MapleStory Classic Release Date and What Founders Means

Updated 14 September 2026 with the founders packages, the grand launch date and the platform list.

The MapleStory Classic release date is 21 October 2026, and founders get in fifteen days earlier, on 6 October. Both dates come from Nexon rather than a forum: they are on Nexon's founders package page and in the 2 September sale announcement, and the official name of the thing is Global MapleStory Classic World, a separate world that runs alongside the main game. If you want the day you can log in for free and start slapping Snails outside Henesys, it is Wednesday 21 October. If you are willing to pay, Tuesday 6 October.

We have been burned by launch promises before (anyone remember waiting for Pirates?), so here is what is written down and what is not.

What is actually confirmed

More than we expected when we first wrote this post. From Nexon's own pages:

• Founders packages went on sale on 2 September and stay on sale until 11:59 PM PDT on 14 October. Three tiers: Snail at $29.99, Orange Mushroom at $59.99, Zakum at $79.99, with euro prices of €29.99, €59.99 and €79.99. Only the Orange Mushroom and Zakum tiers include founders access. The Snail tier is cosmetics only.
• Founders access opens on 6 October for those two tiers. Everything you do in those two weeks carries over to the grand launch. Nexon's FAQ says so in as many words.
• Grand launch on 21 October is free. No package needed.
• The game runs on Windows and macOS, through the Nexon Launcher or Steam.

Our founders post goes through what is in each tier and whether it is worth it for a casual player.

Is there a general release after 6 October?

Yes, and it is dated. 21 October, fifteen days after founders. That is a longer head start than we guessed when this post first went up (we said three days to a week), and it matters more than a few days would. The first players into a fresh world set the Free Market prices, grab the good training maps, and form the guilds that end up running the first real bosses. Two weeks is enough for the founders crowd to be in the 40s and 50s before the free players make a character. We cover what to do with that window in our launch-day checklist.

What time will it open?

Not announced. Nexon's founders FAQ says "details regarding the server launch time will be provided at a later date", and as of 14 September it has not been. The closest thing to a hint is how the closed tests were scheduled: the April test content went live at 3:00 PM UTC, and every deadline on the test and founders pages is given in UTC or Pacific time. 3:00 PM UTC is 17:00 in Sweden. If launch follows the same habit, expect a late afternoon or evening opening here, not a midnight one. We will update this line the day Nexon posts a time.

Plan for the possibility that it goes live while you are at work and that the first hour is a queue anyway.

What is in the launch build

This is the part that changed most since we first wrote this. Nexon's 21 August Ossyria Exploration Report confirmed the dates and also said that Orbis, El Nath and 3rd job advancement are not in founders access or the grand launch. They were playable in the second closed test in August, and they are being reworked and introduced after launch. The launch build is Maple Island and Victoria Island, plus Forgotten Hollow, a new area Nexon added during the April test. Our roadmap post has what that means for the first months.

What to do before 6 October

Get your account working, agree a world and a class with your friends now rather than in the character creation screen while the name you wanted gets taken, and go in with a group. Our week-before post is the full list, in the order we would do it.

One of us still has a notebook from 2007 with our old guild's Zakum sign-up list in it, half the names crossed out because they quit before we ever got to the altar. Go in with people you actually like.

Our honest expectation

We think both dates hold. Nexon ran two closed tests, a founders sale and a dated grand launch, which is a more careful run-up than some earlier projects got. We think the first month will be crowded, laggy, and the best month the game has had in fifteen years. We also think the queue on 6 October will be long enough to make tea during, and we mean that as a compliment.

If you only take one thing from this post, take this: 6 October if you pay, 21 October if you do not, and the best preparation is a working account and three friends who agreed on a world. Start with the founders post if you are deciding whether to pay for the head start.