Developer's Note: Dimension Arena Update

Now, let us take a closer look at how Dimension Arena works.​

<New Battlefield [Dimension Arena] Opens in the Dimension Hole>

With this update, the Dimension Hole will take on a new look. You will see a new area appear among the existing dimensions.

The Dimension Hole has been home to Ancient Guardians, Secondary Awakening, and Dimension Raid.

Now, a new asynchronous PvP battlefield is being added where you can compete against Summoners from around the world.

Shall we head into Dimension Arena?

Enter Dimension Arena in the Dimension Hole to see the following screen.

The lobby may look somewhat similar to Arena or World Arena, but we think it will also give you the feeling of stepping into a different dimension.

From the menu at the bottom of the lobby, you can access the following Dimension Arena features.

- Rune Exchange: Use a [Dimension Rune Exchange Ticket] to exchange for one of the Legend Ancient Runes you obtained during the season.

- Monster: Manage Monsters exclusive to Dimension Arena.

- Defense: Set up your defense deck.

- Info: Check season information and rankings.

- Summon: Summon Monsters exclusive to Dimension Arena.

On the right, you can check rewards based on the number of battles you have entered. We will go over these rewards below.

Before we get into the details, we would first like to briefly introduce the concept for the first season.

<Season 1 Brings Back the Monsters of April 2014>

The summonable Monster pool in Dimension Arena will change each season.

For the very first season, we decided to bring together Monsters from 2014, when Summoners War was first introduced.

Let us take a closer look at the Season 1 schedule and Monster pool.

[Season 1 Info]

Season Period: Nov. 9, 7:00 PM - Nov. 30, 6:59 AM PST

Battle Format: 4vs4

Monster Pool: 38 Monster families available as of April 2014, for a total of 190 Monsters across all attributes

Monsters such as Fairy, Harpy, and Inugami, who have been with us for many years, will gather on the battlefield once again.

Some of these Monsters were widely used and loved during the early days of Summoners War but are seen less often today.

With that in mind, we prepared the first Dimension Arena season in hopes of giving these Monsters another chance to shine.

For Summoners who experienced Arena back then, we hope this season brings back some fond memories.

For those who did not, we hope you enjoy discovering new combinations with these Monsters.

Let us walk through how you will play Dimension Arena, step by step.​

<Preparing for Dimension Arena Battles>

■ STEP 1. Summon the Monsters to Fight Alongside You

The first thing you will do when a season begins is summon Monsters.

You can use [Dimension Arena Scrolls] from the [Summon] menu in Dimension Arena.

▶ At the start of each season, you will receive Dimension Arena Scrolls to summon 50 Monsters.

: We wanted to make sure you have enough Monsters to begin building your deck as soon as the season opens. Additional Dimension Arena Scrolls can then be obtained through battles.

We would also like to show you the newly added [Dimension Arena Scroll]. Dimension Arena Scrolls have the following features.

▶ All Monsters in the summon pool have equal summon rates.

Every Monster has the same summon rate regardless of default grade or attribute. For example, Dark Chimera, Wind Joker, and Fire Golem all have the same summon rate.

▶ Once you obtain a Monster during the season, that Monster will not be summoned again.

This is one area that has changed from what we shared in the previous Developer's Preview.

At the time, we explained that duplicate Monsters would be converted into points, which could then be accumulated and used to select and summon a desired Monster.

However, after further review, we became concerned that this system could create more frustration than intended depending on how many duplicate Monsters you obtain.

For that reason, we decided to remove the selective summon system and instead adjust the rule so that once a Monster has been summoned, it cannot be summoned again during that season.

In other words, every Dimension Arena Scroll will lead to a new Monster.

Since all Monsters have equal summon rates and duplicates cannot appear, even if you do not summon the Monster you want at first, your chances of obtaining that Monster will gradually increase as you continue summoning.

▶ Monsters will be summoned at 6★ / MAX Lv. / Awakened / MAX Skill Levels.

▶ Monsters with a Secondary Awakening will be summoned in their Secondary Awakened form.

Looking through the summon list, you will find Monsters such as Inugami and Howl that have Secondary Awakenings.

Considering the overall usability of these Monsters, any Monster with a Secondary Awakening will be summoned in its Secondary Awakened form.

▶ All Monsters will be summoned with 6★ Ancient Legend Runes (Power-up Lv. 15) engraved by default.

The default Runes will appear slightly shaded to distinguish them from regular Runes.

In the example image, you can see that Fatal Rune No. 2 looks slightly different from other Ancient Runes.

Runes used in Dimension Arena will also display the Dimension Hole icon, allowing you to distinguish them at a glance even when they are shared in chat.

These default Runes cannot be removed or sold.

If you obtain a better Rune while playing Dimension Arena, you can engrave it over the default Rune.

Since the default Rune remains in place, if you later unequip the replacement Rune, the default Rune will automatically be reapplied to that Rune slot.

▶ Artifacts and Relics cannot be engraved.

In the last Developer's Preview, we mentioned that Monsters would be summoned with both Runes and Artifacts already engraved.​

Including Artifacts would significantly increase the number of setup elements you would need to manage within a single season.

Given the relatively short one-month period, we felt it was more important to create an environment where you could focus on deck building and strategy rather than spending too much time on setups.

With this in mind, Artifacts and Relics will not be used in Dimension Arena.

■ STEP 2. Register Your Defense Deck

Once you have summoned your Monsters, set up their Runes, and prepared your deck, you will need to register a defense deck.

As with defense deck settings in existing content, you can place your desired Monsters in each slot.

You can register or change your defense deck at any time. You will also be able to test it in battle to check whether it performs as intended.

You must first register a defense deck before you can enter battles in Dimension Arena.

Keeping the following flow in mind should help you get started with Dimension Arena:

[Dimension Arena Season Begins → Summon Monsters → Register Defense Deck → Enter Dimension Arena]

<Dimension Arena Battles>

Dimension Arena Invitations required for battle will recharge as follows.

▶ You will receive 5 invitations at the start of the season.

▶ Once season battles begin, 1 invitation will automatically recharge every 5 hours.

▶ You can hold up to 30 invitations, and all remaining invitations will reset when the season ends.

Similar to existing Dimension Hole content, you can save up your invitations before using them.

You can save them up and enter several Dimension Arena battles in a row, or play steadily each day.

Let us move on to the battles in earnest.

◆ Choose Your Opponent From Three Summoners

▶ Each Dimension Arena battle consumes 1 Dimension Arena Invitation.

Before each battle, you will be matched with 3 Summoners with similar victory points. You can then choose one of them as your opponent. One invitation will be consumed when the battle begins.

Since you can choose your opponent, identifying a defense deck that matches up well with your attack deck will be key.

We hope the process of finding the right answer as you scan through the opponent list becomes another part of the fun.

Once you have chosen your opponent, it is time to begin the battle.

Here is a look at a battle just after it begins.

For the first season, you will see the battlefield filled with Monsters from April 2014.

Some Summoners may find the lineup nostalgic, while others may find it unfamiliar to see Monsters that are not used much today.

The battle rules are the same as those of the standard Arena, so with a little experimentation, you will be able to get the hang of Dimension Arena without too much effort.

◆ How Battle Results Are Applied

You may also be wondering what happens after a hard-fought battle.

As in the standard Arena, winning an attack battle earns victory points, while losing deducts victory points.

You will also earn victory points when your defense deck successfully defends, but there will be no change to your victory points even if your defense fails.

We have also prepared additional conditions that allow you to earn extra victory points upon a successful attack.

The number of victory points you earn will vary depending on how you win.

We hope aiming for these bonus victory point conditions will add another layer of strategy to your battles.​

<Dimension Arena Participation Rewards>

There is another change here from what we shared in the Developer's Preview.

Under the system we initially considered, you would earn coins by winning battles and use those coins to obtain Dimension Arena Scrolls and exclusive Runes. However, we were concerned that Summoners who were still building their Dimension Arena decks and therefore needed scrolls and Runes could actually have more difficulty obtaining them.

After consideration, we decided to change the reward structure so that rewards are granted based on the number of battles you participate in, regardless of whether you win or lose. We hope this will allow Summoners to enjoy Dimension Arena with less pressure while obtaining Dimension Arena Scrolls and Runes more easily.

The rewards are as follows.

▶ You can obtain Dimension Arena Scrolls and Ancient Legend Runes exclusive to Dimension Arena based on the number of battles you enter.

▶ Rune rewards will be granted immediately when you meet the required conditions and can be viewed from the [Monster] menu in Dimension Arena.

As shown in the reward table, your chances of obtaining better Runes will increase as your battle count rises.

Combined with the characteristics of Dimension Arena Scrolls, where all Monsters have equal summon rates and duplicates cannot be summoned, the increasing opportunities to obtain better Runes as the season progresses should allow you to gradually develop and complete your deck over the course of the season.

We hope you enjoy experiencing a wide variety of battles against Summoners from around the world while developing your strategy.

In addition to rewards that help you progress within Dimension Arena, we also wanted to offer rewards that can benefit you in other content.

Next, we would like to introduce the Dimension Arena Pass rewards.

<Dimension Arena Pass>

You will earn EXP each time you participate in a Dimension Arena battle and receive rewards based on your accumulated EXP.

Winning a battle will grant additional EXP.

While the pass reward structure is still under final review, we are currently preparing a system where each battle grants 50 base EXP, with an additional 200 EXP awarded for a victory.

The pass rewards based on accumulated EXP are currently planned as follows.

You may notice a new item called the [Dimension Rune Exchange Ticket] among the rewards.

When a season ends, all Monsters and Runes collected in Dimension Arena will be reset. However, this special reward will allow you to keep one of your favorite Runes from the season and add it to your regular Rune collection.

The [Dimension Rune Exchange Ticket] will be available as a free reward, obtainable through regular play.

However, since you will need to choose from among the Runes obtained during that season, the Exchange Ticket will be distributed after the season tally has been completed.

▶ Dimension Rune Exchange Tickets can be used at [Dimension Arena > Rune Exchange].

: You can review the Ancient Runes you obtained during the season, select your desired Rune, and claim it in your Inbox to use in other content.

▶ Dimension Rune Exchange Tickets can be used during the subsequent season and will reset when that season ends.

For example, a Dimension Rune Exchange Ticket obtained from the first season's Dimension Arena Pass can be used until Dec. 31.

As you collect Runes throughout the season, if you find one that you would like to keep, make sure to claim it with your exchange ticket.

<Season Tally Rewards>

When a Dimension Arena season ends, season tally rewards will be granted based on the grade you achieved during that season.​

However, these season tally rewards will be introduced after the official launch in 2027.

As Dimension Arena is a new type of asynchronous PvP content where Summoners from all servers compete together, we had many points to consider regarding areas such as victory point gains and grade requirements.

For this reason, we decided to operate the November and December seasons as beta seasons while reviewing data on season grades and victory point distribution. We ask for your understanding regarding this decision.

Lastly, we would like to wrap up today's Developer's Note by explaining how Dimension Arena seasons will operate overall.

<Dimension Arena Season Schedule>

Each Dimension Arena season will run for one month.

Rankings from the previous season will be tallied starting on the last day of each month at 7:00 AM PST / 8:00 AM PDT. The next season will begin on the 2nd of each month at 7:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM PDT.

During the tally and preparation period, you can summon Monsters for the next season and register your defense deck in advance.

As mentioned above, Season 1 in November will be an exception and begin on Nov. 9, 7:00 PM PST and run through Nov. 30, 6:59 AM PST.

Starting with Season 2, the tally and preparation period will begin on the last day of each month at 7:00 AM PST / 8:00 AM PDT, and each season will run from the 2nd of the month at 7:00 PM PST / 8:00 PM PDT through the last day of the month at 6:59 AM PST / 7:59 AM PDT.

Considering that Season 1 will have a shorter play period than subsequent seasons, an additional 30 Dimension Arena Invitations will be provided exclusively for Season 1.

Log in during the designated periods beginning on Nov. 9, 15, and 22 PST to receive 10 Dimension Arena Invitations in your Inbox, for a total of 30 invitations.

That covers everything we have prepared for today's Developer's Note!

(The details shared in this Developer's Note are intended to provide a preview and help your understanding.

Since development and testing are still ongoing, some details may differ from the actual update. We ask for your kind understanding.)

We are both excited and a little nervous to introduce this new PvP content,

and we are also looking forward to seeing which Monsters you summon and what kinds of decks you build in Dimension Arena.

As this is a brand-new mode, we expect there will be many areas to refine and improve going forward.

During the beta period, we encourage you to try Dimension Arena and share any feedback, including areas you feel could be improved.

We will continue gathering your feedback and use it to make better content.

The details introduced in today's Developer's Note are currently being prepared for the Nov. 7 update, with the first Dimension Arena season scheduled to begin on Nov. 9 PST.

Thank you as always for your continued love and support for Summoners War.

We hope you enjoy the Dimension Arena content we have prepared.

We will be back with more exciting news in the next Developer's Note.

Thank you.​