Ragnarok Online (Korean: 라그나로크 온라인, also called Ragnarök or The Final Destiny of the Gods) is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Gravity. It is based on the manhwa Ragnarok by Lee Myung-jin. The game was released in South Korea on August 31, 2002, for computers running Microsoft Windows. It has led to the creation of an animated series titled Ragnarok the Animation and a sequel game called Ragnarok Online 2: Legend of the Second. In the game, players control characters in a world where they can interact with non-playable characters (NPCs) and defeat creatures that appear in different maps. Players must defeat these creatures to increase their level and obtain items.

Gameplay

The game is based on Norse mythology, with characters inspired by stories about Ragnarök. Players control 2D character images that appear from different angles in a 3D world. The game includes several types of gameplay supported by servers, such as Player vs. Environment, Guild vs. Guild, and Player vs. Player. Other supported modes include Group vs. Group, Arena Combat, Player vs. Monster, Player vs. All, and specific scenarios in certain areas of the game world. Challenges and contests led by non-player characters are also available, offering prizes, awards, or recognition in a hall of fame.

Players can complete quests for rewards and use storage and teleport services for a small cost. Each town has shops and stores where players can buy and sell items. Stores vary between cities because each city is linked to a specific job type, so the items sold are related to that job. Quests often provide unique rewards, such as new skills or rare items.

The game originally had 13 character classes, but updates have expanded this to over 50 classes. Each class has specialized skills based on roles in role-playing games. Some equipment is only available for certain classes, and the quality of the equipment depends on the character's attributes.

When a player reaches level 99 for their overall level and level 50 for their class, they can "rebirth" their character (except for expansion classes and Super Novices). Rebirthing resets both the player's overall level and class level to 1. Reborn characters function similarly to regular characters until reaching their second class. Instead of choosing a second class, reborn characters can advance to a new second class with more skills and more stat points to assign. These advanced classes require more experience to level up. Players can later progress to third classes, which offer additional skills and allow them to exceed the traditional level cap of 99.

Setting

Ragnarok Online is split into different maps located on two large continents. Each continent has unique landforms and monsters that live there, although some monsters can be found in more than one area. To move between maps, players must start the new map. Monsters cannot move between maps unless they are connected to the player, such as a pet, mount, or helper character. Some areas in the game are based on places from Norse mythology.

History

Ragnarok Online was first released in South Korea in August 2002. In 2010, the official servers of Ragnarok Online had major changes called "Renewal." These changes updated how the game worked, including how character stats, equipment, and modifiers functioned. They also changed how characters earned experience and introduced new 3rd Job Classes. Other updates included changes to the game’s interface, hotkeys, and skills.

On May 25, 2018, when European General Data Protection Regulation rules took effect, Ragnarok Online and Ragnarok Online 2 servers were closed in most European countries, except those in CIS countries. The Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines (MSP) servers of Ragnarok Online were shut down on November 28, 2021.

Reception

In general, Ragnarok Online has been highly praised by experts and has sold many copies or made a lot of money, particularly in South Korea during the middle of the 2000s.

Related media

Gravity worked with SkyZone Entertainment to create a set of separate mobile games that go along with Ragnarok Online. There were five games, each based on one of the six original character classes, which means the Acolyte class was not included. The only game released in the North American market, called Ragnarok: Mobile Mage, allows players to use the mage class. Players can move the zeny (the money used inside the game) they earn in the mobile game to their Ragnarok Online account.