We’re finally seeing the biggest update in a while from NCSoft’s long time in development “LLL,” a third-person tactical MMO shooter in a futuristic science fiction setting, with an official title and release window. In short, “LLL” is now Cinder City, releasing in the second half of 2026, and more is to come at Gamescom.
NCSoft shared in a press release that it’ll be premiering a gameplay trailer during the Gamescom Opening Night Live event taking place August 19, “highlighting gritty open-world gameplay, multiplayer boss battles, and heavy mech warfare.” This press release also announces that it’ll be available on live gameplay service GeForce Now on day one, and it teases the plot in which players must search for the protagonist’s daughter.
In another news post accompanying the name announcement, the NCSoft team, under the BigFire Games studio, doubled down on its vision and goals and shared that its website is updated (though there’s little to see there for the moment). In short, Cinder City is a sci-fi world set in an alternate-timeline Seoul in the 23rd century and developed in Unreal Engine 5 for both PC and consoles. It aims to bring “realistic combat mechanics designed to authentically replicate firearm operations” in a “seamless open-world experience.”
“LLL” was first unveiled back in 2022 by NCSoft with this concept, boasting its AAA quality and dramatic, semi-realistic science fiction world. Since then, it’s been teased with a few clips here and there, but saw no updates on the timeline. There’s no word yet on whether there’ll be tests in advance of Cinder City’s full release.
