Lineage 2: BASIC — back to its roots. Slowly. But for everyone?

NCSoft is preparing BASIC — an update to the Korean version of Lineage 2, launching on October 28, 2026. The announcement centers on the new Gludin server, gradual progression starting with No-Grade gear, and a promise to make playing together matter again. The company invites players to explore this concept with a Falchion in hand — the weapon at the heart of its announcement of a fresh start.

Sounds good. Almost enough to bring back memories of your first proper sword and get the old clan back together. But there is a significant difference between "bringing back the feel of early Lineage 2" and "bringing back early Lineage 2." Best to work out the difference before nostalgia reaches for your bank card.

Falchion is back. Now make it mean something

In NCSoft's official announcement, the concept behind Gludin rests on three principles: Standard, Simple, Slow — start with the basics, simplify systems, and slow down progression. Players are offered a gradual journey starting with No-Grade gear, rather than a rush through the early stages.

The idea deserves a closer look. Character progression can be interesting long before the level cap — provided there are things to do along the way, people to interact with, and a reason to work toward that next piece of gear.

But you cannot recreate the old Lineage 2 just by handing everyone cheap swords and slowing down leveling. Bringing back that experience depends on more than the pace of progression: the roles of parties, classes, trading, and player interaction matter too.

Dressing a modern game in old armor is not the same as bringing back the old rules.

Slow — for everyone, or just those who haven't paid?

One of NCSoft's more interesting promises is to narrow the progression gap between players. That is how the company describes one of its goals for the new server.

And this is where you want to put down the Falchion and take a close look at the monetization.

The skepticism is not unfounded. For example, the official description of the European Project Eva — a server within Lineage 2 Essence — offered a seven-day rune in April 2024 for €9.99: +30% XP/SP and additional stats. That example comes from a different regional server; it does not describe confirmed terms for BASIC. But it is a very concrete example of how paid options can affect the pace of progression.

The key question is simple: will slower progression be the rule for everyone, or just the standard package for those who don't buy a boost?

If regular progression is slowed down while the option to speed it up is sold separately, going back to the roots takes on a very different meaning. One player is enjoying the leisurely journey, while another has already sped ahead — with just as much respect for the classics, only in the toll lane.

For now, these are questions about BASIC, not claims about its future monetization. But it is too early to take the word Slow as a promise of a fairer game. Slower does not mean fairer.

Back to the past — with a new class

Bartz was unveiled alongside BASIC — a new agile, dagger-wielding melee class. The developers link its concept to the "Bartz Liberation War," an event from the history of the Lineage 2 community.

A new class is not a drawback in itself. But it does illustrate how BASIC should be viewed: combining nostalgic themes with new content does not, in itself, mean recreating a particular chronicle from the game's past.

The time machine, it seems, is setting off with the updates already installed.

Fans of C1, C4, and Interlude should therefore distinguish between an interest in NCSoft's new experiment and the expectation that the exact game they remember is coming back.

The new server could turn out to be interesting — and still be nothing like what a fan of the old chronicles is looking for.

The nostalgia is there. Trust will have to be earned

Everything will depend on the actual rules, balance, the role of crafting, and how much paid advantages can influence character progression.

For now, "back to basics" should be treated as a promise, not a result. BASIC could turn out to be a successful experiment for NCSoft. Or it could be fresh packaging for selling old memories.

Bringing back Falchion is a straightforward task. Bringing back trust is a tougher raid.