South Korean game developer Delabs Games announced plans to bring the popular role-playing game franchise Ragnarok to Telegram in Q1 2025, following a pivot by the company to embrace the messaging platform’s burgeoning crypto gaming scene.

The Seoul-based company's adaptation of the classic Ragnarok IP will focus on maze exploration gameplay while incorporating new social features designed specifically for the Telegram environment, according to an announcement.

The initiative is part of a broader strategic shift toward Telegram by Delabs Games, which has secured new funding from TON Ventures and a private investor. TON Ventures supports the ecosystem of The Open Network (TON), the Telegram-aligned blockchain network that has surged in 2024 on the back of games like Notcoin and Hamster Kombat.

The company also plans to adapt the mobile game Boxing Star, which is set for release on Telegram in Q3 2025. Boxing Star has racked up over 70 million downloads to date on mobile platforms, the firm said.

"Bringing Ragnarok to Telegram marks a bold step in our strategy to bring well-known IPs and mid-core games directly to players where they're already connecting," said Delabs Games CEO Joonmo Kwon, in a release. "With Ragnarok, we're creating an experience that's not only true to its roots, but also enhanced by Web3 features—without any added complexity."

Delabs’ Ragnarok game will be separate from Ragnarok: Monster World, a game launched on Ethereum gaming network Ronin this year. That game, developed by Zero X And in collaboration with publisher Gravity, is a strategic mobile action experience in the vein of Supercell’s hit game Clash Royale.

Prior to its recent pivot, Delabs tested the waters of Telegram gaming with its baseball-themed game "Giga Chad Bat," launched in July. The firm’s parent company, 4:33 Creative Lab, previously integrated games like Blade and Hero into social platforms like South Korea’s Kakao.

Delabs previously launched the Mario Kart-esque PC racing game Rumble Racing Star, and had been developing additional game projects called Metabolts and Space Frontier.

Editor’s note: This article was written with the assistance of AI. Edited and fact-checked by Andrew Hayward.