OZ Re:write was an ambitious 2D anime-style gacha RPG developed by the Korean studio Macovill. Although it had a promising start, entering the top ranks of the popularity charts immediately after its early launch in Japan, it will ultimately face a bitter end on April 21, 2026, after just 8 months of service. Let's trace the trajectory of this game from its launch to its shutdown, a journey that involves not just simple operational failures, but a painful internal situation.
Charming Reinterpretation of Fairy Tales and the 'Co-Creation Campaign'
Featuring high-quality 2D animation graphics, the game presented 42 unique heroes by modernly reinterpreting familiar fairy tale characters like the 'Wizard of Oz' and 'Snow White'. A major standout feature was its emotional communication system, allowing players to build bonds by having daily conversations with heroes through the in-game virtual SNS, 'Mirrorgram'.
Most notably, the element that received the most attention before and after the release was the 'Co-Creation Campaign'. It was a groundbreaking project that broke away from the traditional method of developers unilaterally creating and providing characters, instead allowing users to directly participate in character making. Through user voting, not only the basic concept but also detailed appearances and personalities were decided and reflected in the game. The character born from this campaign was 'Otohime', based on a Japanese folktale, which garnered significant buzz as her design was finalized through seven rounds of user voting.
The Fatal First Event and the Loss of the Player Base
Armed with such an appealing world and an innovative user communication approach, the game received favorable reviews, entering the TOP 5 of Japan's major app markets. However, a fatal misstep occurred during the first in-game event held right after the launch.
The biggest issue was the absurdly distorted difficulty level. In particular, the balance of the event's core content, 'Great Clash', was so broken that only a single player across all servers managed to clear the highest difficulty. Furthermore, due to complex gimmicks that forced the use of specific elements and class pools, the barrier to entry was overwhelmingly high for early players who were just starting to build their rosters.
Even if players struggled and managed to clear it, the rewards were woefully inadequate, inevitably causing player fatigue and frustration to explode. The first event—which in gacha games should firmly establish the player base by providing generous resources and the joy of growth—instead became a harsh 'wall of despair'. This marked the turning point where the game completely lost its early momentum and the players' goodwill.
The Vain Dissolution of the Development Team
The most shocking part is the internal situation hidden behind the official shutdown announcement made on February 13th. According to an insider's revelation posted on Blind (an anonymous community app for verified employees in Korea), Macovill's management had already decided to scrap the project and disband the team around November 2025. It was a unilateral, tail-cutting style dismissal carried out without even the general producer (PD) knowing.
As the initial success turned into a red light, the management quickly cut their losses on the gacha game business, which carried high maintenance risks. Instead, they chose the safe route of concentrating all company resources entirely on their reliable cash cow, the global kids' animation IP 'Cheetahboo'. Ultimately, the development team that crafted the excellent framework and high-quality art was disbanded overnight, falling victim to the management's cold business logic.
A Bitter Conclusion, and a Final Gift
Currently, as a final tribute to its users, OZ Re:write is preparing to say goodbye by running a campaign to give away a physical 'Art Book' to all applicants, aiming to leave a lasting trace of the game's journey.
I also played this game myself when it first launched in Japan. I thought the art was gorgeous and the gameplay was solid enough. However, it's truly a shame that as soon as it stumbled with the first update, the management's approach became extremely passive, ultimately choosing to shut it down quickly rather than trying to salvage it.
Above all, since the team itself appears to have been completely disbanded, the originally planned Korean and global services seem to have been entirely canceled, which leaves an even greater sense of disappointment. Despite having excellent development capabilities and outstanding artwork, it's an unfortunate title that had to hastily close its doors due to early operational failures and the cold business logic of management. OZ Re:write remains a case that simultaneously showcases the difficulties and the bitter realities of the gacha game market, where quality alone is not enough to survive.
Read the original Korean post here.
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