MapleStory

VS

Dune: Awakening

MapleStory is a classic 2D MMORPG released in 2003 by Nexon, still maintained with regular updates, events, and international servers. Despite its age, it retains a loyal fanbase and moderate popularity, particularly in South Korea and NA/EU. Current daily active players are estimated between 30,000–50,000 across all regions, reflecting long-term decline but ongoing niche appeal.

As of late August 2025, Dune: Awakening had approximately 14,000 concurrent players, reflecting a significant decline from its peak of over 189,000 concurrent players shortly after launch in June 2025. This decrease is attributed to factors such as player burnout, game design issues, and technical problems. Despite these challenges, the developers remain optimistic, citing strong player retention and a 10-year development roadmap that includes plans to explore new planets and regions within the Dune universe. ([gamesradar.com](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/mmo/dune-awakening-dev-says-player-retention-has-been-extremely-good-and-the-mmos-10-year-plan-still-has-so-much-to-pull-from-in-the-lore-well-go-to-new-planets-eventually/?utm_source=openai))