Ragnarok Zero: Global Devs Tackle Anti-Cheat, Bots, PvP Rules in Germany Q&A

During a press event in Germany for Ragnarok Zero: Global, Gravity and the development team answered a wide range of community questions—covering bot mitigation plans, anti-cheat expectations (including Linux), MMO monetization and fairness, and how specific systems from beta will (or won’t) change at launch. The Q&A also touched PvP visibility, experience loss rules, and the studio’s longer-term content roadmap for the game’s evolution.

Anti-bot and anti-cheat: what changes at launch

On the bot front, the team said it is building a detection system that combines artificial intelligence with behavioral analysis. The first rollout is planned for the Korean service in the July–August window, after which the studio will expand the approach to other regions and subsidiaries if results are conclusive—explicitly including Ragnarok Zero: Global.

For anti-cheat and platform support, the message was direct: only the Windows client is supported, and the team expects that to remain the case. Questions about Linux support were met with the same answer—no alternative platform version is planned right now.

Progression, monetization, and “pay-to-win” boundaries

Gravity defended its subscription model by arguing that it sets a more even starting point for players, specifically aiming to avoid scenarios where people can buy their way to the maximum level at the start. In the team’s view, subscription helps reduce access to “excess power” through purchases.

When asked whether beta progression purchases would carry over at launch, the studio confirmed that progression benefits gained during the betas will not be retained for the official release. This includes acceleration points and experience-related benefits intended to reach late-beta content faster.

The team also addressed a previously mentioned three-day free trial, clarifying that it is intended for players who are deciding whether to subscribe. Gravity said other ways to obtain subscription time will also be offered, including through a creator program that had been referenced earlier.

On pay-to-win, the team avoided a single universal definition, noting that players interpret it differently—some view buying max levels as the core problem, while others consider even powerful consumables as pay-to-win. Gravity said its approach to this issue will be data-driven: internal analysis from the betas plus feedback from many players. The team mentioned actively rebalancing at least one beta item that grants a flat +10 stat bonus, saying it was judged too strong and is being reduced so no single purchase “solves everything.”

• Subscription is positioned as a fairness baseline to prevent immediate access to maximum power.
• Beta progression bonuses will not carry into the official launch.
• Three-day trial is for undecided players; additional subscription acquisition methods are planned.
• Rebalancing is already underway based on beta data and player reports.

PvP, visibility, and event rules coming from beta feedback

The Q&A showed that beta feedback is actively shaping system adjustments, especially around PvP clarity and experience loss frustration.

RO Factory footsteps and companion visibility

A creator raised concerns that custom footsteps in RO Factory could cause frame-rate drops if many players use the feature simultaneously. Gravity said its testing indicates it should not be a framerate problem, but the team is also exploring an option to hide other players’ footsteps if needed.

For Porings, the studio said there is currently no option to hide other players’ Porings. Gravity acknowledged a design risk: too many identical companions visible at once may reduce the feeling of uniqueness. The team said it will examine the issue internally.

Gravity also flagged a more functional concern related to Porings in grid-based movement. Because a Porings position can block clicks on its tile, players can end up unable to interact with the intended square. The team specifically warned that this could become disruptive in PvP and large-scale War of Emperium fights, where it can even be exploited strategically. The studio indicated it will reexamine this situation.

Stealth detection and PvP balance

A player who tested the Taiwan server reported that stealth characters are visible to everyone in PvP and during War of Emperium without detection items. Gravity said stealth visibility should normally require a detection skill, then stated it will re-check the point, because whether detection is required has a meaningful impact on PvP balance.

Experience loss on death: what’s flexible and what isn’t

On experience penalties, Gravity offered a nuanced answer. Disabling experience loss is possible for specific event maps, but it cannot be changed for standard zones where rules are fixed. The team said events without death penalties are planned generally.

Gravity also referenced a common pattern in South-East Asian services: weekly or monthly events that combine no death penalty with double experience. The studio said it wants the project teams to consider similar formats.

Content roadmap, class progression limits, and connected side projects

Gravity confirmed several future-facing decisions about how the game will grow.

For War of Emperium, the team said it opens in September—around two weeks after the second job classes become available. At initial launch, War of Emperium will not cover all game maps; it will start with a single base region.

On progression, the studio said Zero’s progression is planned only up to the second job classes, and there will be no transcendance system. Beyond that, the team described Zero as following its own content path instead of replicating classic Ragnarok Online progression.

The team also discussed RO Factory expansion. While the system explored so far includes footsteps, Gravity said internal discussion is ongoing about extending user-generated content to costumes. The studio emphasized that pixel-art costume creation is graphically demanding, so expansion is contingent on how the team addresses that workload.

Monetization of user-generated items remains undecided. For now, the feature is free so players can test it, and the studio said it will share final decisions via official social channels and continue discussing with the community.

Finally, Gravity discussed Get Poring, describing it as an internal HTML5 title playable in-browser and also on PC, mobile, and tablets. The team said it was designed as a connected experience tied to Ragnarok Zero: Global, and a mobile release is planned later.

When asked about player retention after launch—a common MMORPG concern—Gravity framed it as a broader audience strategy: the primary target is players who previously enjoyed MMORPG versions of Ragnarok, but the studio has also prepared content for players coming from other genres and licenses, hoping to draw in newcomers to the wider Ragnarok universe.

Closing note: Gravity acknowledged that some audience questions may have been misunderstood due to live translation, and said it will re-review the questions and publish more detailed answers on its official site.