The Ni No Kuni series has been around since 2010. It’s a cute-looking series utilizing anime-style art mixed with RPG elements in a variety of combat. The last game they released was Ni No Kuni: Crossworlds back in 2022. This one was a live service game and is now shutting its doors for good.
What happened?
The current global version of the game. Netmarble has announced that the existing global servers will permanently close on September 17, 2026. However, this is not the end of Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds itself. Instead, the company is replacing the current version with a new global unified server, meaning the game will continue in a different form. So it’s not entirely shutting down, but there are some variables to it.
According to Netmarble, the main reason is that the existing version is built around the company’s MARBLEX blockchain ecosystem, which includes cryptocurrency-related features. The developers stated that they concluded it was difficult to continue providing a stable and sustainable service under this structure. As a result, they decided to end the current service and rebuild the game on a new platform without the blockchain components.
What blockchain ecosystem?
We jumped a bit ahead, but if you didn’t know, this game was one of those that featured a crypto function. You could make money with this game, but as stated, they are removing that and starting over. When Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds launched globally in 2022, it included play-to-earn mechanics tied to MARBLEX, allowing players to exchange certain in-game assets for cryptocurrency.
These features proved controversial, with many players criticizing them for encouraging bots, increasing monetization, and affecting the in-game economy. The new unified server will completely remove these cryptocurrency and NFT-related systems, bringing the global version closer to the Korean release, which never relied on blockchain features. This means that players will have to start over if they want to keep playing.
Why do players have to restart?
One of the biggest changes is that players cannot transfer their existing characters directly to the new server. Because the unified server is being treated as a completely new game environment, everyone must create a new character. To soften the impact, Netmarble will record each player’s Combat Power before the shutdown and provide migration rewards based on that progress, but character levels, equipment, and story progression will not carry over.
Summarizing the game
Let’s take a short look at what the game is all about, and just what really mattered.
Story
The story begins with the player testing a futuristic virtual reality game called Soul Divers. After entering the simulation, you discover that the fantasy world is not merely a game but a real parallel world in danger. A mysterious girl named Rania entrusts you with protecting the Guardian Stone and rebuilding the destroyed Nameless Kingdom while uncovering the connection between reality and the fantasy realm. The story takes place many years after the events of Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, making it a continuation of the series’ timeline rather than a standalone alternate universe.
Gameplay
Unlike previous Ni no Kuni games, Cross Worlds is designed as a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Players choose one of five character classes. Combat is real-time and combines weapon attacks, class skills, and the use of Familiars, magical creatures that fight alongside the player. Players can collect, upgrade, and evolve Familiars to create different combat strategies.