A significant investment by video game developer Netmarble has given new momentum to the prospects of Solo Leveling Season 3. Since the conclusion of Season 2, the fate of the beloved anime series has sort of been up in the air as there's been no official announcement regarding a third season.
While most people involved in the anime series production have acknowledged a desire to continue, the lack of a formal announcement has been attributed to scheduling conflicts, production complexity and workload, and production costs. Despite the success of Solo Leveling, the series is expensive to produce thanks to its high-quality animation that reportedly involved hundreds of thousands of frames for its second season.
Although we don't know the exact cost of producing the Solo Leveling anime, a major financial injection thanks to Netmarble's investment has likely boosted the possibility of a third season. According to South Korean business outlet The Bell, Netmarble, a major South Korean mobile and online game developer and publisher, has made a two billion won (~US$1.45 million) investment in Solo Leveling's animation production committee. The investment, which was made at the end of the second quarter, gives Netmarble a 20% stake in the committee, which also includes D&C Media, Sony, and Piccoma.
Netmarble has developed and published multiple games based on Solo Leveling, so its financial interest in the continued success of the IP shouldn't come as a huge surprise. In May 2024, the company launched Solo Leveling: ARISE, an action RPG for mobile and PC platforms that allows players to experience the journey of Sung Jinwoo. The game achieved significant success, ranking among the top 10 in App Store sales across 27 countries.
Earlier this year, Netmarble also revealed Solo Leveling: KARMA, a roguelite action RPG coming to mobile and PC that expands upon the universe of the anime series. Set in the mysterious Dimensional Gap, the game's original story follows Sung Jinwoo as he navigates a 27-year-long war among the Monarchs. Central to the story is the “Broken Cup of Reincarnation,” a powerful artifact that can only be mended by piecing together Jinwoo’s scattered memories.
Although Solo Leveling: KARMA does not yet have a release date, Netmarble has confirmed that another game based on the franchise, Solo Leveling: Arise Overdrive, will release this November on Steam and Xbox PC. This four-player, co-op action RPG stars Sung Jinwood in his monarch form as players take on intense, dynamic boss fights.
Join Sung Jinwoo on his journey to become the world's strongest hunter! Dive into both the original story from the webtoon and new adventures exclusive to the game!
Seeing as how Netmarble has three games based on Solo Leveling, its understandable why the publisher wants a stake in the anime series as well. Hopefully, this financial investment means we're closer to Season 3 getting announced.