DevCAT is finishing Mabinogi Mobile, which opened pre-registration on August 24, 2026 ahead of a planned Japan launch within 2026. The studio is promoting the game through developer interviews and a Tokyo Game Show 2026 demo.
DevCAT's current work is Mabinogi Mobile, and the four stories trace a project moving from explanation to launch preparation. Pre-registration opened on August 24, 2026 for the Japan release planned within 2026 on iOS, Android, and PC with cross-play. The free-to-play online RPG rebuilds the world of the Mabinogi IP, with a new original main story alongside characters such as Nao, Rona, and Pan. Players pick from 18 classes across six systems and can switch by changing weapons.
The studio has spent the months before launch defining what the game is not. Studio head Kim Dong-gon and development director Lee Jin-hoon described it as a different bard's interpretation of the same world rather than a remake or a separate work. Kim Dong-gun and director Lee Jin-hoon later said the project began years ago, was shown at G-STAR early on, and keeps Mabinogi's vertical orientation for conversation and horizontal orientation for combat.
The design discussion extends to story delivery. At NEXON's NDC26, developers Kim Hye-jin and Cho Sol-bin described a main quest built for players who skip text, citing South Korean data that average screen focus has dropped to 47 seconds.
Nexon is supporting the launch with pre-registration rewards and a Tokyo Game Show 2026 demo at Makuhari Messe from September 17 to 21.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Sep 12
Nexon plans to launch Mabinogi Mobile in Japan within 2026 and is accepting pre-registrations for the Android and PC versions. In an interview with 4Gamer, devCAT head Kim Dong-gun and director Lee Jin-hoon said the project began years ago, was shown at G-STAR early on, and now aims to keep Mabinogi's signature elements: vertical orientation for conversation, horizontal for combat.
Aug 28
Mabinogi Mobile pre-registration began on August 24. In an interview, DevCAT studio head Kim Dong-gon and development director Lee Ji-hoon discussed the game's relationship to the PC Mabinogi. They described it as a different bard's interpretation of the same world, not a remake or a separate work, incorporating ideas Kim could not realize originally.
Aug 27
Nexon opened pre-registrations for Mabinogi Mobile on August 24, 2026, ahead of a planned Japan launch within 2026. The online RPG, developed by devCAT, will be free-to-play with some paid content, and is set for iOS, Android, and PC with cross-play support. The game rebuilds the world of the long-running Mabinogi IP, featuring a new original main story alongside familiar characters like Nao, Rona, and Pan, plus new original characters. Players choose from 18 classes across six systems, including Warrior, Mage, Archer, Healer, Bard, and Thief, and can switch classes by changing weapons. The game includes life content such as sheep shearing, cooking, fishing, and housing, as well as social features like musical instrument performance and campfires. Mobile play is optimized with a screen mode that switches based on device orientation, an auto-battle system, and a 'Serendipitous Encounter' system for joining other players in dungeons. Pre-registration milestones offer in-game rewards, including a 'Swordsman School Uniform Set' at 200,000 registrants. The game will be playable at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe.
Jun 17
At NEXON's NDC26, DevCAT developers Kim Hye-jin and Cho Sol-bin presented how Mabinogi Mobile's main quest is designed for players who skip text. They cited South Korean data showing average screen focus has dropped to 47 seconds, and described a philosophy of making story content function as gameplay rather than text to be read.