Why Do The Numbers Matter? Pioneer Test Post-Mortem Analysis

Last week, we shared the results from the Pioneer Test, and today, we’re going to dive deeper into the numbers to discuss why these findings mark a significant milestone for both the web3 and game communities.

MapleStory N, the first game in the MapleStory Universe, brought together over 1,000 testers for a 10-day Pioneer Test that began on July 24th. Out of these, around 710 Pioneers actually participated in the test.

During the test, we saw a peak Daily Active User (DAU) count of 714, with almost 92% of the testers engaging throughout the entire test period for 10 days.

What stands out even more is the retention rate. The overall retention rate for the test was an impressive 82%. It speaks volumes about the strong connection players have with the MapleStory N experience, rooted in the beloved MapleStory IP. We believe the strong retention rate is a reflection of how memorable and enjoyable the game is. It’s the kind of experience that draws you in, makes you lose track of time, and keeps you eager to return day after day.

Another key attraction was the thrill of earning items through the Limited Supply Reward system in a familiar game environment, which resonated deeply with our community.

Learn more about Limited Supply Rewards here 🔽

So, did our Pioneers simply log in, play briefly, and collect rewards? Surprisingly, no.

The longest playtime recorded by a single Pioneer was 12,298 minutes — over 200 hours in 10 days. That’s a lot of dedication, showing just how much content and reward potential MapleStory N offers.

Overall, our Pioneers logged a staggering 2,715,388 minutes of total playtime, equivalent to 45,256 hours. That’s 700 people playing for more than 6 hours each day for 10 days — a remarkable achievement for any game.

MapleStory N proved itself as a next-generation blockchain game that inspires such passion.

We also uncovered meaningful data beyond just gameplay.

During the test, Pioneers earned 45,447.14 Nesos, of which 29,966.51 Nesos — or about 66% — were spent. This high consumption rate shows that the in-game economy is robust and engaging.

Interestingly, approximately 95% of the Nesos spent went towards item enhancements, like purchasing Power Crystals for Star Force Enchantment. This highlights the game’s core MMORPG element — making one’s character stronger. Through this journey, we understand that users saw the value in spending Neso as a wise choice for their future gains. They recognized the long-term benefits of investing Neso, for example, knowing that using 1 Neso to upgrade an item and earning 2 Nesos from defeating stronger monsters met their expectations and made their efforts worthwhile.

Moreover, we’ve implemented an in-game economic system modeled after real-world economies, using a Demand-Driven Pricing system for enhancements.

Learn more about Demand-Driven Pricing here 🔽

Now, let’s take a look at some on-chain data.

195,046 Transactions were made during the Pioneer Test.

A total of 1,365 characters, 58,247 NFTs (including weapons and armor), and 129,883 FTs (such as potions) were minted. Neso had a minting rate of 93%, with 42,178.43 Neso brought on-chain.

Unlike traditional games, MapleStory N doesn’t have a premium cash shop. Instead, we introduced the MSU Marketplace, a Synergy App, during the Pioneer Test.

Overall, there were 13,671 trades, amounting to 24,851 Nesos. Notably, even during this test phase, 6,794 offers were made, with 1,416 successful trades. This level of trading activity underscores the seriousness of our testers in engaging with the Marketplace.

We’re confident that the vitality of Marketplace will only increase once MapleStory N officially launches.

These are the results of the first Pioneer Test — what do you think?

While there’s still more works to be done, we believe we’ve made significant progress.

We’ve created a highly engaging service that can attract and retain users, building on the strength of the MapleStory IP, and we’ve taken the first steps towards offering a stable and sustainable Web3 gaming experience.

MapleStory Universe Team is committed to refining the experience and look forward to sharing more as we move closer to the official launch.

Stay tuned and stay excited!

MapleStory Universe Official Links

Official Website ✔️msu.io

Official X ✔️ x.com/MaplestoryU

Official Medium ✔️medium.com/@MaplestoryU

Official Discord ✔️ discord.gg/MaplestoryUniverse

Official YouTube ✔️ https://www.youtube.com/@MapleStoryU

Official Facebook ✔️ www.facebook.com/MapleStoryU.Official/