South Korean mobile gaming giant Netmarble announced Thursday that its latest massively multiplayer online role-playing game, RF Online Next, has topped sales rankings in the Google app store following the successful debut of its first large-scale war content, Mining War.

According to the company, over 20,000 players participated in the inaugural serverwide guild battle held on April 19, driving the game to reach the top spot in Korea’s mobile sales rankings as of April 22.

RF Online Next is a new installment built on the beloved RF Online IP, which has been active since 2004.

The game features a signature concept of three rival nations — Bellato, Accretia and Cora — competing for control over Hollystone, a vital in-game resource.

In Mining War, representative guilds from each nation battle in a multiphase war, including a preliminary battle and a full-scale nation war, to secure exclusive mining rights and transaction fees.

Following the success of Mining War, anticipation is continuing for Paradise Battle, a seasonal world content mode where up to 200 players across four guilds clash in real time.

Netmarble plans to officially launch the preseason on April 27 after a successful trial run earlier this month.

“A large-scale war system is crucial for the long-term success of MMORPG,” stated a Netmarble official. “We aim to deliver an immersive experience through distinctive content like Mining War, Paradise Battle and upcoming features such as Inferior Planet.”

By Park Soo-bin (spark@heraldcorp.com)