'VOID DIVER: Escape from the Abyss,' an extraction action RPG currently under development by Nemo Studio, a subsidiary of Loadcomplete, set up a booth at PlayX4 2026 to welcome visitors.

'Void Diver' is a 2.5D pixel-art extraction RPG where the core gameplay involves sending 'divers' into otherworldly dungeons to recover artifacts and escape. Since releasing a demo on Steam at the end of January, it has received an enthusiastic response, surpassing 130k wishlists. The team is currently accelerating development with the goal of participating in the Steam Next Fest this June and launching into Early Access.

At the PlayX4 venue, we met with PD Baek Ho-young, who oversees the development of Void Diver, to discuss the game's background and future direction.

First, could you please introduce yourself.

"I am Baek Ho-young, the lead for Void Diver at Nemo Studio. I am directly involved in the practical aspects of overall game development, from combat design to BGM and sound.

While Loadcomplete is a well-known company, Nemo Studio is still unfamiliar to many gamers. I am curious about your previous work and whether Void Diver is your first project.

"Void Diver is Nemo Studio's first title. Loadcomplete is known as a mobile game company, but as the mobile market became saturated, there was an internal consensus that we needed to explore new territory.

Many developers in the company love Steam games, and there had been ongoing requests to try making one for a long time. You could call it a developer's dream. Eventually, the atmosphere shifted to "Let's give it a try!" and fortunately, the results have been good so far.

When people think of the extraction genre, they usually imagine something hardcore and realistic like Escape from Tarkov. Combining this with cute pixel art is a quite unique choice. I'm curious why you chose this combination.

"We started with the thought that since extraction games are fun, they might become a major trend. We also felt that PvP was the biggest barrier to entry, so we decided to remove it and pondered how to make the experience more casual. As we thought about how to create tension using only PvE, we decided to incorporate horror elements, which naturally led to the current world-building.

Since there is no PvP, I am curious about how you plan to maximize the unique tension of Void Diver.

"While there are elements like difficulty selection and flashlights, managing both HP and stress during gameplay is the most significant feature of Void Diver.

In the Cthulhu mythos, managing mental power is an essential element. While strange things happen when stress rises, you can actually use it to your advantage to become stronger. Later on, you will also be able to control stress through growth elements.

The demo version was released on January 26. The Steam ratings and reactions were quite positive; have any user suggestions been implemented?

"Auto-fire was applied in the demo version. We received feedback that players' hands hurt from having to constantly press the button for basic attacks, so we improved it so that attacks trigger automatically if you hold the button down.

There was a lot of feedback regarding convenience in general, and most of it will be reflected in the Steam Next Fest version. Controller support, added crosshairs, and auto-aiming are all ready.

Controller support seems to have taken longer than expected; were there any difficulties during development?

"There were no reference games in the extraction genre that properly supported controllers. The challenge started with how to implement things that are easy to do with a mouse, like inventory management, on a controller. It wasn't an easy task, but fortunately, it was implemented well in the end.

Based on the demo, it felt more profitable in many ways to just quickly finish the set campaign and escape. Are there any elements being prepared to reinforce the tension that comes from the tug-of-war between escaping and staying longer?

"I thought of the campaign as the minimum objective given to the player. However, because the campaign rewards were so good, some people started repeating only that. So, we plan to separate the initial rewards from the repeat rewards. We intend to change it so that the story campaign gives good rewards only the first time, and afterwards, players will have to farm directly inside the dungeon.

We are also reworking the overall item crafting and drop systems, and introducing a gear repair system. Weapons and equipment will wear out like consumables, creating a structure that requires continuous farming.

I played on normal difficulty, but it was still quite challenging. It felt like the difficulty spiked significantly when the map changed to the city center; was that intentional?

"The city center map is definitely designed to be more difficult than the residential area. However, we are currently rebalancing the overall difficulty, and the trait system is being completely overhauled, so the gameplay experience will feel very different even if the monsters remain the same.

I also found it disappointing that there is no pause function when playing solo. Dealing with roaming monsters was not easy in the demo; is there room for improvement?

"We recognize the need for it internally. However, since we started development as a network-based game, it is not easy to implement in the short term. We are aware that this is something we must prepare for in the long run, and we will try to include it before the official launch.

Although it was locked in the demo, I noticed there are skill trees for each character. I am curious if these are simple stat-boosting elements or if they change the playstyle itself.

"We are trying to make it so that the playstyle itself changes, rather than just simple stat boosts. Depending on character proficiency, the number of traits you can activate is determined, and you enter the dungeon with a skill tree combination of your choice. For example, we are considering changes at the level where Ga-young, a melee character, could transform into a ranged character as her talisman-throwing skill becomes a basic attack.

You recently introduced a new ranged character, Raven. After playing her, she felt like a traditional ranged dealer based on basic attacks. Wouldn't this significantly diminish the standing of the melee character, Ga-young?

"The fact that ranged combat feels more comfortable is a general trend in games these days. That is why we intentionally designed ranged characters to be weaker in terms of defense.

In fact, I think it's a rule of gaming that every character except the one you are playing looks stronger. Since this isn't PvP, rather than trying to achieve perfect numerical balance, we plan to create a structure where players can enjoy the game according to their own playstyle and preferences, along with exclusive traits.

Are more characters planned for the future, and what is your target total.

"We are aiming for about 6 to 7 characters at the time of the official launch.

The monsters were also impressive. There were many characters taken from urban legends, such as the Teke Teke or the Slit-Mouthed Woman, and it was fun to see who would appear next. Will we continue to see these elements in later chapters?

"We are building a world that feels like a collection of ghost stories mixed from various urban legends. A new mini-boss will be added to the city center in the Steam Next Fest version.

I understand the game was first registered on Steam early last January. When did full-scale development begin?

"At the time of the initial Steam page registration, it was in the idea-conception stage. We spent time exploring various options while pondering what to make, and full-scale development began last February.

It has been a little over a year since development started. What is the biggest change between the initial concept and the version that will be shown at the upcoming Steam Next Fest?

"When I first came up with the idea, I thought of a school setting. The concept was that students would enter dungeons as an after-school activity. Ga-young was originally a character in a school uniform with glasses, but during internal testing, people said she looked ugly, so we redesigned her to her current look. We might add an original (old) Ga-young skin later. We are currently developing a skin system, and we are also thinking about giving bonus skins to those who enjoyed the demo.

When is the official launch expected?

"It is difficult to give an answer regarding the official launch date right now. However, we are preparing to proceed with Early Access within the second half of this year, and we will try to share good news as quickly as possible.

Lastly, please say a word to the fans waiting for the game.

"I am just grateful that people love our game. Thanks to that, I am working happily every day, and perhaps that is why development is progressing steadily. We will try to meet you as soon as possible.