Neople, the Nexon subsidiary behind the upcoming action RPG The First Berserker: Khazan, has announced a reorganisation of its development teams, according to reporting by GamesIndustry.biz. The studio confirmed the reshuffle comes as the game moves into what it describes as its "final stage" of development.
Importantly, the restructure did not result in any layoffs - a detail worth highlighting given the gaming industry's rough track record with studio reorganisations over the past couple of years. The move appears to be a strategic realignment rather than a cost-cutting measure.
What we know about the restructure
The First Berserker: Khazan has been generating solid buzz in the soulslike community since its announcement. Set in the Dungeon Fighter Online universe, the game leans hard into demanding combat and stylised action, carving out a distinct identity in an increasingly crowded genre.
Reorganising dev teams late in a game's production cycle isn't unusual - studios often shift resources depending on what phase of development they're in. As a title moves from active feature development toward polish, QA, and launch preparation, the internal structure naturally needs to adapt. The key here is that Neople managed this transition without cutting headcount, which is genuinely good news for the people working there.
A genre that rewards execution
With the soulslike space more competitive than ever - Lies of P raised the bar considerably for non-FromSoftware entries - Khazan is going to need a clean, well-polished launch to stand out. A restructure focused on getting the team into launch-ready formation makes strategic sense at this point in the development cycle.
No release date has been confirmed as part of this announcement, but the "final stage" language suggests Neople is getting close to locking things down. Fans of the DFO universe and soulslike enthusiasts alike will want to keep this one on their radar.
