When looking back at the history of the Korean gaming industry, the 'Freestyle' series holds a truly unique position.

While many games have achieved greater commercial success or fame than 'FreeStyle,' the title occupies a unique position, standing quite apart in terms of its genre, concept, and subject matter. If you were to ask anyone to name a representative basketball game developed in South Korea, 99 out of 100 people would say the 'FreeStyle' series. The remaining one would likely say they aren't sure.

There is a reason for the 'series' suffix. The original Freestyle launched in 2004, followed by 'Freestyle 2' in 2011 and '3on3 Freestyle' in 2016. Interestingly, none of these games replaced their predecessors; they have all continued as independent services.

Of course, that makes sense. While all these titles feature 3-on-3 street basketball, the second installment aims for a different kind of fun, and '3on3 Freestyle' shifted its platform focus to consoles. However, 'Freestyle Reboot,' which launches on the 13rd, is cut from a different cloth than these numbered sequels.

The goal of 'FreeStyle Reboot' is to completely recreate the original 'FreeStyle.' It pursues the same fun and is built on the same concepts and rules. However, this does not mean the existing service will be discontinued. We asked the developer, JOYCITY, why 'FreeStyle Reboot' was created and how it will be serviced as an independent title rather than a replacement for its predecessor.

Before we dive into the interview, could you please introduce yourselves?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = I am Jeon Hyun-kyu, the director overseeing the entire Freestyle business division. I have been with JOYCITY for nearly 20 years, and I have worked exclusively on the Freestyle series throughout my entire tenure.

Team Leader Byun Je-ho = I am Byun Je-ho, the planning lead for Freestyle Reboot.

I'd like to start with this: Given that the original game has been running for over 20 years, what was the biggest reason for deciding to develop a separate 'Freestyle Reboot'?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = Freestyle 1 has been in service for over two decades. Over such a long period, a massive amount of content has accumulated. At the same time, because it is a long-running game, it became increasingly complex and difficult for new users to approach. There were also technical aspects we wanted to address using today's more advanced environment.

Rather than modifying and updating the existing Freestyle, we decided to start a reboot to redefine the core fun that defines the series and rebuild the gaming experience from the ground up.

The goal of the project is to maintain the signature 3-on-3 basketball, team play, and 'feel' of Freestyle while creating a new version that is easier for the next generation of users to pick up.

So, what does 'reboot' mean to the development team in the context of 'FreeStyle Reboot'? It seems there must be a difference between this and a simple graphical update or remaster.

Team Leader Byun Je-ho = If we had only upgraded the graphics, we would have used the term 'remaster.' However, this time, we didn't just change the engine; we completely restructured character progression, matchmaking, and systems to help new users settle in.

We used the name 'Reboot' because we kept the core fun of the game while changing everything else. The graphics, both in-game and out-of-game, have also been completely redesigned. Aside from the core rules and logic, you can consider almost everything else to be newly built.

You mentioned that the core rules and logic were kept. Looking deeper, what were the essential elements of Freestyle that you felt absolutely had to be preserved?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = In one word, it's the 'feel' (son-mat). And teamwork. Freestyle is a game where three people play together. We felt it was most important to maintain the proper movement and tactics between the three teammates.

Above all, the heritage of Freestyle, as we see it, is that 'feel.' The fast-paced match flow, creating space through organic movement, and experiencing the fun of competition through these elements are the core components. We put a lot of effort into ensuring these were preserved.

I understand the service started in Taiwan first. With the Korean service starting on the 13rd, what are your plans for other overseas regions?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = We launched in Taiwan last May, and it opens in Korea on August 13rd. The next step will likely be mainland China. We have applied for a license (ISBN), but it hasn't been issued yet. Since the Taiwan launch, several large Chinese companies have shown significant interest, and we are currently in contract discussions.

It seems difficult to start the Chinese service within this year due to the licensing issue. While we believe we can finalize the contract this year, we ultimately have to align with when the license is issued. Large Chinese companies have the know-how to obtain licenses a bit faster, so we plan to coordinate with them.

If the Chinese launch is delayed due to the license, we might proceed with a global launch first. The global version will likely be serviced via Steam.

Recently, most games are serviced via 'Steam' with global markets in mind. 'Freestyle Reboot' is self-publishing in Korea; is there a specific reason for that?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = Freestyle has been serviced in Korea for 20 years. We judged that we have sufficient capability to handle the domestic service ourselves.

Many users already know that JOYCITY services Freestyle, and there are many who have experienced the game before. While Steam would be helpful for a global service, we felt it wasn't strictly necessary for the domestic market. If a global version is released later, we plan to separate it into a different server from the domestic one.

I heard that Reboot emphasizes 'skill over stats.' Compared to the existing Freestyle, how much has the influence of character or item stats on actual match results been reduced?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = It's a sensitive topic to express in specific numbers because the original Freestyle is still in service. However, I can say that from the user's perspective, it has been significantly reduced compared to before.

We didn't design it with a structure where stats keep increasing indefinitely. The most important thing we considered while making the Reboot was to 'minimize the influence of external factors other than skill on match outcomes.'

You previously stated that you would not release powerful special characters in the Taiwan service. Will this principle be maintained even if the service continues for a long time?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = Yes. We will maintain this stance. Minimizing the influence of non-skill factors on match outcomes was our top priority during development.

If characters keep getting stronger based on stats, and characters with higher stats are released, the impact of stats on matches grows as the service period lengthens. To prevent this from the start, we ensured that even premium characters don't have excessively high stats, and we designed the game to avoid selling stat-related items as much as possible.

We intend to keep this principle until the day we close the Reboot servers.

Minimizing performance gaps is a good direction, but conversely, gamers might find no reason to need different characters. How do you plan to create individuality and value for each character?

Team Leader Byun Je-ho = While the total amount of stats is the same, we differentiate them by focusing on specific stats. For example, a 'Big Man' type character might have stats that are slightly more advantageous for that position. Secondly, we plan to differentiate them through character appearance.

Some characters have different animations. However, it's not to the extent that every single motion changes like in the original game currently in live service. You can consider the differentiation to be within a range that does not affect the outcome of the match.

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = In the previous game, premium characters had different frames when using dunk motions. As a result, it was sometimes difficult for opponents to deal with certain premium characters due to their specific animations. This was also a case of non-stat factors affecting the outcome.

In Reboot, even if a premium character performs a special shot or dunk, the frames and hitboxes are made identical to the basic characters. Therefore, there will be no issue of certain characters feeling unfairly strong in terms of balance.

However, what I worry about is users thinking, 'They're selling premium characters, so stronger ones will come out later,' before they've had enough time to play. We know we have that image, and that is our biggest concern.

This direction is ultimately linked to the business model (BM). If you don't rely on selling stats or powerful characters, how does the BM of Reboot differ from the existing Freestyle?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = The BM structure of Reboot has completely changed compared to the existing Freestyle. So, at first, our biggest question was, 'Will this actually work in the market? Is it commercially viable.'

But after actually servicing it in Taiwan, the purchase rate increased significantly after we changed the BM to be much less burdensome. Compared to the previous purchase rate, it went up by nearly two or three times. Of course, the average amount spent per user dropped. But when you combine the purchase rate and the average spend to look at total revenue, the story changes.

Users liked the less burdensome BM, played more, and the purchase rate went up. As a result, in terms of business, it is not lacking at all compared to the previous work; in fact, we are seeing better results now.

I can't say that stat elements don't exist at all. However, we designed them so that those numbers have almost no impact on match outcomes. It's not a structure where you can overturn a clear skill gap with money.

Team Leader Byun Je-ho = While servicing in Taiwan, we received a lot of feedback regarding balance and matchmaking. However, we never heard a single negative comment about the BM. We are worried about how it will be received by Korean users, but there were almost no complaints related to the BM in Taiwan.

Freestyle is a game with a large skill gap between veteran and new users due to its long service period. When Reboot launches, new users and skilled veterans will inevitably clash. Are there any mechanisms in place to ensure fair competition?

Team Leader Byun Je-ho = That was our biggest concern. We invested heavily in AI so that new or beginner users can get used to the game through AI matches before entering PVP.

In matchmaking, since skilled users are more likely to win, we made their ratings rise faster when they win. The matchmaking logic itself separates new/beginner users from skilled users. We plan to continue monitoring and improving this even after launch. We had some of these issues early in the Taiwan service, and we improved them before the Korean launch.

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = In any PVP game, skill gaps between users are inevitable. Especially since we have been in service for so long, the gap between users with a lot of experience and new users can be quite large.

So, we thought the key was to keep these users in separate pools as much as possible. The first step is to use ratings to make matchmaking more precise, and the second is to create an environment where new users can quickly learn basic skills. To this end, we strengthened the AI and actively utilized AI matching.

You mentioned receiving feedback from Taiwan. Could you introduce an example of feedback that was directly reflected in the Korean service.

Team Leader Byun Je-ho = The matchmaking I mentioned is a prime example. Besides that, we believe the more systems there are to help new users settle in, the better, so we are planning additional systems.

For balance, we monitored the Taiwan version to identify where gaps between new and existing users occurred, and we performed balance adjustments so that the Korean version would be as optimized as possible.

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = Additionally, a much more evolved version of the AI compared to the Taiwan service will be applied with the Korean launch.

In preparing for this reboot, we changed the AI to a learning-based model. Instead of having programmers manually specify every movement, we designed it to observe and learn from the movements of skilled players. By adding reinforcement learning to this, we created a hybrid AI that combines imitation learning and reinforcement learning. This AI is scheduled to be updated across the entire reboot alongside the launch of the Korean version.

The AI will move much more like a human than in the past. It's not just a matter of being good or bad; users will feel like they are playing against actual people.

In the past, users disliked being matched with AI. There were complaints about why they had to keep playing with AI when they wanted to play with people, and there were cases where users quit when we applied AI modes to help new users settle in.

So we pondered, 'How can we make users not feel dissatisfied with AI?' We thought that if the AI acted like a human and played similarly to actual users, those complaints would decrease significantly, so we conducted a lot of research in this area.

Because it is a learning-based AI, it will continue to evolve even during service. It will develop into an AI that shows movements increasingly similar to Reboot users, so you can look forward to that.

You switched to the Unity engine for Reboot. Were there any technically challenging aspects in this process?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = Since we have used Unity a lot in other company projects, the technology itself wasn't a major problem. The biggest issue was the sheer volume of content accumulated over the years.

Changing the engine means you cannot simply import resources created in the past into the new engine. Over 20 years of servicing Freestyle, hundreds of thousands of items were created. Recreating all of these was the biggest challenge.

In the end, we couldn't make everything. Deciding what to make, what to exclude, and to what extent to recreate them was the biggest hurdle. Therefore, the current resource volume of Reboot is significantly reduced compared to the original.

Are there any elements from Freestyle 2 or 3on3 Freestyle that you brought into Reboot? Or is it strictly based on Freestyle 1?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = To give you the conclusion first, since Reboot is based on Freestyle 1, you can just think of it as Freestyle 1.

We don't consider Freestyle 1, Freestyle 2, and 3on3 Freestyle as sequels to the same game. Freestyle 2 didn't evolve from 1; 1 and 2 are games that pursue different kinds of fun. The commonality is that they are basketball games, specifically 3-on-3 basketball games.

Therefore, it is more accurate to see it as a reboot that inherits the fun of Freestyle 1 rather than a regression to the past. Whether a reboot of Freestyle 2 or 3on3 Freestyle will come out is not yet decided, but the possibility is open.

It is known that the initial content focuses on classic 3-on-3 play. How do you plan to expand into new match modes or competitive content in the future?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = We are preparing other modes. However, 5-on-5 is still a question mark. While there are definitely users who enjoy it if we provide it, the number of users was too small to make matchmaking work properly. Conversely, in the Greater China region, there are many users who want 1-on-1 or 2-on-2. So if we launch in China, there is a possibility that 2-on-2 or 1-on-1 modes will appear.

Even if it's 1-on-1, it could be a way where characters face off one-on-one, or it could be a form where the actual match is 3-on-3, but the user participates as one person and the other two teammates are handled by AI. It was difficult to make such modes fun with the AI that programmers used to create manually in the past. But now, through reinforcement learning and imitation learning, the AI can move like a human and make organic judgments, so we are considering such expansions.

How do you plan to handle updates and season operations for the Korean service?

Team Leader Byun Je-ho = We plan to proceed with monthly updates based on a 'Pass' system. We will also provide play-related events so that users can earn rewards by playing the game. We plan to proceed with updates in a way that F2P users can also receive related items through gameplay.

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = The Pass cycle is one month. However, in terms of it being a competitive game, rankings and records are also very important. Integrated rankings and records will be maintained without season resets. At the same time, we are preparing modes where a specific period is considered a season, and records and rankings are reset on a 3-month, 2-month, or 1-month basis. It will be a form where both lifetime records and seasonal records exist.

It is known that only the PC version is currently being released. Do you have plans to expand to other platforms like mobile or console in the future?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = It is possible. Since the engine has changed, platform expansion has become possible. We are already preparing a mobile version. The mobile version will be prepared after the PC version.

Console is still in the conceptual stage. Since 3on3 Freestyle achieved good results on consoles, I think there is sufficient potential, but a console expansion for Freestyle Reboot is not a confirmed fact.

The original Freestyle is also continuing its service. How do you plan to operate the original and the Reboot as different types of games, and how are you setting the relationship between the two?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = The original Freestyle has been in service for a very long time, so user experience, community, and many assets have accumulated. Integrating this, shutting it down, or making major changes carelessly is a very difficult and dangerous task.

I will refer to the original as the 'Original.' The Original will continue to be serviced. There are still many users who pursue this kind of fun. Although the number of users in Korea has decreased significantly, in places like China, there are still a great many users who want to maintain the assets, experience, and community they have built.

So we will continue to provide the fun of the Original, and we have separated the development teams. There are separate teams for the Original and the Reboot. The Original will continue to maintain the demands of users and the existing fun in the way it has done so far.

Conversely, Reboot is a game created to accept a new generation of users by changing many parts. Therefore, Reboot will continue to develop according to that direction. Of course, in the worst-case scenario, if all Original users leave and we cannot maintain the server, we might end the service, but we have the will to maintain the server for 30 or 40 years, even by injecting AI, if necessary.

Also, I think Original users will also experience Reboot. There will be users who try Reboot and continue to enjoy the Original, playing both games in parallel. Since the Original has high stats, the movements are much faster, and you can feel a more advanced 'feel.' In Reboot, while we excluded the influence of stats and upgraded basic movements, there will definitely be users who feel it doesn't satisfy the sensation of the existing Original. I think those people will continue to enjoy the Original.

Users who first enjoyed Freestyle are now in their 30s and 40s, while for young users, the Freestyle IP itself might be unfamiliar. Which target user group does Reboot consider most important?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = Actually, that is exactly why Reboot started. Even if we market the Original, new users don't come in well. Even if they do, it's difficult for them to remain in the game. The barrier to entry is too high.

There are definitely users who want to play basketball games on PC, but the situation where they couldn't settle in Freestyle 1 and couldn't settle in Freestyle 2 repeated. Reboot started from the thought that while we are servicing basketball games, we were not properly providing games to those users.

Reboot has two main targets. The first is the new generation of young users who didn't know Freestyle. The second is users who experienced Freestyle in the past and have memories of it, but left because the direction the game was heading didn't fit them. The goal is to allow those people to enjoy Freestyle once again.

In marketing, we are preparing to distinguish and expose resources aimed at young users and resources aimed at the existing generation.

I don't think we need to look only at the popularity of basketball as a sport itself. Freestyle can be seen as a type of action game rather than a traditional sports game. There is fun in timing your movements and playing. The current young generation has mainly experienced this kind of experience in mobile games, and if we can convey that there is this kind of fun on PC as well, I think young users will like it.

Freestyle is a game that has already been in service for over 20 years. If you look at the next 10 or 20 years through Reboot, what kind of Freestyle do you ultimately want to create?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = The most important thing in the Original is the maintenance of heritage. I expect that even if another 10 or 20 years pass, the Original will continue to maintain its current form.

Conversely, since Reboot is a game that has switched to a new method, its future is still a question mark. Numbered sequels could continue to come out, mobile could become the main platform through platform expansion, or it could be console. Or it could be a form where PC, mobile, and console are integrated.

Because there is infinite potential for development in the future of Reboot, I want to leave it as an unknown for now. On the other hand, I think our role for the Original is to continue to maintain what has been built so far.

Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to the users waiting for Freestyle Reboot?

Director Jeon Hyun-kyu = I think this new challenge called Reboot was possible because there were users who continued to play, remember, and love Freestyle for over 20 years.

Reboot is not a game created to replace the existing Freestyle or deny the experience of the past. I hope you see it as another Freestyle created to maintain the core fun that Freestyle had while delivering it in a new direction.

We have changed many parts that we couldn't attempt for various reasons until now. I hope you come and experience it yourself.

Also, in terms of the most important BM and monetization, we have changed it to be much less burdensome, and we have configured the balance so that you can enjoy the game for a long time even without spending money. I hope you trust us once more and come play.