One of the oldest action MMOs around gets its first level cap update in years: "The main focus of this update is to emphasize the core RPG experience - the fun of farming"

Dungeon Fighter Online, one of the oldest action MMOs still going, has launched its first new level cap expansion since July 2022. Season 9 Act 1, titled Sunken Depths, takes the game's level cap from 110 to 115 and adds several new dungeons and monsters, new regions to explore, and a revamp of the game's farming and equipment systems.

Developer Neople hopes the massive update will breathe new life into the online beat 'em up game, whose worldwide release happened almost ten years ago in May 2015.

We had the chance to catch up with Dungeon Fighter Online lead game designer Hyun Woo Kim, and he explained the studio's intention behind the update and the significance of its timing:

"The main focus of this update is to emphasize the core RPG experience — the fun of farming," said Kim. "We determined that now was the right timing at which we would be able to deliver this content with the highest level of polish possible. Additionally, with the 10th anniversary of DFO’s global service, this update holds special significance both for us and our users. We thought that this new season update is the most exciting experience we can offer to our players at this time, sort of like an anniversary gift."

Season 9 Act 1. Sunken Depths - YouTube

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Since the last level cap expansion in July 2022, Dungeon Fighter Online has released smaller updates to various equipment, systems, and gameplay including Legions and Raids, but the global releases tend to lag behind the Korean versions by several months. To address this, the team at Neople has been "gradually expanded" as part of a "Fast Track” initiative that has reduced the gap between the Korean and global updates from 4–6 months to 2–3 months.

"Moving forward, we will continue to deliver faster and more polished updates," Kim said. "While there is always a possibility that update intervals could change depending on development circumstances, we will always try our best to provide a more satisfying experience for players through continuous improvements."

For everything that's included in the Sunken Depths update, you can check out the complete patch notes here.

Otherwise, check out our definitive round-up of the best MMOs to play right now.