The 2026 MapleStory summer showcase Overdrive took place yesterday! The update features a new job, the Ruler of Covenants, Lethe, the 3rd Hexa skill core, a new boss Bellona, and various reorganizations and events. This test world will be quite short as the live server patch is on Thursday!

Big thanks to DK for sharing their translations and notes from the showcase!!

There are two key points for the Overdrive update (in addition to meeting players’ expectations for a big summer update):

1. Change MapleStory’s gameplay density.
2. Change MapleStory’s accessibility.

New Job: Ruler of Covenants, Lethe

• Most people didn’t think there would be a new job, since the test server will only last for a few days, but this is Overdrive of course 🙂
• Lethe is a Demon summoner that uses a parchment to sign contracts with her summons that fight for her.
• Lethe fights 100% with her summons, she doesn’t deal any attacks herself.
• Changseop said that he was disappointed the game didn’t really have a character that fulfilled the summoner fantasy so they decided to do it this time.
• Lethe is a Demon but came directly from Masteria. She is distinct from Demon Slayer and Demon Avenger, who are part of the Resistance faction. She has a different common skill as well.
• While she doesn’t attack herself, she has skills to increase her summons’ durations, attack speed, and buff them.
• She has two types of commands: ‘Edict’ and ‘Overlord’. Edicts are shorter cooldowns and are used more frequently while Overlords are longer cooldowns.
• The commands will make the summons use their specific skills and when they attack together, they will activate additional hits.
• There will be growth rewards for all characters and special cosmetic rewards for Lethe (plus a permanent title with Pink Bean x Yeti stats).

New 3rd Hexa Skill Core

• The other two Hexa skill cores (Origin and Ascent) had common goals and rules, skills that would change combat meta. For example, Origins are 6 minute cooldown bursts, and Ascents can be used up to 3 times in bosses.
• The new Hexa skill core is more traditional, similar to 5th job skills where each job has a unique skill that provides something necessary for themselves. For example:
  • For jobs with powerful bursts, they will be given skills with shorter cooldowns to enhance their off-burst damage and make it more meaningful. (e.g. Kain)
  • For jobs with good off-burst damage, they will be given skills with longer cooldowns to enhance their burst damage. (e.g. Battle Mage and Mechanic)
  • For jobs with special mechanisms, they will be given skills that create better synergy with those mechanisms. (e.g. Hoyoung)
• Since some are 2 minute bursts and some are 10 second regular skills, there is inevitably a difference in visual aspects. However, they are designed to give a similar amount of damage to all jobs.
• The 3rd Hexa skill cores will be released in the second patch in July.
• Skill Names (note that some are in Hanja and are subject to interpretation)
  • Hero: Rage Explosion
  • Paladin: Divine Convergence
  • Dark Knight: Beholder Devastation
  • Archmage (F/P): Infernal Wave
  • Archmage (I/L): Sub-Zero Permeation
  • Bishop: Angels’ Pledge
  • Bowmaster: Eye of Aquila
  • Marksman: Lethal Punisher
  • Pathfinder: Material Burst
  • Night Lord: Shadow Ritual
  • Shadower: Flow State (무아지경)
  • Dual Blade: Dark Shadow Slash (암영난참)
  • Viper: Neptunus Advent
  • Captain: Aerial Bombardment
  • Cannon Shooter: Mega Cannon Bombard
  • Mikhail: Radiance of Valor
  • Soul Master: Celestial Cleave
  • Flame Wizard: Ignis Requiem
  • Wind Breaker: Sylph’s Breath
  • Night Walker: Singularity Throw
  • Striker: Sea Emperor Pulverize (해황폭쇄)
  • Aran: Maha Unleashed
  • Evan: Dragon Soar, Vertical Finisher, Soar – Return!
  • Luminous: Absolute Space
  • Mercedes: Verian Surge
  • Phantom: Fleche Le Tour
  • Eunwol: Misty Rain Gale (연우격풍)
  • Blaster: Overheat Punch
  • Battle Mage: Mortis Edge
  • Wild Hunter: Resonance – Wild Pierce
  • Xenon: Rail Gun Cannonade
  • Mechanic: Buster Station
  • Demon Slayer: Wrath of Satan
  • Demon Avenger: Rabid Carnage
  • Kaiser: Dragonic Extinction
  • Kain: [Possess] Strike Impact, [Execute] Phantom Requiem
  • Cadena: Chain Arts: Torrent
  • Angelic Buster: Popping Heart
  • Zero: Time Authority
  • Kinesis: Gravity Object
  • Adele: Aether Lupe
  • Illium: Glory Wings: Splendor
  • Khali: Hex: Dune Burst
  • Ark: Primordial Torrent
  • Len: Azure Dragon Sky-Splitting Sword: Ten Thousand Slashes (창룡파천검 : 만참)
  • Lara: Breath of Embracing Harmony (한아름 아우른 숨결)
  • Hoyoung: Sage: Four Perils Liberation Taotie

New Boss: Bellona

• Bellona is a new boss with the crazy berserker concept. She is a High-Lef and one of Darmoor’s Apostles.
• She is a level 280+ boss, and you can enter with up to 3 players.
• They wanted a boss that would be a practical goal with manageable difficulty for most players. It will be released with three modes.
  • Easy Mode (between Easy Kaling and Normal Kalos)
  • Normal Mode (between Normal Kaling and Chaos Kalos)
  • Hard Mode (between Hard Malefic Star and Hard Baldrix)
• The previous Crown update was slightly more focused on end game players, and even now, not many players can fight Jupiter. But the previous summer included the First Adversary which was accessible to players of all strengths. So this summer, even players that join MapleStory for the first time will be able to enjoy fighting this new boss.
• The main reward from Hard Mode is the Starving Blood-Red Vengeful Spirit eye-accessory, part of the Brilliant Boss Accessory set.
  • Level 250
  • 20 all stats, 5 attack/magic attack, 5 slots.
  • The Brilliant Boss Accessory 6-set effect is: 20 all stats, 500 HP, 20 attack/magic attack, and 7.5% critical damage.

Overdrive Reorganizations

• Character Preset options expanded (Special Cores, Damage Skins, Titles, Effect Transparency).
• Grandis maps reorganization.
  • Hunting grounds from Cernium to Carcion have been improved.
  • They have been designed so that when using Sol Janus, you won’t miss any mobs anymore.
• Ability Auto Reset feature added.
• Sol Erda maximum limit increased up to 30.
  • You can hold up to 25 Sol Erda at level 275.
  • You can hold up to 30 Sol Erda at level 290.
• You can join a guild on one character and receive the guild effects on up to 6 characters in the same world.
  • With the introduction of level 3 Link Skills at level 285, the Union Champion system, new bosses, etc, the number of strong characters has increased. And these characters need guild skills. You need to join a good guild, which is hard for both individuals and guilds.
  • Now, if you join a guild, up to 6 of your characters will receive the guild benefits together as one. They can all use the guild skills.
• Skill Point auto distribute.
  • Leveling speed is incredibly fast now and sometimes its even faster than the time it takes to put in skill points.
  • You can automatically distribute skill points when you level up.
  • You can also hover over skills and see the skill values at various levels.
• Union attacker placement improvements (turned into a point system).
  • The Tetris system has been removed. Now you will get points based on your characters and you can distribute those points to the stats you want.
  • Previously, you would only receive the attacker effects of characters placed on the board, but now you will receive all of their effects by default.

• Monster Park Hands (a new way to hunt in the Maple Hands app).
  • This is a completely new experimental feature where you can hunt through the Maple Hands app.
  • It will hunt automatically for a certain period of time to acquire experience, mesos, Sol Erda, and Sol Erda Fragments. It will use your character’s stats such as experience acquisition, meso and drop rate, Sol Janus level, etc.
  • Hunting in MapleStory is really important, for leveling up and getting resources. It’s one of its main identities. This new feature doesn’t mean that hunting is going to disappear or be replaced with automatic hunting, it’s just meant to lower the minimum amount of time you need to spend on MapleStory.
  • For now, this will be offered for free to MVP Gold and higher players for free. It will be available for 2 hours per week.
  • They will look at this test data and make adjustments, decide costs and availability later on.
  • They want to add daily quests or participating in events as well through Maple Hands in the future.
  • Bossing will remain a main feature of playing MapleStory on a computer and will not be implemented through mobile.

• Maple Auction complete reorganization (improved accessibility, can access Maple Auction on the web page, mobile, and while hunting).
  • They wanted players to be able to enjoy MapleStory in other ways than just sitting at their computer, so they want to expand the link to other platforms. This is part of a larger change.
  • You can access the Maple Auction through the mobile app (this was already available in the Maple Hands app, but only for buying, but now you can sell as well) and through the homepage.
  • In-game, the Maple Auction server has been separated from the game server. This allows you to now access the Auction House while hunting, in towns, etc.
  • They have added search presets. You save search options that you use frequently.
  • When searching for potential, you can now search for a combined % instead of having to put them on separate lines.
  • You can now change an item’s selling price when relisting it.
  • When claiming items, it will no longer stop when you reach an item that will become untradeable upon claiming.
• Union Champion 5th slot unlocked.
  • You need 4 S rank or higher Champions to unlock the 5th slot.
• Maximum damage cap increased to 10t.
• Boss practice mode per phase.
  • With things like liberation quests now, players are practicing bosses more and more and they decided they should add this feature.
  • When using Practice Mode, you can now choose a specific phase of a boss to enter.
  • You must have already entered that phase before once, whether in practice or real mode.
  • For bosses without specific phases (e.g. Malefic Star), you can choose at what HP % they start at.
  • This will not be available for bosses harder than Hard Kaling, they will be added gradually over time.
• Playtime shortened. Although Maplestory has become easier over time, the minimum amount of time you need to spend is quite long and very dense (things like Epic Dungeons, weekly quests, events). They would like to alleviate this stress.
  • Symbol quests shortened (all daily quests require 100 kills, special content only needs 1 run per week).
    • This is mainly focused for new players to give a better experience.
  • Epic Dungeon playtime shortened (all decreased to 5 stages, monster HP adjustments).
    • All Epic Dungeons will be decreased to 5 stages.
    • The monster HP has been adjusted, especially the ones that build up gauge.
    • Previously, Epic Dungeons would provide Maple Coins as basic rewards but this will be replaced with Sol Erda Fragments.
    • The Quick Pass cost has been decreased by 50%.
  • Monster Park playtime shortened (you can play 1 time and receive the effects of multiple clears, ‘Sweep Mode’).
    • Sweep Mode lets you spend Maple Points to increase your clear rewards instead of having to run multiple times.
  • Monster Park Extreme removed (when you clear Monster Park 5 times in a week, you can receive extreme experience).
    • Monster Park Extreme was originally released to be a sort of party quest with a certain level of difficulty. But now, its rare for people to actually party for this, so the clear experience will be provided by doing Monster Park over the week instead.
  • Boss playtime shortened (time limit decreased to 2/3, boss HP decreased to 2/3).
    • All bosses will have 20 minute time limits (Black Mage as well).
    • Ascent Skills will be nerfed to match this lowered time limit.
    • The Hexa Matrix Reset Scroll will be provided to everyone, for players that specced into Ascent skills previously and would like to change that now.
    • The 30 minute time limit has been the default for MapleStory bosses for a long time. But now, bosses are becoming more complicated, and you need to run bosses on multiple characters. Changseop wanted to lower the time limit even lower than 20 minutes but it would affect the economy too much.
    • Intense Power Crystals’ selling prices will be lowered by 5~10%. This is necessary to offset the lowered amount of time you’ll spend in bosses, and even later this summer when the new skill is released.
    • There will be more economy related adjustments (but not Crystal nerfs). They are also adjusting their operational policies to target abnormal gameplay.
• Android and Medal bags added.
• MVP System usability improvements.
  • When you maintain your MVP rank, the information has been improved.
  • Benefits like the MVP experience rings will remain equipped if you maintain your MVP rank over the weekly reset.
  • MVP Resort convenience has been improved so that you can do the same things as the VIP Sauna (e.g. go to the Maple Auction, play minigames).
  • Symbol Quick Pass maintenance time shortened. (unavailable for around 40 minutes to 10 minutes)
• Colouring Prism Pro/Weapon Effect Prism improvements.
  • You can change the colours of an item that you use these Prisms on an unlimited number of times.
  • They will be sold at all times instead of only through Boutique Gifts (25k NX for Colouring Prism Pro, 15k NX for Weapon Effect Prism).
  • This will be applied retroactively to items that had Prisms used on them.

• Luna Petite Pet system reorganization.
  • There have not been many changes to this system since release, other than giving an extended loot range when you equip 3 Luna Petite pets from the same set.
  • Since their release, more and more pets have been added, including collaboration pets, and now even through events. Although newly added pets have some cosmetic rewards, they wanted to give a benefit for players that continue to acquire vac pets after the 3-set.
  • After you have a full set of 3 vac pets (from the same set), you can acquire the following skills based on the number of additional vac pets. The unlocked skills can be used by all of your characters in the same world.
    • Luna Gathering (1 additional vac pet)
      • Every 90 seconds, loot all of the mesos and items in the map.
      • This can be used 230 times per day per world.
      • Attack/magic attack + 15.
    • Luna Extension (2 additional vac pets)
      • Automatically activated when you use Luna Gathering.
      • When activated, automatically extends Sol Janus’ duration.
      • Attack/magic attack +15.
    • Luna Power Up (3 additional vac pets)
      • Attack/magic attack +30.
  • The world shared pet slots have been added. You can equip one set of Luna Petite pets in these slots to share them between all of your characters.

New Event: Mission Ultima

• The summer event will take place in a place called Ultimapolis. All of Darmoor’s Apostles have appeared to begin his great culling. To combat them, Maple World and Grandis World’s forces have come together in an outpost.
• It has the usual events such as the daily attendance check (now done automatically as soon as you login), weekly hunting missions with temp stats, and a boss coin shop. The Ultima Archive is the story content part that gives cosmetics.
• The Etherion Artifact event is similar to the Awakening the Power of Time/Ellanos Chronicle events previously, where you can unlock upgraded content skill benefits.
  • You can also farm material through bosses and hunting.
  • For the 1st week and odd weeks, event buffs will be unlocked similar to before.
  • For the 1st week and even weeks, you can choose specific event buffs to upgrade based on what you want.
  • For the 12th week, you will be given 100 Etherion to use as desired.
• The Specter Blast event lets you play as Gaon and Keira and fight against Limbo to get experience. In July and August, this will be replaced with something new to match the story content.

Burning Events

• Hyper Burning Max will return as usual (1+4 level ups until level 260).
• Tera Blink has been upgraded into Hyper Blink. From level 1~200, it’s the same as before where you can do missions in Spiegelmann’s hat to level up quickly. But now, it gives you +5000% experience acquisition from level 200~260. It will also give tutorial videos for the various systems at 5th job and higher.
• Pre-260 is essentially skippable content but it’s still fun to experience new hunting grounds every 5 levels (especially with Hyper Burning) so they decided to just speed it up like crazy. With just hunting, you can get to 260 in about 3 hours (faster if you include the various events and things in game).
• Burning Beyond will be 1+1 level ups until level 280. The Burning Beyond title has been changed into a skill so you don’t have to worry about when to claim it.
• The Item Burning Plus event has changed a bit.
  • The equipment growth missions have been reorganized (for example, previously you had to defeat Jin Hilla at stage 5 to get legendary potential on the weapon but now you will get it by defeating Easy Will at stage 3.)
  • The previous Challenge World’s seasonal boss Kai will return as an Item Burning mission exclusive boss (adjusted to be between Easy Will and Normal Lucid in difficulty).
  • Previously, you would get a limited number of Crests of Challenge by defeating bosses every week. Now, you can get them from hunting mobs weekly, and you will get Crests for clearing a boss for the first time instead of having to clear them every week.
  • You can now change the Challengers Hat to a cooldown hat if you want. You can swap back.
• The Genesis Pass will return.
  • It will be applied until September 16.
  • The buff it gives will not give Arcane Force this time, and the buff will be removed after you liberate.
  • After liberating, you can buy the Genesis Pass PLUS, which lets you clear Grandis bosses to get Adversary’s Cubes and Flames.

Challengers World Season 4

• Challengers World missions will be changed.
  • The hunting mission has been removed.
  • Weekly growth missions have been added.
  • Seasonal missions have been added.
• Sol Janus Level 30 support.
  • One of your character in Challengers World will unlock level 30 Sol Janus instantly.
  • This is because not having a high level of Sol Janus was one of the big reasons why some players did not want to participate in Challengers World. It’s also nice for new players to experience such a great hunting skill.
  • It will be removed when you World Leap.
• Challengers World Tier rewards:
  • At Gold, you will receive a Fairy Heart.
  • At Sapphire (new tier), you will receive an Epic Additional Potential Scroll and Legendary Potential Scroll.
  • At Diamond, you will receive a Heart Upgrade Module: Plasma.
  • At Master, you will receive 3 Memento Armor 18 Star Enhancement Scrolls (Level 200) and a Level 250 Leap Potion.
  • At Challenger/Super Challenger (new tier for the first 999 people that reach Challenger), you will receive a Level 20 Sol Janus Enhancement Voucher that lets you instantly level up your Sol Janus to level 20, as well as a medal and furniture.
• Challengers World 1-3 will share the Meso Market and Maple Auction with regular worlds.
• Challengers World 4 will share the Meso Market and Maple Auction with Eos/Helios worlds (the artists formerly known as Reboot).
• The Challengers Pass has returned with some changes.
  • The duration has been increased from 8 weeks to 13 weeks.
  • The pass weekly missions have been made easier.
  • New rewards have been added and the premium pass tracks have been separated (one for experience to get to 280 quickly and one for growth with rewards like cubes and Fragments).

• The seasonal boss: Guide of Destiny, Meilin will be added.
  • Similar to Kai, who’s theme was ‘time’, and let you slow down and accelerate time, Meilin’s theme is ‘exclusive skills’, and will let you choose skills from other classes to use together with your own.
  • When you use those other classes’ skills 3 times, you can use ‘Order’ to enhance your own skills’ mechanics in a specific way (for example, being able to use your Origin 2 times in a row, or using your Ascent skill more than 3 times).
  • Normal Meilin is between Hard Jin Hilla and Normal Seren. Hard Meilin is between Easy Kaling and Normal Kalos.
  • Normal Meilin will be the last boss for the Item Burning Plus.
  • It will drop similar rewards to Kai (Sol Erda Fragments, Pitched Boss Accessory Box, Eternal Armor, etc).
  • When you clear Normal, you can get her hair/face/outfit. When you clear Hard, you can get a name tag/chat bubble ring and a Magnificent Meilin’s Soul.
  • The first 10 people in Challengers World 1-3 and first 3 people in Challengers World 4 to clear Hard will receive a chair, custom background, a finish effect, and Maple Home theme.

Overdrive Roadmap

• June 18
  • Ruler of Covenants, Lethe
  • Playtime Shortened
    • Boss HP decreased to 2/3
    • Epic Dungeon/Monster Park reorganization
  • System Reorganizations
    • Sol Erda limit increased
    • Boss Practice Mode per phase
    • Maple Auction overall reorganization
  • Genesis Pass & Genesis Pass Plus
  • 5th Union Champion
  • Events:
    • New Recruit Mercenary Support Event
    • Challengers World Season 4
      • Overall mission reorganization
      • Sol Janus support
      • Challengers Pass
      • Mysterious Barrier
      • Seasonal Boss: Guide of Destiny, Meilin
    • Hyper Blink + Hyper Burning MAX + Burning Beyond + Item Burning Plus
      • +5000% experience until level 260
      • 1+1 level ups until level 280
    • Mission Ultima
      • Ultima Supply Log
      • Etherion Artifact
      • Specter Blast
• July 9
  • 1st Test World
• July 16
  • 2nd Test World
• July 23
  • New 3rd Skill Core
  • Maximum damage limit increased
  • Prism Dye reorganization
• August 20
  • New Boss: Bellona
  • Brilliant Boss Accessory: Starving Blood-Red Vengeful Spirit

Conclusion

• The showcase rewards are:
  • 2 Selective Mannequin/Slot Expansion Vouchers
  • 3 Selective Sol Erda/Sol Erda Fragment Vouchers
  • 2 4x Experience Coupons (30 Minutes)
  • 2000 Advanced EXP Vouchers
  • Overdrive Medal Voucher
  • Overdrive Damage Skin (Unit)
  • Overdrive Poster Voucher
• The test world was opened after the showcase. Here are the KMST patch notes.
  • 1.2.202 Release (New Job Lethe)
  • 1.2.202 Release (Content, Improvements, and Error Fixes)
  • 1.2.202 Release (Events)