[Update Nov 13] Post has been updated with additional information to clarify the Gollux Item Exchange criteria. Hi Maplers, It’s been a while since my last memo and I hope everyone is doing well. We have had very busy days to prepare for the MapleStory Fest 2020 at Home event and most importantly, our v.218 Awake update for next week. Today, I would like to talk about a change that we are going to make with the Awake update. I know many players have been concerned about the set effect system change and I am letting you know that this change will be implemented in our November 18 Awake update. Starting with the v.218 update, when 2 copies of the same item are equipped, only 1 item will be applied to the set effect. I believe that this change will greatly affect the players who equip 2 Superior Engraved Gollux Pendants to receive the 4-set effect. Since I know that players have been putting a lot of effort into their items, I would like to take some time to talk about the reason behind this change and our plan for the Superior Engraved Gollux Pendant. We have had an issue with keeping the balance between Korea MapleStory (KMS) content and our exclusive Global MapleStory (GMS) content. While we’re eager to put a lot of effort in providing our players with enjoyable GMS-exclusive content along with KMS content, it is also important for us to keep them updated based on the amended overall balance of the game because if we don’t update these exclusive contents, it would create conflicts within the game system and progression curve that are continuously changing and this could hinder the mainstream storyline and systems that originate from KMS. GMS is a separate service with its own systems and content, but we’re not able to go in a separate direction away from the KMS mainstream content since KMS content is the root of our game. We have been deliberating about this problem for many years with the internal teams, including our Developers, but sometimes we need to make difficult decisions about the best options for our game in the long run. It is important for us to make our game and content updates enjoyable. If the gap between the KMS content and our exclusive GMS content is too wide, meaning the basic balance is too different, it will be challenging to continue to provide our players with exciting content. Due to these reasons, we decided to implement the set effect system change this time. As we understand the amount of effort players put in to obtain these gears, players will have the option to exchange their Superior Engraved Gollux Pendant for a Superior Engraved Gollux Belt so that they can retain their Gollux 4-set effect even after the v.218 update. This won’t stop us from trying our best to provide our players with exclusive contents that bring excitement to the game. We will also try to provide our players with information about upcoming game changes in a more timely manner and with better transparency because we don’t want players to be confused or worried about what will happen in the future. Now, I would like to share our plan for how we want to handle the pendant to belt exchange. We would like to give players an option to exchange one Superior Engraved Gollux Pendant of their choice for a Superior Engraved Gollux Belt. Here are the details about this exchange: Starforce Enhancement/Bonus Stats/Hammer status of the chosen pendant will be transferred to the Superior Engraved Gollux Belt. Potentials and Bonus Potentials will be transferred to the belt, but there are some Potentials that only Accessory equipment can have, which cannot be transferred to the belt. If the pendant’s Potentials are not transferable to the belt, only the rank will be transferred to the belt and players should reveal its Potential using the magnifying glass once again. Since the number of Scroll Enhancements that can be applied to a pendant and a belt are different, the adjusted stats will be transferred to the belt proportionately according to the number of enhancements succeeded and applied to the pendant. Players can claim the exchanged Superior Engraved Gollux Belt through the character of their choice within their account. This exchange will be available only for the players who have two Superior Engraved Gollux Pendants equipped as of v.218 and request that their pendant be exchanged. The exchange request can be made only once per character. We will provide a detailed guideline for how players can submit their exchange request and when the exchange will take place with a separate announcement soon. Only players with the 4-set Gollux set effect achieved by equipping 2 Superior Engraved Gollux Pendants will be eligible for the exchange. 4 Superior Gollux items must be equipped on your character, including 2 Superior Engraved Gollux Pendants, for your account to be eligible for the exchange. I hope this clarifies our plan and your inquiries about the set effect change. We will continue to work on our exciting Winter update, v.218 Awake: Ascend to Mastery, coming soon on November 18. As always, thank you for your support. Thank you, Anna View on the Official Site