We’ve finally reached the end of a three-year-long tunnel and are able to greet you with the official release.
I still vividly remember the day we created the game’s first prototype. Testing multiplayer with the developer sitting next to me, laughing, getting surprised, squashing bugs together... As those moments and memories piled up, at some point we began to wish that this game would become more than just a shooter. We dreamed it would turn into a playground where people could try ridiculous things, laugh, and just have fun. We hope that feeling has been woven into a thread that can now be passed on to our players.
Of course, even as we pursued that freedom, Section 13 was still undeniably an action game. So during the Early Access period, our biggest challenge was maintaining a sense of challenging balance, without compromising the fun of that zany playground-style multiplayer gameplay. (For reference, I still remember that one player who stunned their friend with a grenade just to grab the weapon in the Safe Zone first… Though I imagine the player on the receiving end didn’t enjoy it as much! ????)
Since the Early Access release—and especially after I took the helm of the project—one of the biggest questions I kept asking myself was: “How can we make this game’s unique identity stand out more clearly?” The gameplay experience we wanted to create wasn’t just about shooting and winning; it was about creating a stage where each player’s unique playstyle could naturally shine. So whenever we designed a new system, our first thought was always, “Can someone do something totally unexpected with this, and how?” A grenade flying in at an unpredictable moment, a ridiculous combo of skills turning into a deadly move, a single trap nullifying an entire spawn point… and even the friendly fire that some players just refused to give up on until the very end.
As those moments kept stacking up, and we saw players creating their own stories in their own unique ways, we were able to feel certain: this game isn’t just a simple shooter game. We’ve been working to turn it into a true playground—one where cooperation and betrayal, strategy and comedy all coexist. Especially the little prank elements we hid all over the map: Impromptu dance parties during mission briefings, body mods that make your head big, rubber chicken toys—these unexpected bits of humor gave many players a good laugh. And every time we saw those reactions at public events like PAX, we found ourselves saying, “Yes. This is the kind of vibe we’re aiming for.”
In the full release, you’ll at last be able to face the game’s final boss and uncover all the secrets hidden within the base. The game’s narrative elements, previously restricted to the tutorial, have also been expanded, creating a more natural and cohesive experience from start to finish. To enhance immersion, our design team built entirely new dialogue and story systems, our art team carefully crafted all-new character portraits and other expressive elements, and multiple teams poured a great deal of sweat into voice recording sessions to breathe life into each character.
We truly believe that story-motivated players will find so much to love here, and gameplay-motivated players will be pleasantly surprised. (That said, we’re leaving out screenshots to avoid spoilers! ????) To fully experience the complete narrative, we recommend starting a new playthrough in a fresh save slot.
And finally, to everyone who has played, sent feedback, reported bugs, and sometimes laughed like crazy: thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Because of you, Section 13 has become more than just a development project—it’s a world we’ve built together. With the mindset that the full release is not the end but a new beginning, we’ll continue expanding and deepening this world with care and passion.
Thank you all.
The real mission starts now.
-- Jaeeun Park, Creative Director of Section 13
