The VR MMORPG Zenith is set to become more like World of Warcraft
Zenith: The Last City will be completely overhauled in the next major update. In a blog post, the studio describes what they want to improve.
The VR MMORPG was released on all major VR platforms in early 2022 and had a successful launch. It ranks among the top 25 premium Quest apps in terms of number of ratings. The user numbers impressed investors, who subsequently invested $35 million in studio Ramen VR.
Four major updates have been released since the launch:
- The Celestial Throne (June 2022) brought instanced dungeons and raids.
- Legends Untold (November 2022) brought new early and late game content, three new zones, and a pet system.
- Skyward Summit (May 2023) added a third class, the Cyber Ninja, PVP, player housing, and a new zone.
- Might & Mastery (October 2023) introduced a new skill tree and leaderboards.
October also saw the release of an update that improved the graphics on Meta Quest 3
Zenith 2.0: These are the design pillars
In the latest blog post, the studio discusses the "fundamental changes" coming with the next major update. The development of Zenith: The Last City 2.0 will be guided by several design pillars.
First, Ramen VR wants players to reap the rewards of progression and feel powerful as they play their characters. Second, the studio wants to create more incentives to play together and make it easier to meet and get to know other players.
The third goal is to simplify the core systems and core gameplay loop "without losing the magic that makes the game what it is". The game should be fun to play right from the start, without a long learning curve.
The fourth pillar is to provide regular updates with new content: Zenith 2.0 should always offer something new. "Easy to learn, hard to master" is the fifth design pillar. The studio cites WoW and Destiny as shining examples.
Ramen VR is doubling down on VR
The team wants to stay true to virtual reality and has no plans to port Zenith to flat platforms in the foreseeable future.
"We’re doubling down on XR because we believe it’s the future of games and game development. Our goal is to evolve both established VR mechanics and innovate new ones to build gameplay that is only possible in virtual reality," writes the studio.
There will be no concrete announcements about Update 2.0 until next year. In 2024, a closed alpha is planned that will involve hundreds if not thousands of community members.
Zenith: The Last City is available in the Meta Quest Store, on Steam and in the Playstation Store.
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