Morefun Studios, a subsidiary of Tencent, will begin the global closed beta test (CBT) for its new open-world creature-collecting RPG, 'Roco Kingdom', on October 27.
Morefun Studios, developer of 'Arena Breakout' and 'Naruto Mobile', first showcased 'Roco Kingdom' on the global stage at Gamescom 2026. Taking on the challenge of a new genre with this open-world creature-collecting RPG, Morefun Studios held an online media showcase ahead of the CBT to share its vision for global gamers.
'Roco Kingdom', a 300 Million Registered User IP in China, Begins Global Expansion with No P2W and Bond-Building Fun
The history of 'Roco Kingdom' dates back 16 years. The original game surpassed 300 million registered users in its first four years, becoming a beloved national IP rooted in childhood memories for countless players in China. Morefun Studios reimagined this legacy using next-generation technology and open-world gameplay, launching it in mainland China in March 2026 after years of development. The game received an explosive reception, recording 15 million registered users on launch day and surpassing 30 million in just nine days, and is now kicking off its full-scale global expansion.
The development team stated that the goal of 'Roco Kingdom' is to "redefine the creature-collecting game everyone has dreamed of." The three core values guiding this vision are meeting, bonding, and a journey together. The first value, "meeting," is the thrill of exploring a diverse open world, from tropical rainforests to snowy mountains, and discovering fantasy creatures called "Genies" in unexpected places. "Bonding" is the process of connecting with Genies through combat and various interactions, as well as building friendships with other players. Finally, "a journey together"—the multiplayer experience of adventuring with others rather than alone—is another key highlight of 'Roco Kingdom'.
At official launch, over 400 unique Genies will appear. Rather than being mere monsters placed across the map, these Genies possess distinct ecological traits and behavior patterns by species. Some appear only when it rains, while others gather in groups to play music, or react differently by showing fear or welcoming players and other Genies, bringing the world to life.
Even within the same species, Genies can vary in size or facial expression, and their appearance can change entirely depending on their evolution path. Every Genie can be used as a mount (Ride) or supports unique interactions, designed to feel like a true companion rather than a simple collectible.
While supporting strategic turn-based PvP, 'Roco Kingdom' completely eliminates randomized gacha mechanics and pay-to-win elements. This ensures that all players can compete based on skill in a fair environment without spending pressure.
Additionally, it supports casual social gameplay, allowing players to visit friends' homes to interact with their Genies or freely catch Genies they do not own to complete their encyclopedia. The game supports seamless cross-platform play and cross-progression across PC, consoles (PS, Xbox), and mobile, enabling players to continue their adventure anywhere, anytime.
In the global CBT, players can catch over 210 types of Genies for free, including two powerful legendary Genies. For collectors, 16 rare "Chromatic" variant Genies—which feature entirely different color schemes from standard ones—will also appear.
In addition to the main story, two major PvE modes will be featured. The first mode, "Alpha Genie Fights," is content where players face powerful Alpha Genies. Defeating and catching an Alpha Genie grants that Genie an "Alpha Lineage," unlocking an "Alpha Form" with striking visuals and powerful stats for use in the open world and PvE.
The second mode, "Blossom Challenge," is a co-op feature where players team up with friends to discover rare Genies usually unseen in normal areas across Blossom zones throughout the map and earn rewards.
This CBT will not feature microtransactions; instead, players will receive regular distributions of in-game currency during the test period to purchase various cosmetics. In addition, players can earn exclusive profile cards and cosmetic items through PvP ranks, and all CBT participants will receive a special reward (Fruit of Witchcraft) redeemable at official launch.
Q&A
Recently, many open-world creature-collecting RPGs have appeared on the market. Compared to competitors, what are the unique differentiators and strengths of Roco Kingdom?
" The biggest differentiator is that it is an 'always-online expandable open world' with high overall polish that focuses on social and multiplayer experiences. Through original creature designs, we maximized the fun of exploring together with friends.
We also significantly reduced progression fatigue. While many collecting games require thousands of hours of grinding to raise a single creature, our game features a vast number of Genies to collect, so we designed progression to be relatively easy so players don't have to spend excessive time raising a single Genie. Finally, unlike existing subculture and anime-style collecting games that rely heavily on gacha, our biggest strength is that it is an extremely consumer-friendly free-to-play (F2P) game that excludes pay-to-win elements.
What is the fundamental reason behind deciding not to include gacha or paywalls, and how is the game actually monetized?
" The essence of a creature-collecting game lies in meeting and collecting creatures. Locking them behind a paywall so that only a few players can obtain them not only diminishes the meaning of a collecting game, but also contradicts our core values of 'meeting, bonding, and a journey together.' Players should spend their time and effort adventuring to find the Genies and appearances they love, and we felt it was wrong to sacrifice player experience for short-term revenue. Accordingly, our main business model relies solely on cosmetics and battle passes.
Are there exclusive elements in paid cosmetics and battle passes?
" There are no completely exclusive elements. Cosmetic items are initially sold for real money, but after a certain period, they will enter the in-game shop and can be purchased with in-game currency. This currency functions like "friendship points" earned by playing alongside other users, meaning players can obtain outfits that previously required real cash for free simply by consistently enjoying social play.
The same applies to the battle pass. Purchasing the battle pass rewards players with a special Genie, but free-to-play users who do not buy the pass can still visit the world of another player who purchased it and catch that Genie for free. We have no plans to add exclusive battle passes that discriminate against players in the future.
How well is the game optimized for mobile environments?
" Mobile optimization is at an excellent level. It has already undergone comprehensive verification through the official launch in China, where roughly half of Chinese players currently enjoy the game on mobile devices. While many players use mobile alongside other platforms, the key is that players can log in instantly anytime, anywhere from the device in their hands and enjoy a smooth gameplay experience.
Among the in-game outfits revealed so far, which one is your personal favorite as a developer?
" I love the "Magic Academy Uniform" featured on the presentation slides the most, as it best embodies the world of 'Roco Kingdom'. At the center of a magical world where familiar mythical beasts like gryphons and dragons coexist with strange creatures, the player starts as a first-year freshman. The adventure begins when your school bus crashes on the way to school, leaving you stranded in an unfamiliar place. This uniform perfectly captures the fantasy and exploratory spirit of a young student setting out into the world to uncover what is happening, and the design itself is fantastic.
The casual and cute art style stands out. What is your target age group?
" For the global market, we will need to gauge this more accurately through this test, but our primary target group consists of young adults aged 18 to 30 who are interested in cartoon-style characters. However, internal testing showed a strong response even among older age groups.
What was interesting was that many adult players really enjoyed feeling like a child again in the game. In-game NPCs and creatures treat the player like a child, without imposing heavy, serious pressures like "you must save the world" or "you must kill someone." While it might look like a children's game on the surface, thanks to this comfortable and cozy atmosphere, we expect it to reach a much broader audience in practice.
With the global CBT coming up on October 27, what results do you expect in the Korean market?
" We hope Korean gamers find 'Roco Kingdom' to be a deeply appealing game and receive it as the very creature-collecting game they have always wanted. Beyond short-term metrics, we sincerely hope Korean players stay in this world for a long time and enjoy themselves together.
Compared to the previously launched Chinese server, how will the global launch schedule and season roadmap proceed?
" We are targeting a global launch between early and mid-2027. Immediately after launch, global players will first experience an "initial season" lasting about two months, after which versions will be synchronized with the Chinese server.
By the time of the global launch next year, the Chinese server will likely be around Season 9, so to achieve fast synchronization, the global version will skip some intermediate seasons. However, content from skipped seasons will not be permanently lost; we plan to gradually reintroduce past content into the game so global players can enjoy everything without missing out.
What are your plans for console releases and supported platforms?
" Simultaneous cross-platform release is central to our global launch. At full release, we plan to launch PlayStation and Xbox versions alongside PC and mobile. However, regarding the Nintendo Switch 2 version, the Switch 2 SDK was distributed later than when the development team began working on console versions, so development is currently on hold. The Switch version may take a bit longer, so at launch, players will be able to play on PS, Xbox, PC, and mobile first.
