MONGIL: STAR DIVE puts glasses-free 3D in the spotlight

This IFA demo actually made me pay attention to MONGIL

Glasses-free 3D? In 2025? That’s the hook that pulled me into Netmarble’s MONGIL: STAR DIVE demo at IFA alongside Samsung’s new Odyssey 3D monitor. We’ve seen 3D waves crash before – from the Nintendo 3DS (which nailed it) to living-room 3D TVs (which didn’t). Seeing a modern action RPG lean into stereoscopic depth without glasses immediately raised two questions for me: does it make the gameplay better, and is this more than a flashy booth trick?

• Playable on Samsung’s glasses-free Odyssey 3D monitor at IFA; optimized for that hardware.
• Built in Unreal Engine 5, promising big visuals – and big performance questions on mobile.
• Real-time, three-character tag combat plus a monster-taming system hint at deep team-building.
• Global launch planned for PC and mobile in H2 2025; pre-registration is open now.

Breaking down the announcement (minus the marketing fluff)

Here’s the substance: MONGIL is an action RPG where you control a squad of three, swapping on the fly to chain skills and keep pressure on enemies. That system lives or dies on animation cancel windows, cooldown synergy, and whether characters feel distinct – think the satisfying baton-pass flow of Final Fantasy VII Remake or the snappy swaps in Honkai Impact, not just a “press Q to tag in” gimmick.

The second pillar is monster taming. Netmarble hasn’t dumped a design doc on us, but the promise is clear: capture or befriend creatures, then fold them into combat and progression. The interesting version of this lets monsters act as more than stat sticks—summons that alter the battlefield, passive buffs that reshape builds, or combo extenders that reward clever timing. The boring version is a collection grind that props up a cash shop. Which fork MONGIL takes will define its long-term appeal.

On the tech side, Unreal Engine 5 means better lighting, materials, and cinematics if you’ve got the hardware. On PC, that’s exciting. On phones, it’s a question mark: UE5 can scale, but sustained performance and thermal throttling are real constraints. If Netmarble nails scalable presets and doesn’t brute-force post-processing, mobile could be legit rather than a compromised afterthought.

Industry context: Netmarble’s strengths — and the red flags

Netmarble knows how to deliver slick combat and flashy presentation. They’ve shipped big, technically ambitious titles and seasonal pipelines that keep content flowing. But let’s not ignore the elephant: monetization. The publisher’s history ranges from reasonable cosmetics to stamina systems and character banners that can squeeze. With team-based action and monster collecting on the menu, the design practically invites gacha temptation — character shards, monster rarity tiers, the whole nine yards.

That’s why the Samsung partnership matters beyond the expo spectacle. Showcasing on Odyssey 3D builds the “premium” perception. If MONGIL wants to live on PC alongside mobile, Netmarble needs more than good shaders; it needs PC-native respect. That means mouse/keyboard and controller-first control schemes, proper graphics settings (FOV, DLSS/FSR/XeSS if supported), and — crucially — monetization that doesn’t feel mobile-first. Cross-progression would be a genuine win, but I’m not counting those chickens until Netmarble spells it out.

Does glasses-free 3D actually help an action RPG?

Surprisingly, it could. Depth can make enemy telegraphs and arena spacing easier to read, especially in crowded fights. Boss tells that pop toward the “camera” in true depth can be more readable than flat UI markers. The risk is eye strain and a tiny sweet spot — anyone who lived with a 3DS knows the pain of drifting out of alignment. Samsung’s Odyssey 3D is pushing a new generation of panels to solve that, and the IFA demo is a smart way to prove it. But let’s be real: most players won’t buy a new monitor just for one game. MONGIL still has to sing on a regular 2D screen.

What gamers should watch for before jumping on pre-reg

• Combat depth: Are there cancels, swap bonuses, and meaningful role differences between the three characters?
• Monster integration: Do creatures change how you play, or are they glorified stat nodes?
• Controls on PC: Full remapping, unlocked framerate, ultra-widescreen, and solid controller support should be baseline.
• Mobile scaling: Clear performance modes and heat-friendly settings, not just a pretty trailer.
• Monetization transparency: Upfront about gacha rates (if any), energy systems, and how competitive the F2P path feels.

If Netmarble can thread the needle — snappy tag combat with thoughtful monster builds, fair progression, and parity between PC and mobile — MONGIL could find a real audience beyond the usual gacha crowd. If not, we’ll get another stunning ARPG that feels like it’s constantly rummaging in your wallet.

Release window and how to get in

MONGIL: STAR DIVE is targeting a global launch on PC and mobile in the second half of 2025, and pre-registration is already open. If you’re curious, get your name in early — just keep your expectations calibrated until we see real gameplay breakdowns outside a trade-show floor and confirmation on systems like cross-progression and co-op.

TL;DR

MONGIL impressed in a glasses-free 3D demo and the three-character tag + monster-taming combo has potential. The big questions are performance on phones, PC-first support, and whether monetization lets the combat breathe. If Netmarble gets those right, this could be one of 2025’s sleeper ARPGs — not just a flashy tech showcase.