A Lie Has Turned Into Reality

Improving perception means raising the public’s opinion or reputation of something.

While the concept itself is simple, the processes required to achieve it are anything but.

For perception to exist, there must be a certain level of awareness.

So, what’s the current perception of Epic of Seven?

Abysmal—there’s no need to sugarcoat it.

How do you improve a reputation that’s hit rock bottom?

First, you need to cement the name Epic of Seven in the public consciousness.

In other words, the game’s recognition must be raised from the depths through effective marketing.

“…But that’s easier said than done.”

Typical marketing approaches won’t have much impact. The efficiency of traditional campaigns is abysmal when compared to their cost. It might even make more sense to launch a brand-new game.

But what about marketing infused with narrative? The results are undeniable.

In image-making, the power of narrative is absolute. Marketing spiced with narrative is invincible.

The headlines were already spreading:
“Player dissatisfied with a game buys the company—Epic of Seven community erupts.”
“A player’s audacious move: Acquiring LeonPlay to reform the game.”
“Epic of Seven: A new era under a player’s ownership?”
“LeonPlay’s acquisition by a private individual—what’s next for Epic of Seven?”

The narrative I’ve created is gaining traction, growing stronger with each mention.

An individual buys a game company because they didn’t like the game—what a perfect topic.

The public is likely stunned by my bold move and full of curiosity. They’ll start to anticipate what I have planned for Epic of Seven.

The first step will be a sweeping overhaul of the business model (BM).

LeonPlay Headquarters, Conference Room

“What do you think is the primary cause of player attrition?”

Six people were present. Seated around the table were the heads of planning, marketing, graphics, operations, and distribution, with myself at the head.

It was a modest group, but that didn’t matter. These were the key individuals who had upheld LeonPlay thus far—though the head of operations was a recent hire after the department’s overhaul.

“Isn’t it due to unproductive, overly monetized events?”

“The lack of updates plays a significant role as well.”

“I think the shortage of new content is a major issue.”

“There were also a lot of complaints from players about not being able to fully enjoy the game due to the low concurrent player count.”

Impressive. These were all spot-on observations of the game’s problems.

As expected of the people who had stuck with the game through the worst management.

“Exactly. And when we combine these points, we arrive at the following conclusion. Player attrition leads to more player attrition.”

Aggressive monetization, lack of new content, and stagnant updates. When players leave because of these issues, what do the remaining players think?

Will they criticize the departing players and stick with the game? I can confidently say, absolutely not.

“If players have a valid reason to leave, the ones left behind will eventually follow suit.”

It’s simple herd mentality. If the game’s management is terrible, the playing environment is already poor, and on top of that, other players are leaving, the remaining players will almost certainly follow.

“What about the opposite scenario?”

Here comes the counterstrategy. My plan was based on the idea that a game experiencing massive player attrition could also experience massive player influx given the right trigger.

“If we provide a sufficient reason for players to return… or to start playing.”

I glanced at the five department heads seated before me.

“I believe we can create a wave of new players.”

My task was clear: to create that trigger. To turn Epic of Seven into a cultural phenomenon.

To do so, I needed to uproot the remnants of the game’s toxic foundations.

“Our first step will be a complete overhaul of Epic of Seven’s monetization structure.”

The head of planning, who had been listening intently, finally spoke.

“When you say overhaul, what exactly do you mean?”

“We’ll begin by making all convenience-related cash items completely free.”

This absurd game currently charges nearly 40,000 won for a skill reset item if players make a mistake in building their skill tree. Even essential gameplay features like account storage capacity, inventory weight limits, and equipment repairs require payment to fully utilize.

And it doesn’t end there. Rare boss drops are auctioned among players, leaving those without deep pockets to just sit and watch. Fixing even these issues will earn a resounding welcome from the players.

“But what about compensating the players who already purchased these items? And won’t revenue drop sharply?”

“Compensation is not something you need to worry about right now.”

The game is on the verge of collapse; heavy spenders won’t care about such details. In fact, heavy spenders are the ones most vocal about wanting free convenience items and the removal of the auction system.

Even if they were to complain, I have no intention of tolerating the remnants of these exploitative practices.

“And as for revenue, there’s no need to worry.”

“Smirk-”

Let’s be honest—who am I?

A direct heir to the Taewoong Group empire, with liquid assets close to 1 trillion won. Money is never an issue for me.

“A large-scale investment will soon be made through the Taewoong Cultural Foundation.”

The worried faces of the team leaders eased at once, visibly relieved.

Sorry, but this is just the beginning.

“Making all convenience-related cash items free and dismantling the auction system are just the start.”

Take Epic of Seven’s ultimate gear tier: the “Mythic Grade.”

To farm Mythic Grade equipment, players need to use a specific item called “The Goddess’s Invitation” to purchase dungeon entry tickets.

Here’s the problem: even that entry item is a cash-only purchase. And it’s ridiculously expensive.

Without farming Mythic Grade gear, you can’t even enter mid-to-end-game content, let alone final-tier content.

“We’ll completely overhaul the Mythic Grade farming system. As for the Goddess’s Invitation? I plan to erase its very existence.”

“Character avatars are also on the table for restructuring. Right now, they’ve lost their original purpose.”

Character Avatars.

These were initially cosmetic items meant for aesthetic customization. However, they’ve now become vital gameplay tools because of the absurd stat boosts and abilities tied to them.

What’s worse, avatars are tiered, with higher-tier avatars costing more and offering disproportionately better stats.

Why is this a problem?

First, it causes severe balance issues. Second, it has destroyed the in-game economy.

Thanks to avatars, traders and hoarders have wrecked the market, turning the in-game economy into a mess.

“Character avatars will remain, but all additional stats and abilities tied to them will be standardized.”

“Instead, higher-tier avatars will feature unique visual effects during attacks and movement for differentiation. Avatars will return to being purely cosmetic items, reclaiming their original purpose.”

The avatar profiteers? They can shove it.

Judging by their stunned faces, my proposed changes were nothing short of a bombshell.

The planning team leader sat rubbing his temples, letting out a faint sigh.

Ha! Time to make up for all those easy days by working hard.

For the next hour, I went on a rant about everything that had irked me about the game.

Never in my life had I felt this satisfied.

Acquiring LeonPlay? Best decision ever.

“My name is Kim Suhyeon.”

Known to most as “Suming,” the internet broadcaster.

The online world hasn’t had a quiet day recently, thanks to one massive bombshell.

And the man at the center of it all? Seongwoo. He’s been so busy that we’ve only exchanged the occasional text.

Epic of Seven’s announcement of a massive update and system overhaul has caused a flood of new users to the game’s official community.

Even I couldn’t help refreshing the Epic of Seven official forum repeatedly.

And, of course, all of this was being broadcast live.

“Oh, come on! When are they posting it?! I’m losing my mind here!”

The chat was equally chaotic.

“LOL, it’s one minute away, calm down!”
“The impatience is real LOL.”
“Probably any second now, it’s supposed to go live at 3 PM.”
“Wow, look at the post count; this is insane for a ‘dead’ game’s forum.”
“If it’s Epic of Seven, it’s gotta be Suming. Are you joining the competition?”

The attention Epic of Seven was getting felt like a cultural phenomenon.

You couldn’t open YouTube or browse any community without seeing discussions about Epic of Seven and HotPotato.

I was riding the wave, leveraging the hype on my streams and promoting the game.

The chat exploded when the announcement finally dropped.

“It’s up!!!”

I immediately clicked on the post:

“Epic of Seven Creative Contest Announcement”

Greetings, Adventurers of Epic of Seven!

We are thrilled to announce the Epic of Seven Creative Contest!

This contest invites adventurers to showcase their creativity and passion by producing cultural content inspired by the game’s captivating characters and storylines.

With a total prize pool of 400 million won, we encourage you to unleash your imagination and talent!

[Contest Theme]
Create unique works based on the characters, lore, and stories of Epic of Seven.

[Eligibility]
Adventurers with a character level of 50 or higher.

[Submission Period]
February 1, 20XX, to May 1, 20XX.

[Submission Method]
Submit entries via the official Epic of Seven website.
All submissions will be displayed in the contest category on the official forum.

[Contest Categories and Formats]
Illustrations, comics, videos, music, novels, and more.

[Prizes]
Grand Prize (1 winner): 100 million won
Excellence Award (2 winners): 50 million won each
Outstanding Award (4 winners): 25 million won each
Special Award (5 winners): 10 million won each
Popularity Award (10 winners): 5 million won each

We look forward to your amazing creations, and remember—this contest will be held annually!

“Wow… this is insane.”

The scale was unprecedented.

Everything about the contest, from the eligibility criteria to the prize money, was extraordinary.

And hosting this contest annually? Madness.

“Wow, so the 400 million won prize pool was real.”
“The Grand Prize is 100 million won?!”
“Biggest prize pool in gaming contest history, no doubt.”
“Hot Potato really outdid himself.”
“Is it hard to reach level 50?”
“Not at all; you can hit level 50 in about a week.”
“Let’s go, Epic of Seven revival incoming!”

I sat there speechless, staring at the announcement.

You’re not messing around, are you, Seongwoo?