(Dev Note) The Background Behind the Difficulty Rework and the June Update
The First Berserker: Khazan · published
Hello Berserkers!
This is Junho Lee, Creative Director of The First Berserker: Khazan.
Before we dive into the details of what's coming,
I'd like to address something many of you have been curious about: the recent difficulty rework.
Why did we change the difficulty names?
At launch, we set our intended standard experience as "Normal" and added a more accessible option labeled "Easy."
We figured that if players found the game too difficult, they'd simply switch to Easy.
But when we looked at the data, we saw that many players just quit the game without ever changing the difficulty.
When we asked why, a lot of people said, "I'd rather quit with dignity than drop it down to Easy."
Some also said that if the default had been called "Hard" instead, they would've felt okay about switching down to "Normal."
Difficulty is subjective, and each player experiences Khazan's challenges differently.
That's why we offered multiple difficulty options from the start.
We wanted more people to enjoy Khazan, and we thought it would be better to let players freely adjust the challenge. We thought it was up to the player to lower it if it's too hard or raise it if it's too easy.
That's one of the biggest lessons I've learned from all of you.
So, we changed the difficulty names to give players more flexibility.
The old "Easy" is now called "Normal," and the old "Normal" is now "Challenge."
We also changed the default starting difficulty to "Normal."
Why did we add a Beginner difficulty?
Many players recommended Khazan as a good entry point into hardcore action or Soulslike games, especially since it had an Easy mode.
But at the same time, we also heard a lot of feedback saying, "Sure, there's an Easy mode... but it's the hardest Easy mode I've ever played."
One of Khazan's strengths is that it offers selectable difficulty levels as a hardcore action game, so we wanted to expand that range and make it a game we could confidently recommend as a true starting point.
To that end, we didn't just adjust combat parameters. We also added quality-of-life features like enemy outlines when out of combat, so it's easier to recognize targets and engage at your own pace.
With this Beginner difficulty, I hope more players can jump into Khazan without feeling pressured, and, once they build confidence, take on the challenge of Normal or Challenge difficulty.
Why did we add a Hardcore difficulty?
The truth is, Khazan's current difficulty has already been significantly toned down through extensive testing and polishing.
But for those who have already completed Khazan's challenging journey, we wanted to bring back that raw, intense thrill we originally envisioned.
During development, the early boss prototypes were brutally difficult, and we even considered compiling them into a separate game mode.
Unfortunately, aside from the difficulty, those early versions weren't polished enough to be released.
Instead, we created a new difficulty setting with a set of strict limitations designed to capture that same primal thrill.
While testing, we thought, "Maybe this is a bit too much?" So we added an attack damage bonus to soften the blow. But to our surprise, many of you cleared it more easily than expected.
For this patch, we're rolling it out in its pure form, exactly as we originally envisioned it.
We're also preparing improvements to address some of the inconveniences tied to the camera that's exclusive to this mode.
Based on many of your requests, we've added to our to-do list the option to use the Hardcore camera in other difficulties.
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Now, let's get into the details of the June 27 update!
This is probably what you've all been waiting for.
The Khazan (F) DLC will be available for free to everyone, and players who log in online by 4:29 PM on June 26 UTC will receive the Pathfinder Pack as a bonus!
For more information, please check out our previous announcement: .
Boss Exhaustion Duration Adjustment
The exhaustion durations have been extended for early bosses: Yetuga, Blade Phantom, and Viper.
Exhaustion is one of the core mechanics of combat.
Enemies in an exhausted state take additional damage and can't put up a fight,
giving you a window to unleash free attacks, including the powerful Brutal Attack.
But we came to see that, since players are still getting used to the game when they're fighting these early bosses, the exhaustion window for early bosses may be too short. So we've increased it a bit.
We did go back and forth on it quite a bit because this could technically be seen as a boss nerf. Ultimately, we felt it was important to give players a bit more time to engage with and learn the exhaustion mechanic early on.
Combo Guide Improvements
We've added tutorial guides to Stormpass that introduce each weapon's mechanics and basic combos during their respective trials.
These guides are designed to help new players quickly understand each weapon's unique features, try them out, and use simple combos right away.
Sprint Stamina Cost Reduction
We found that adjusting Sprint Stamina cost in higher difficulties didn't actually make the game more challenging. It just made it more frustrating.
To deal with this aspect of the challenge, we've lowered the Sprint Stamina cost in both Challenge and Hardcore difficulties to match the Normal setting.
We also considered removing the cost entirely... but we'll need a bit more time to make that call.
Spirit of Advocacy Requirement Lowered
We heard a lot of feedback that requiring a Lacrima of Circulation to summon a Spirit of Advocacy often disrupted boss progression. And I completely agree.
After careful consideration and multiple internal discussions, we've finally decided to remove this requirement.
Augment Gear Requirement Lowered & Danjin Shop Helm Purchase Limit Removed
We received a lot of feedback on the augment gear system.
As I've mentioned several times on Discord, we believe this system needs a fundamental improvement.
But since that kind of change would require large-scale development, we've made some interim adjustments to address the immediate inconvenience.
Starting with this patch, inherited gear will receive a fixed level increase based on the grade of the material gear: Legendary: +5, Epic: +4, Unique: +3, and so on.
We've also removed the one-time purchase limit on Danjin Shop rewards, allowing you to buy them repeatedly without restrictions.
Reward Improvements
We've enhanced the performance of the set items obtainable through Great General's Crucible and Berserker's Bloodshed.
Rewards earned from Great General's Crucible will also be upgraded from Epic to Legendary tier.
And we've increased the drop rates for consumable crafting materials so you can gather more resources more easily.
While not part of this patch, here's a quick preview of what we're working on behind the scenes:
- Gear Tier Upgrade System
- For example... you'll be able to upgrade Epic gear to Legendary.
We're also working to improve some of the more tedious or frustrating sections in level-based gameplay, and looking to make leveling feel more rewarding overall.
And now, for an important announcement!
The First Berserker: Khazan (Extended Original Game Soundtrack) will be released at 3 AM on June 27 UTC!
It features 33 hand-picked tracks in addition to the original launch OST and will be available on Nepli's YouTube channel and on other music platforms.
We hope everything we've prepared brings even more enjoyment to all you Berserkers out there.
Thank you, truly, for your unwavering love and support for Khazan.
Sincerely, Junho Lee
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※ Some terms may be subject to change as development progresses.