Chrono Odyssey
Chrono Odyssey is an upcoming buy-to-play action-MMORPG set in the war-torn realm of Setera, where players wield the Chronotector to bend time itself. Developed by South Korean studio Chrono Studio and published worldwide by Kakao Games, the title combines photorealistic Unreal Engine 5 visuals with a deliberate, “souls-lite” combat rhythm and large-scale PvE end-game. A PC-exclusive closed beta scheduled for 20–22 June 2025 attracted more than 400 000 sign-ups, underscoring heavy interest ahead of its planned multi-platform launch later in 2025.<ref name="CBT2025Schedule">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Registrations2025">Template:Cite news</ref>
Contents
Overview
During an 18-minute narrated gameplay tour premiered at IGN’s *Summer of Gaming* 2025, developers showcased seamless biome transitions, weapon-swap combat and real-time time-stop effects that reshape encounters.<ref name="IGNGameplay2025">Template:Cite web</ref> Players join rival factions vying to seal the Void rifts destabilising Setera and—using the Chronotector—can briefly pause, rewind or accelerate local time.
Setting and story
Setera is a continent scarred by an ancient war among twelve forgotten gods and the extradimensional **Void**. Temporal anomalies twist landscapes and spawn alternate timelines; quests often require jumping between eras to restore causality.<ref name="TimeFeature2025">Template:Cite web</ref>
Gameplay
Combat mechanics
- **Action-based**: Manual aiming, dodging and parrying emphasise player skill over pure gear score.<ref name="IGNGameplay2025" />
- **Weapon-swap**: Every class equips two weapons and can hot-swap mid-combo for extended strings.<ref name="ClassesInfo">Template:Cite web</ref>
Time manipulation
The Chronotector adds four core abilities—Time Stop, Time Rewind, Timeline Shift and Temporal Acceleration—usable both in dungeons and overworld puzzles.<ref name="ChronotectorFandom">Template:Cite web</ref>
Classes
| Class | Primary resources | Signature weapons (examples) |
|---|---|---|
| Swordsman | Rage | Greatsword · Sword & Shield · Dual Blades |
| Ranger | Vigor | Bow · Crossbow · Rapier |
| Sorcerer | Mana | Staff · Grimoire · Manasphere |
| Paladin | Mana | Mace & Tower Shield · Lance · Halberd |
| Assassin | Vigor / Bloodlust | Dual Daggers · Kusarigama · Musket |
| Berserker | Rage | Twin Axes · Chain Blades · Battle Axe |
Each archetype unlocks branching weapon grids, allowing hybrid roles rather than rigid tank-healer-DPS trinity.<ref name="IGNGameplay2025" /><ref name="ClassesInfo" />
Open-world design
Setera streams seamlessly thanks to UE5’s **World Partition**, enabling dynamic weather, seasonal shifts and region-wide “Void Storm” events that alter spawn tables and loot drops.<ref name="UE5GDC2024">Template:Cite web</ref>
Content and features
- **PvE**: Solo **Chronogate** challenges, 5-player dungeons, 16-player raids and world bosses supporting hundreds.
- **PvP**: Instanced 3-versus-3 arenas and territory-scale faction wars in contested provinces.
- **Crafting & Economy**: Meaningful harvesting (logging, mining, skinning) feeds a player-driven market.
Development
Timeline highlights
- **December 2020** – Project announced as “Project S.”<ref name="GematsuReveal">Template:Cite web</ref>
- **March 2023** – Engine migration to UE5 completed and **Chrono Studio** spun out as a dedicated label.<ref name="ForbesInterview2025">Template:Cite web</ref>
- **March 2024** – Kakao Games confirmed as global publisher.<ref name="KakaoPartner2024" />
- **20–22 June 2025** – First PC closed beta (see schedule below).
Closed-beta schedule
| Phase | Start (UTC) | End (UTC) | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC CBT | 20 Jun 2025 00:00 PDT | 22 Jun 2025 23:59 PDT | Steam / Kakao Launcher<ref name="CBT2025Schedule" /> |
Technology
Chrono Odyssey employs UE5 features such as **Lumen** GI and **Nanite** geometry, plus proprietary server meshing for large-scale fights.<ref name="UE5GDC2024" />
Technical specifications
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-3570K / AMD FX-8310 | Intel Core i7-12700K / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti / Radeon RX 6600 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 / Radeon RX 6800 XT |
| DirectX | 11 | 12 |
| Storage | 50 GB HDD/SSD | 50 GB SSD |
Community resources
Chrono Odyssey Wiki
A dedicated community-run knowledge base, Chrono Odyssey Wiki, launched in early-2025 and shares Lua templates and infoboxes with FF15 Wiki, making cross-porting data straightforward for editors.<ref name="ChronoWiki2025">Template:Cite web</ref>
Relationship to Final Fantasy XV Wiki
Although Chrono Odyssey is not a Final Fantasy title, its seamless road-trip-style traversal, real-time party combat and god-centric lore echo design pillars of Template:FFXV. FF15 Wiki’s “Related RPGs” policy therefore welcomes exhaustive coverage and links out to the specialised Chrono Odyssey Wiki for granular mechanics.
Reception and anticipation
Early hands-on reports from the IGN tour praised the tactile dodge-parry loop but cautioned about the ambitious server tech.<ref name="IGNGameplay2025" /> Forbes noted the team’s willingness “to delay rather than downgrade” UE5 fidelity.<ref name="ForbesInterview2025" /> Closed-beta sign-ups surpassed 400 000 three weeks before servers opened.<ref name="Registrations2025" />
References
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