Solo Leveling's Big 2026 Project Will Explore a Massive Gap in Jinwoo's Life
Solo Leveling: Karma just shared a gameplay and story trailer
Few properties have taken the world of entertainment by storm like Solo Leveling. The Korean fantasy web novel written by Chugong was first adapted into a record-breaking webtoon with hundreds of millions of views, and then into an anime produced by A-1 Pictures. The anime's two seasons turned Solo Leveling into a true global entertainment phenomenon, and a follow-up movie is in the works. But while a date for Sung Jinwoo's next on-screen appearance hasn't been announced yet, Solo Leveling's next video game, Solo Leveling: Karma, is coming soon.
During the Tokyo Game Show 2026, Solo Leveling: Karma developer Netmarble shared a demo of the upcoming roguelite action RPG, along with a cinematic trailer and a gameplay trailer. In terms of gameplay, the developer has focused on combat quality and improving the roguelite experience to avoid monotony and repetition, according to an interview with Inven Global. However, hardcore fans of the franchise might be more interested in the game's story, which promises to address a big gap in the original work's lore.
Solo Leveling: Karma will explore Sung Jinwoo's 27-year war
At the end of the Solo Leveling story, despite winning the final war, protagonist Sung Jinwoo turns back time to avoid the casualties brought by the conflict, hunting down all the Monarchs, the antagonists of the series, before they can unleash chaos on Earth. He enters the Dimensional Gap and fights against the Monarchs for 27 years, while only two years pass on Earth. When he returns, he reunites with his family and friends for a happy epilogue, but "Sung Jinwoo's 27-year war" remains a big, unexplored piece of Solo Leveling's lore.
Solo Leveling: Karma takes place exactly during that time. The story trailer revealed that players will guide Sung Jinwoo through the Dimensional Gap as he wages war on the Monarchs, giving fans a look at this previously uncharted time in Jinwoo's life. Faithfulness to the original work is ensured by the collaboration of Chugong, who supervised the game's story, ensuring that Solo Leveling: Karma "thoroughly preserved the worldbuilding and atmosphere of the original work."
The game will include many original characters too, but according to Netmarble's Jin Sung-gun, Chugong provided detailed feedback on all the characters and lines of dialogue, "to check if it fit Sung Jinwoo's distinct tone and the lonely rules of the world, resulting in a deep original narrative that original fans can fully embrace." Moreover, the roguelite mechanics have been used in the game to reproduce the series' trademark "thrill of growth through leveling up."
Solo Leveling: Karma will be available on Windows PC and on iOS and Android mobile devices. The game is currently scheduled for a 2026 release, but a specific date has not been provided.