Ever heard of a game that’s raked in over $22 billion, yet might not be on your radar? That’s the story of the 2D MMO Dungeon Fighter Online (DFO). Launched in Korea in 2005 as Dungeon & Fighter, this titan of Asian gaming has spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs. However, DFO has largely remained a cult favorite in the West. Now, developer Neople is looking to change that with The First Berserker: Khazan, a new title aiming to captivate a broader audience. While not immediately apparent, Khazan is deeply rooted in the DNF universe, leveraging its rich history for a fresh gameplay experience. Here at Digital Tech Explorer, we’re always keen on how franchises evolve, and during GDC 2025, we got the inside scoop from Neople CEO Myeongjin Yun and lead actor Ben Starr (famed for his role as Clive in Final Fantasy 16) about their ambitious goal: reinventing DNF for a new generation.
Khazan: An Origin Story in the DNF Universe
“It’s been close to 20 years since the original Dungeon Fighter Online released, and while a lot of people have enjoyed it, and it has seen great success all around Asia, it’s still not as well known in the West,” explained Yun. “There is a wide span of gamers and their tastes when you look at gaming in general, and the original DFO is a 2D, side-scrolling game, and it might be a little bit niche.”
“So for us, we thought about what genre we can reach more people with to really draw them into the Dungeon Fighter Universe. The experience of making a fighting game with DNF Duel worked well, but for this time, we wanted to make an action game and stay very true to that core experience of Dungeon Fighter. We wanted to make Khazan to showcase the series’ fast, intense action and highlight the storytelling and lore that the Dungeon Fighter IP has built in the last decades.” While the original DFO is known for its bombastic combat, The First Berserker: Khazan instead emphasizes a lethal, soulslike experience focusing on the player’s journey and growth, all through the eyes of Khazan—a warrior transforming from broken hero to a formidable, malevolent figure.
Khazan is undeniably an action RPG, but it distinctively leans into tension and more thoughtful combat, contrasting with the frenetic pace of titles like Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry. According to Neople’s CEO, the game aims to immerse players in a hardcore action-RPG experience that still makes them feel “cool.” “We always want players to feel cool when fighting and that they are in control during a fight,” Yun elaborated. “It can be a difficult and challenging game, but since you are playing as Khazan, we want you to feel cool and powerful, which will then give you motivation to try again and do better on new attempts. That aspect was important for us with this type of action title, as you’ll then be able to start parrying and really relish that sensation of combat clicking for you. We didn’t want players to go through too much pressure—it was more about balancing pressure, so we could make you feel you’re growing on this journey.”
What makes The First Berserker: Khazan particularly compelling is its role as an origin story for both the series and its titular character—think DFO’s equivalent to World of Warcraft’s Arthas/The Lich King. This approach offers newcomers an accessible entry point, free from the burden of needing to know years of DFO lore. Conversely, longtime fans receive a foundational narrative that enriches the large-scale conflicts within DFO. Set 700 years before the original game, Khazan (the game) begins with its protagonist exiled to a frozen wilderness by his former allies in the Pell Los empire. After a narrow escape from imprisonment, he forms an uneasy alliance with a dark entity, Blade Phantom. This pact drives him to seek revenge, inadvertently steering the kingdom towards a darker destiny and setting the stage for the era of Dungeon Fighter Online and his eventual fate as a key antagonist.
Ben Starr on Embodying Khazan
The dark narrative of The First Berserker: Khazan was a significant draw for actor Ben Starr. Known for portraying brooding and powerful protagonists such as Clive in Final Fantasy 16 and Arthur in Warframe: 1999, Starr found Khazan’s character particularly appealing. He shared that while the character’s cool appearance initially caught his eye during auditions, it was the depth—the “meat on the bones”—of Khazan’s rags-to-berserker journey and Neople’s openness to his creative input that truly won him over.
“For me as an actor, I love the challenge of exploring the aspects that aren’t powerful, where a character is at their lowest, and this game has some great moments that reflect that,” Starr revealed. “This [game] is a profound power fantasy; you build up this character and acquire new cool weapons, but it’s more than just an action game. It has a lot of heart, depicting a world where people are suffering, and exploring what Khazan (the character) can do to help, all while battling his own literal inner demon.”
“What really drew me to this role was just how much there was to play with, and I felt like [the developers] were all very open to allowing [the cast] to explore within this world,” Starr continued. He also praised actor Anthony Howell, who voices the boss Blade Phantom (and notably, Morgott in Elden Ring), for delivering “a brilliant performance” and being “a perfect foil for Khazan.”
Starr’s enthusiasm points to a game with significant depth. Players diving into The First Berserker: Khazan can anticipate intricate systems to master, from unique in-game resources to crucial progression milestones, all designed to enhance the challenging yet rewarding experience Neople is aiming for. Digital Tech Explorer will be keeping an eye on how these elements unfold and will bring you further insights as they become available.
The Future of the Dungeon & Fighter Franchise
Beyond The First Berserker: Khazan‘s soulslike direction for the Dungeon & Fighter franchise, Neople is also developing an open-world RPG titled ARAD: Dungeon & Fighter, which was announced in 2024. This indicates the developers are keen on exploring diverse new experiences for their expansive universe.
“Our entire team is made up of people who loved the original Dungeon Fighter and even grew up with it over the years. We genuinely want to share those stories with more people, and that’s why we started with Khazan,” Yun shared. “We felt his experience as a fighter and warrior, and how that could fit into a hardcore action RPG, would translate well to new audiences. And there are so many other characters with depth, leaving more possibilities for the future.”
“It could be more character-focused experiences, it could be online, it could be a movie, it could be more manhwas, or an anime series—a lot of different things,” Yun teased. “But stay tuned; we have a lot in store.”