Future of Cabal Online 2024++

Follow me in the journey of exploring incoming contents for Cabal Online, as my personal point of view, Battle Mode 4, Rune Renewal, Wing Expansion and Extreme Upgrade Renewal are quite prominent. Let’s dive in!

As Cabal Online progresses, one feature consistently tops players’ wish lists: Battle Mode 4 (BM4). It’s been over a decade since Battle Mode 3 was introduced in Episode 8, and now, with the game at Episode 39, the anticipation for BM4 is stronger than ever. Players are eagerly awaiting a new level of combat customization and power that could redefine their gameplay experience.

Battle Mode 3 brought significant enhancements, offering new skills and powerful transformations. However, the potential for BM4 goes beyond just enhancing combat abilities. Imagine a Battle Mode that introduces an entirely new level of personalization, allowing players to tailor their characters to their unique playstyles. BM4 could provide deeper customization, extending beyond skills and transformations, and offer control over combat strategy and performance.

One exciting possibility is the introduction of a new resource tied specifically to BM4, operating similarly to the SP system but with its unique mechanics. This resource could regenerate based on specific actions or in-game conditions, adding a layer of tactical decision-making that keeps battles dynamic and engaging.

Furthermore, we might expect BM4 to feature an evolvable Battle Mode with a customizable UI, allowing players to make multiple adjustments and track their progress. Imagine a system where your Battle Mode evolves as you play, unlocking new abilities and options as you advance. The UI could provide real-time feedback and allow for quick adjustments, making combat more interactive and strategic.

While BM4 is still just a concept, its potential to breathe new life into Cabal Online is undeniable. The community’s desire for this update reflects their enduring love for the game and the hope that Cabal Online will continue to evolve, offering fresh and thrilling experiences. With Episode 39 upon us and no major Battle Mode updates in sight, BM4 remains a dream—but it’s one that could one day reshape the battlefield and elevate Cabal Online to new heights.

Currently, Cabal offers three distinct types of Runes:

• Essence Rune:
  This rune provides passive stats for your character and can be obtained as dungeon drops. To unlock an Essence Rune, you’ll need the rune itself, along with core materials and Ability Points (AP) to level it up.
• Blended Rune:
  These runes grant temporary buffs with a 1% or 2% chance of activation per hit. Crafting a Blended Rune requires consuming Essence Runes and core materials, but keep in mind the success rate is only 50%.
• Karma Rune:
  Providing passive stats, Karma Runes are specialized for PvE or PvP. To obtain one, complete the “Today’s Dungeon” challenge to earn Ticket Boxes, which contain Karma Rune Exchange Tickets. Like Essence Runes, unlocking and leveling up Karma Runes requires AP and the rune itself.

Why are we discussing Runes? The Rune system was first introduced in 2008 alongside the Altar of Siena B1F and Soul Ability update. Despite being around for nearly 16 years, the system hasn’t changed much.

• Essence Rune: Most Essence Runes are now outdated, offering low stats that don’t significantly impact character builds. Additionally, since Runes (including Essence Runes) are tied to individual characters, it becomes frustrating for players who want to explore different classes using account-wide features, limiting the flexibility in gameplay.
• Blended Rune: The concept of having randomly activated for Blended Rune is great, sadly the chance is quite low and also the value of the Blended Rune “buff” is quite small, those factors make Blended Rune kinda out of the build target for players.
• Karma Rune: Karma Rune was introduced recently from Episode 32 as the rewards from Today’s Dungeon feature. The idea of forcing players to revisit old dungeons to obtain material for new content is just awesome; however, the amount of Karma Rune Exchange Ticket is small in comparison

Imagine a revamped, centralized UI for Runes – a single hub where you can manage all Rune-related content with ease. Picture old Essence Runes receiving a stat boost, Blended Runes gaining new and improved stats, along with a higher activation rate, and new ways to earn Karma Rune Exchange Tickets. Which of these upgrades would excite you the most?

Force Wing Level 500 could be on the horizon, as the last update for Force Wing came back in Episode 33, and while that may not sound like much, it’s been years. Introducing a new grade—Master Grade—for Levels 401 to 500 would be an exciting challenge for hardcore players. This new grade would bring additional stats per level, more slots for Force Wing Training, new Force Wing Arrival Skills, and even a new Force Wing-exclusive dungeon to explore.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the current stat progression, where each level grants just +1 All Attack, +1 Defense, and +1 HP. I was hoping for more variety in the stat boosts per level. Imagine if Levels 401-419 gave +2 All Attack per level, and Level 420 rewarded you with something more exciting, like +2% All Skill Amp. With so many unique stats in Cabal, it’s disappointing that Force Wing is still limited to just the same three basic stats, leaving little room for creativity in character progression.

Extreme Upgrades provide fewer levels but deliver massive stat bonuses. The major downside is the risk of a reset, with no Safeguard or “safe-point” to prevent progress loss. To make this high-risk system more attractive, introducing a safeguard item or a partial progress retention feature could offer a better balance between risk and reward.

Recently, Cabal Mobile Korea introduced several changes to the Extreme Upgrade system, including raising the max upgrade level to 12 and increasing Extreme Core levels to 15. Additionally, they added a feature that allows players to combine same-level Extreme Cores for a chance to create a higher-level Extreme Core. As of Extreme Upgrade result, on success, the Extreme Upgrade Level will be increased by 1, and on failure, there won’t be any penalty than the loss of Extreme Core and Alz.

This updated Extreme Upgrade system is already live on Cabal Mobile Korea’s Galaxy server and newly launched servers. However, there’s no indication yet that ESTgames plans to implement these changes on older servers. It’s possible that the new system will only be available on new servers, but we can still hope that these exciting upgrades might eventually make their way to all servers in the future. For real, when I’m looking at the stats of the Extreme Upgrade Renewal for Cabal Mobile, I really want to get it as soon as possible on Cabal PC.

New Dungeons: The introduction of Tower of the Dead B4F in Episode 39 opens up exciting possibilities for future content, such as Forgotten Temple B4F, an upgraded version of Dr. Mazel’s Ring, or even Tower of the Dead B4F (Part 2). We might also see an Awakened version of Forgotten Temple B3F. Beyond that, we could explore expansions of other dungeon lines, like Altar of Siena or Illusion Castle. The idea of Altar of Siena B3F or a sequel to Illusion Castle is certainly something to look forward to!

Mercenary Renewal: The last major update to Mercenaries was in Episode 16, introducing 4 new Transcendence Mercenaries, which were game-changing at the time, offering a huge stat boost for Battle Mode. However, those stats have become quite outdated and no longer impactful. In my opinion, a Mercenary update is long overdue, and we could be seeing new developments in this area soon.

Set Effect: Currently, equipping items from the same grade offers a Set Effect, but the stat bonuses are too minor to motivate players to complete full sets. It’s crucial to enhance Set Effects to make them a significant factor in gameplay. Additionally, mixed sets (like Craftsman and Master items of the same grade) don’t grant any Set Effect, which is something that needs to be addressed.

Stellar Link: Introduced in Episode 31, Stellar Link allows players to farm Luminous: Selena from epic items to power up nodes with various bonuses. While the chance of obtaining high-tier options is quite low, it’s not impossible. We also have Luminous: Sole, which helps change the link color to maximize bonuses. However, there’s no way to increase a specific option’s value once obtained. For example, if you land on Crit. DMG +2% but the max is +7%, it would be great to have a system that lets you push that value higher while keeping the same option type.

Cabal Online’s future is brimming with possibilities, from Battle Mode 4 to new Rune systems, Force Wing upgrades, and beyond. As the game evolves, these updates could offer a fresh take on familiar mechanics, keeping the gameplay exciting for both new and veteran players alike. What are you most excited about in Cabal’s potential future?