Cinder City: NCSoft’s “Project LLL” Evolution

Back in 2022, NCSoft announced a new tactical MMO shooter that at the time was called Project LLL. Currently, there have been updates regarding its development, among them its new name, Cinder City, in the hands of BigFire Games, and it will soon be available on both PC and consoles, without giving too many details about exactly which platforms, or about its release date or launch window. Personally, its look reminds me a lot of games like Crysis 2, although with a view at times much more dynamic, though less immersive, in third person.

Cinder City is being developed with UE5 technology, and promises an open sci-fi world that combines futuristic advancements of the 23rd century with weaponry elements we already know today. Its setting takes place in a devastated futuristic version of Seoul, especially in its Samseong-dong and Nonhyeon-dong districts, and it showcases realistic combat mechanics that will simulate “the operating principles of firearms”. If you want to get an idea of how it looks so far, take a look at its Official Trailer presented at Gamescom 2025, courtesy of GameTrailers:

As NCSoft Knows How To Do It

As we all know, NCSoft already has a long history when it comes to MMOs with extensive and deep lore. Currently, almost anything that comes from them is well received by the community, and although not all have been successes, the hype generated before and during their launches is usually gigantic. Among their most popular titles we find Lineage 1 and 2, Guild Wars 1 and 2, City of Heroes, City of Villains together with Going Rogue, and Blade & Soul, to mention a few. Personally, I’ve been a loyal GW2 player for several years now, so I have a pretty clear idea of what they are capable of achieving when they set their minds to it.

Now then, back in 2022, when Project LLL was announced, three key terms were mentioned that sought to differentiate it or at least distance it from the most popular types of games in recent years, battle royale and looter shooter. Those terms were “shooter”, “MMO”, and “open world”, Currently, that premise has remained, resulting in a proposal whose first impression looks simply spectacular. “We developed a project that combines different styles of play and elements from previous NC games, and we are very happy to share a preview with our community”, they publicly declared.

During its presentation, they talked about predefined characters, in the style of The First Descendant, and not created through an editor, like Guild Wars 2, to mention two comparative titles that I know very well. Each of these characters will have their own deep story, in this world inspired by the great sci-fi novels and films that deal with the relationship between humanity and technology, such as Foundation, Dune, Blade Runner, Total Recall, or The Man in the High Castle.

In addition, among other interesting features, it was mentioned that its main map would cover more than 18 miles. Not bad, huh?

So…

NCSoft and BigFire Games will launch Cinder City soon, although there are still no details about an approximate date or the platforms it will be available for, we can assume at first that it could be PC, PS5, and Xbox Series, which currently makes the most sense. If you want to stay informed, and follow it closely so you don’t miss any news, right below you’ll find all its official links. And while we wait, how about jumping into the comments and telling us what you’ve thought of this proposal? You know gamer, we’ll be reading you! 😉

Images Source: GameTrailers Official YouTube Channel, Cinder City on X, Cinder City Official Website