NC’s open-world shooter Cinder City is set to launch a new trailer during Gamescom’s Opening Night Live on August 25, offering a deeper look at the game’s story and setting ahead of its 2026 release window.
Cinder City is described by developer BigFire Games and publisher NC, formerly NCSoft, as an open-world cinematic third-person shooter. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic, near-future version of Seoul, South Korea, where players take on the role of “Cinderknights” battling mutated creatures and rival factions to reclaim the city. The project was previously known by the codename Project LLL before NC gave it its current title at last year’s Gamescom.
The game’s Steam page went live in July of 2026, and NC has continued sharing development updates since. A developer preview released around that time featured NC’s lead concept artist and project manager walking through the game’s setting and creative direction, alongside gameplay footage captured from a current development build. The developers have described the game as built around three pillars: a tense cinematic shooter, a massive open world, and large-scale multiplayer PvE, with a narrative-driven progression system that introduces new characters and storylines as players advance.
Cinder City also drew players in for hands-on testing ahead of its Gamescom appearance. NC opened registrations for a U.S. pre-alpha playtest that ran August 14-16, giving early access to campaign missions during set evening windows across the three-day test. It marked the first opportunity for U.S. players to try the game ahead of launch.
The shooter has drawn comparisons to other large-scale multiplayer titles in the genre, with several outlets likening its scope to games such as Warframe and The First Descendant. At a prior Gamescom appearance, BigFire Games CEO James Bae discussed the size of the game’s environments and the studio’s ambitions for large-scale multiplayer support, including vehicle-based combat and a range of character classes.
Cinder City is planned for release on PC, with earlier NC materials also citing PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions. The game has not yet received a specific release date beyond a general 2026 window.
The new Cinder City trailer will be one of three NC reveals during Opening Night Live. AION 2, the publisher’s MMORPG sequel, will use the showcase to build anticipation for its September 30 early access launch, while NC will also unveil the official title of a previously unannounced project currently known as Project Bonfire.