Netmarble recently unveiledSolo Leveling: Arise Overdriveat the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase. Following the success of the Korean manhwa and anime,Solo Leveling: Arise Overdriveis a natural next step in the franchise’s evolution. Following the journey of hunter Sung Jin-woo, players can dive into the action in this enhanced action RPG.
Interestingly, while fans were excited to see more fromSolo Levelingduring the Xbox Games Showcase, the reveal has prompted several questions. Putting the relatively long name aside, the fact that it keeps “Arise” in the title afterSolo Leveling Arise, the mobile game that launched in May 2024, has led some to wonder whetherSolo Leveling: Arise Overdriveis a different game. Furthermore, adding to the confusion, the trailer boasts co-op gameplay, which sharply contrasts with the “Solo Leveling” part of the name.
Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive Raises More Questions Than Answers
Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive Is A Standalone Game
While it was initially ambiguous whetherSolo Leveling: Arise Overdrivewas a new gameor a massive update, Netmarble developers clarified in the officialSolo LevelingDiscord that it’s “a new action RPG experience, unlike anySolo Levelinggame before.” Similar to the announcements in the trailer, Netmarble continued by noting thatOverdrivewill be a “brand new high-quality PC and console game,” while simultaneously confirming tonews outlet Gematsuthat “this title is separate fromSolo Leveling: Arise.” As a result, players will not be able to transfer their progress, particularly becauseAriseis tailored to gacha fans, whileOverdriveis an action RPG with a base price.
It’s evident thatOverdrivedraws heavily from the mobile game, which was also playable on PCwith cross-progression through Netmarble’s client. This makes sense since it shares the same developer and publisher, and several assets appear to be reused or revamped for the upcoming RPG. Netmarble has already been praised for faithfully adapting the original manhwa’s art style, and the new state-of-the-art graphics and cinematics appear ready to elevate the project to the next level.
Since Solo Leveling: Arisewas initially intended to launch on Steam sometime in 2025, but the page now directs fans toSolo Leveling: Arise Overdrive, the confusion is understandable. Still, it’s not too late for Netmarble to consider dropping “Arise” entirely and calling itSolo Leveling: Overdriveto negate further misunderstandings.
Those who addedSolo Leveling: Ariseto their Steam wishlists will now seeSolo Leveling: Arise Overdrivein its place becauseAriseis no longer being ported to PC or console.
Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive Will Feature Co-Op, Despite the Name
Beyond noteworthy additions like job changes and Sung Jin-woo’s growth feature, one of the most compelling aspects ofOverdriveis its 4-player real-time co-op mode. It seems Netmarble was testing a variation of co-op inSolo Leveling: Arisewith the Final Act of theJeju Island Alliance Raid, butOverdriveoffers a fully-fledged co-op experience for Xbox and PC this fall, and Xbox Series X/S in 2026. Though the game has faced some criticism for featuring only variations of Sung Jin-woo as co-op characters instead of other hunters from the source material, it’s somewhat understandable given that players can still recruit those NPC hunters into their teams.
Details on how multiplayer will work are still limited, but it seems that with the feature coming toOverdrive,Arisewill not receive multiplayer support. Regardless, with anticipation building forSolo LevelingSeason 3and the franchise’s popularity continuing to skyrocket, Sung Jin-woo enthusiasts will likely be eager for more news in the coming months. In the meantime, fans can wishlistSolo Leveling: Arise Overdriveon Steam and the Microsoft Store for further updates.
