. However, we promise to share the detailed plan before the season reset.

Here are the details that have been confirmed so far:

• When it will be granted: At the start of the new season
• Contributing factors for calculation: Various progression data from the previous season, such as Stalker level, acquired Adventure Coins, and Gold
• Example of use:[list]
• Permanent rewards like character appearances/emotes that can only be obtained with these points

Expected effect: Designed so that those who fully enjoyed the previous season can earn corresponding honorable rewards

We will continue to refine the system to ensure it provides fitting rewards for those who passionately played the last season and offers meaningful motivation for those aiming for greater heights in the new season.

■ We Aim to Provide More Fun Through the Seasonal System

We would also like to explain why we have chosen a seasonal system and season resets.

Our goal is to provide new fun, metas, and strategic experiences with each season. If we carry over all progress from the previous season, the game's freshness and fairness would quickly diminish due to economic inflation, a solidified meta, and widening gaps between players. Our long-term internal tests also confirmed that a continuous progression structure accelerated boredom and increased stress.

For this reason, we have been developing the game based on the premise of a seasonal system, considering the reset of some stats and progression. Instead, we intend to convert the previous season's achievements into points, returning them as tangible rewards and benefits that ease the early-game experience.

We believe that the seasonal system is the best way for everyone to continue their challenge in the dungeons from a new starting line, exploring new strategies and tactics.

■ We Will Work with You, Not Make Unilateral Declarations

We want to emphasize that it is not our intention to unilaterally push the system we have designed or demand that you "just follow it." Although we are a small team, we chose the seasonal system to provide better and longer-lasting fun, and we will actively fix any problems that arise with each new season.

• Starting with the design of Season 1, we are refining the Honor Point system and reward structure to reflect your current concerns as much as possible.
• If more development is needed to compensate for the weaknesses of the seasonal system, our development team will put in the necessary time to make it happen.
• We will reverse wrong decisions and correct areas that need adjustment through updates.

For now, we kindly ask you to trust and wait just a little longer for the blueprint of Season 1 that we are preparing. After you experience it for yourselves, we will listen to your further suggestions and sharp criticisms and repay you with a better game.

We are always listening to the voices of the community. We clearly understand the value of the time and effort you have invested, and we will design our systems in a way that respects that value.

Once again, we apologize for the confusion caused by our previously insufficient guidance.

We believe the best approach going forward is to show you through updates, and to continuously listen to your opinions and make adjustments throughout the process. We would be grateful if you could watch over us for just a little longer.

The development team is currently preparing for the September update and the season update simultaneously, and we will be back with more specific details as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Sincerely, SJGO