MapleStory (Korean: 메이플스토리) is a free-to-play, 2D, side-scrolling game where many players can play online together. It was created by the South Korean company Wizet and published by Nexon. Different versions of the game are available for specific countries or regions, and some are published by other companies, including Nexon.
Players explore different worlds, such as Maple World, the Arcane River between worlds, and the alien world of Grandis. They defeat monsters and improve their characters’ abilities, which is common in role-playing games. Players can chat, trade items, and team up in groups called parties to fight monsters and share rewards. They can also join guilds to connect with other players. In the game’s "Cash Shop," players can buy new character designs or helpful tools using real money or in-game currency earned through gameplay.
In July 2010, the Korean version of the game received an update called the "Big Bang." Other versions of the game later got the same update. Later that year, the Korean version received the "Chaos" update, which added player versus player battles and new character roles. A sequel called MapleStory 2 was released in July 2015. It uses 3D graphics and has a similar story. As of 2020, MapleStory had more than 180 million registered users worldwide and earned over $3 billion in total revenue.
Plot
The story of MapleStory happens in several different worlds, including Maple World, Arcane River, and Grandis. These worlds were created by powerful beings called the Overseers, who assigned each world three guardians to protect them: the Transcendent of Time, the Transcendent of Life, and the Transcendent of Light. The first major part of the story focuses on the main villain of Maple World, the Black Mage. The Black Mage was once the Transcendent of Light, known as the White Mage, until an experiment failed and his light core became corrupted. Six heroes sealed the Black Mage for many years, but this action caused them to be trapped as well. In modern times, the Black Mage’s followers, called the Black Wings, began to return and tried to bring him back to life. To stop this, Empress Cygnus formed the Cygnus Knights to fight the Black Wings and the Black Mage’s leaders. As the seal on the Black Mage weakened, the heroes from the past started to return. After the Black Mage escaped, Empress Cygnus created the Maple Alliance, which united the free-spirited Explorers, the Cygnus Knights, the Resistance against the Black Wings, the six Heroes of Maple, and brave adventurers from other worlds.
The Maple Alliance continued fighting the Black Wings and won a major battle at Black Heaven, where a hero of the Alliance became the Adversary, a champion with divine power. Soon after, the Black Mage created a place called the Arcane River to destroy the world and rebuild it in his image. The Adversary traveled through the Arcane River and fought the last of the Black Mage’s leaders before the Alliance launched a final attack to stop the Black Mage. The Adversary defeated the Black Mage, saving Maple World from destruction.
After the Black Mage’s death, the story moved to Grandis, a world that had slowly merged with Maple World because of the Black Mage’s actions. The main villain of Grandis, Gerand Darmoor, believed his people, the High Flora, were superior and wanted to reshape all life to match his vision. To stop him, groups from Grandis joined the Maple Alliance. After the Black Mage’s death, the Alliance sent its forces to battle Darmoor and his followers.
Gameplay
MapleStory is a game played on a screen with side-scrolling movement. Players use a keyboard and mouse to control their characters. The keyboard handles many game actions, and its functions can be changed to fit each player's preferences. The mouse is mainly used to interact with other characters in the game and to manage items. The main goal of the game is to explore dungeons, fight monsters, and battle bosses in real time. Players earn in-game money called "Mesos," experience points, and items by defeating monsters and completing tasks. They can also choose professions that let them create equipment, accessories, or potions.
Players can interact with others online in several ways. They can join groups to share rewards from defeating monsters, get married in the game as a heterosexual couple, join guilds that display names next to their characters, or form families that include younger and older characters. Players can increase or decrease a popularity stat called "Fame" by competing in mini-games like Gomoku or Concentration. They can also trade "Mesos" or items with other players.
MapleStory characters exist in different worlds or servers. Players can create multiple characters in each world, but characters in different worlds cannot interact. Each world has similar content, and worlds are divided into channels where players can switch between them. In December 2007, the ability to move characters between worlds was added to Global MapleStory, but with limits on items. This feature was removed in May 2012 because it affected gameplay negatively.
When creating a new character, players choose from nine class branches, three of which do not have specific branches. These include Explorers (people from Maple Island who travel to Victoria Island), Cygnus Knights (protectors of Maple World), and Heroes (original fighters who sealed the Black Mage). Other branches include Resistance (people from Edelstein fighting the Black Wings), Sengoku (warriors from a Japanese-inspired region), Nova (dragon-like people from Grandis), Flora (elf-like people from Grandis), Anima (animal-like people from Grandis), and Jianghu (people from a forest-like region). Sia Astelle, Zero, and Kinesis are classes without specific branches. Some classes are only available in certain regions or during specific times of the year.
Explorer characters start on Maple Island as Beginners. They can advance to one of five classes: Warrior, Bowman, Magician, Thief, or Pirate. After choosing a class, they can progress further at levels 30, 60, 100, 200, and 260. Three Explorer classes—Dual Blade (Thief), Pathfinder (Bowman), and Cannoneer (Pirate)—are created differently.
Cygnus Knight characters begin as Noblesse in Ereve and can advance to five classes at level 10.
Six Hero classes are available: Aran, Evan, Mercedes, Phantom, Luminous, and Shade. These classes are connected to the Black Mage, a major antagonist. Aran uses a Combo System to generate special abilities. Evan fights alongside a dragon. Mercedes uses dual bowguns. Phantom mimics skills from Explorers. Luminous uses light and dark magic. Shade is a forgotten hero who uses spirits in battle.
Resistance characters start in Edelstein, a town controlled by the Black Wings. They begin as Citizens and can advance to four classes: Battle Mage, Wild Hunter, Blaster, or Mechanic. A Demon class can become a Demon Slayer or Demon Avenger. Xenon is a cyborg who escaped from the Black Wings and uses Whip Blades.
Three main continents exist in MapleStory: Maple Island, Victoria Island, and Ossyria. Maple Island is where players begin their journey. Victoria Island has eight cities and is where most classes start. Ossyria includes seven areas with different environments: El Nath Mountains, Ludus Lake, Aqua Road, Minar Forest, Mu Lung Garden, Nihal Desert, and Temple of Time. Ereve and Rien are separate areas where new classes begin.
The Cash Shop is a place in the game where players use real money to buy virtual items like avatars, digital pets, and other goods. Most items from the Cash Shop have an expiration date. It also allows players to set up a store in the Free Market, a location for trading in the classic game mode.
Music
The main composer for MapleStory is NECORD (ASTERIA). In 2016, Nexon created its own music team called ASTERIA and a sound team named NECORD. These groups began making music and releasing albums independently. In 2017, they recorded music with an orchestra in Budapest, Hungary.
The game’s music has received positive feedback. Because the game has been available for many years, it has helped players who no longer play remember past experiences. Some songs, such as the music for Lith Harbor village, Eos Tower/Helios Tower in Ludibrium, Blockbuster: Black Heaven, Chu Chu Island, and Lachelein the Dreaming City, have been played on South Korean television shows. The "Aquarium" music from the village of Aqua Road has been included in some South Korean music textbooks.
From 2006 to 2015, Studio EIM composed the game’s music. Starting in 2014, official sound recordings were released, beginning with FriendStory and Blockbuster: Black Heaven. At this time, M2U, a group hired from Studio EIM, composed music for Ariant Coliseum and Ereve.
In 2010, Kim Eun-bi, who was among the top six contestants on Superstar K 2, became a Maple Girl, a promotional model for MapleStory. She released a song titled "I'm My Fan," which was different from other Maple Girls’ music. In 2015, professional singer Taru performed a song. From 2017, Second Moon began singing songs at MapleStory events because they were responsible for the music in the hologram musical Comic MapleStory in 2016. In 2018, Ha Hyun-woo of Guckkasten and the Guckkasten band performed songs related to the game. In 2021, Bewhy also sang a song.
S.I.D-Sound composed music for events such as the MapleStory 8th anniversary in 2011, the RED theme song in 2013, and the soundtrack for FriendStory in 2014.
In 2015, SQUARE MUSIQ composed songs like "Violeta Over Flowers," a promotional song, and "Promise of Heaven," a vocal track from Blockbuster: Black Heaven.
In 2020, ESTIMATE and ESTi composed music for Yum Yum Island, Adele’s theme, Ristonia, Grand Athenaeum Episode VI: Sharenian Knights, and Hotel Arcus.
Development
MapleStory was first created and released in South Korea. By 2003, the game was adapted for ten different regions. Publishers in other areas license the game for their regions, which means rules are set in place (except for the Korean version, which requires a KSSN) to ensure players use their region’s localized version. In 2011, LevelUp! Games did not renew the agreement to adapt the game for Brazil.
An update called Big Bang was released for Korean MapleStory in July 2010. Other regions followed shortly after. This update changed the game’s basic programming and many game features. A later update named Chaos introduced new character roles and player versus player combat.
In March 2015, an update called Black Heaven was released for Master’s North American server. Players who had registered before the update and before March 9 received a free Ignition Pack if they logged in between March 14 and after the update was available.
In December 2015, Nexon released the MapleStory Reboot update for its North American server. This update allows players to access the Reboot world, which has no trading, higher chances of receiving in-game currency (Meso), and weapon/equipment drops that match a player’s class. The Reboot world includes the same monsters as other worlds but with stronger stats and more experience points.
In December 2016, an update called the 5th Job Advancement was released. Players reaching Level 200 must complete specific quests to unlock their 5th Job skills. These skills are divided into three categories: Shared Skills (available to all characters), Class-Specific Skills (available to certain classes), and Job Skills (available only to specific jobs).
In July 2022, Nexon released the Destiny: Remastered update for its North American server. This update updated the skills of all Explorer classes (except the newest class, Pathfinder), added new storyline content, and simplified existing storylines. A new boss named Kalos was also added to the game.
In October and November 2023, Nexon released an update named 6th Job Advancement, which introduced new skills for all classes. On April 16, 2025, Nexon America announced plans to develop a Global MapleStory Classic World during their 20th anniversary event. According to Miyoung Oh, one of the game’s original lead developers, MapleStory Classic World will recreate the early game experience while including some modern improvements. Nexon America’s Chief Product Officer, Hanbyeol Oh, did not share a release date for Classic World but said more details would be announced in the second half of 2025.
Players and revenue
In Global MapleStory (GMS), more than 1 million players purchased items from the Cash Shop by 2010. By 2006, MapleStory had 39 million user accounts worldwide. By 2011, MapleStory Global had over 8 million users. As of 2014, the game was among the top ten massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) in the world based on revenue. As of 2020, the game had more than 180 million registered users worldwide.
Up until 2011, the game earned $1.8 billion. From 2013 to 2017, the game earned $1.181 billion in total, including $326 million in 2013, $240 million in 2014, $253 million in 2015, $83 million in 2016, and $279 million in 2017. As of 2020, the game had earned more than $3 billion worldwide in total revenue over its lifetime.
Microtransactions legal penalties
In 2024, Nexon was fined ₩11.6 billion (about $8.9 million) for breaking South Korea's Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce Act. It was said that Nexon changed the chance of certain items appearing in the game MapleStory without telling players. This was the biggest fine ever given for breaking this rule. Nexon had broken the rule before, in 2018, when it was fined for its game Sudden Attack.
Related games
MapleStory DS is a game inspired by MapleStory and is designed for one player to play alone. It was released for the Nintendo DS on April 15, 2010, in Korea.
MapleStory: Thief Edition and MapleStory: Cygnus Knights Edition were versions of MapleStory made for iOS devices in 2011. These mobile games limited players to one or two character roles. In Thief Edition, players could only choose the Thief role. In Cygnus Knights Edition, players could only choose the Blaze Wizard or Dawn Warrior roles.
MapleStory – The Girl's Fate is a separate game for the Nintendo 3DS and is designed for one player. It introduces a new character named Mugi. The game was released on April 25, 2013, in Korea and Japan. It is called Maplestory: Girl of Destiny internationally, due to a fan-made English translation.
MapleStory M is a mobile game released for iOS and Android devices in South Korea in October 2016. It was later released in other countries on May 28, 2018.
The sequel, MapleStory 2, was released in Korea on July 7, 2015. Unlike its earlier version, MapleStory 2 takes place on a 3D grid-like world often viewed from a side angle.
MapleStory R: Evolution is an idle-game mobile RPG. It was officially released in Southeast Asia on July 28, 2023, and is played on a vertical screen. The game’s launch included live events in Malaysia and Vietnam.
MapleStory Universe is a group of games that use cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. MapleStory N, which is part of MapleStory Universe, was launched worldwide in May 2025.
Media adaptations
The Japanese anime series titled MapleStory ( メイプルストーリー , Meipuru Sutōrī ) was created based on the game and made by Madhouse. It was shown on TV Tokyo from October 7, 2007, to March 30, 2008, and included 25 episodes. The story follows a warrior who travels to restore the world tree.
Nexon America introduced a MapleStory trading card game on November 6, 2007. Nexon Korea and Nexon Japan later released similar trading card games, but Nexon America no longer offers this service.
Nexon launched a public beta version of MapleStory Adventures on July 27, 2011, as a version for Facebook gaming. The game mainly focused on single-player gameplay but included key elements from the full MapleStory game, such as creating an avatar, fighting monsters, and completing quests. This version was no longer available after July 31, 2013.