Mabinogi Mobile expands beyond Korea with its first overseas launch

• First expansion beyond South Korea
• Cross-play supports mobile and PC
• Summer events continue in Erinn

I have never trusted a dragon with good PR, and Kabrak does not seem bothered about changing my mind. The new eight-player raid boss has been busy scorching Erinn since it turned up, and going by the little I know about Kabrak, laboured breathing and general catastrophe are just how it says hello. Fitting company, then, for a fairly big moment for Mabinogi Mobile.

The mobile take on Nexon's long-running fantasy MMORPG, developed by devCAT, has just expanded into Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, its first push beyond Korea. Cross-play between mobile and PC carries over too, for anyone hopping between the two.

Summer has also turned up in Erinn alongside the raid, bringing seaside events around Colhen for anyone who fancies cooling off between fights against enormous, ill-tempered lizards.

Combat focuses on Rune Engravings, which shuffle your skills around enough that no two builds end up looking quite the same, and levelling is handled through Level-Up Cards that keep the grind from feeling like one.

Outside of raids there is fishing, cooking and general puttering about, plus enough dancing and campfire sitting with other adventurers that Nexon is clearly hoping some of you turn up just for the company. Fashion gets its own moment too, dyeing included, so you can look however ridiculous or refined you like while doing it.

Whether the expansion changes much for Mabinogi Mobile day to day is hard to say from the outside looking in. What I can say is that Nexon isn't wasting the momentum, arriving in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau off the back of a Game of the Year win and a spot at the top of the charts back in Korea. Not a bad calling card to turn up with.

If you're after more to sink your teeth into, our list of the best MMOs on Android is a good place to start.