If the Solo Leveling webtoon taught you to level up until you bored the Monarchs to death, Netmarble now wants you to die in style and try again. At Tokyo Game Show 2026, Netmarble Neo debuted cinematic and overview trailers for Solo Leveling: KARMA, an isometric action RPG roguelite announced for PC, iOS, and Android during 2026. Enduins reported on it on September 20; Anime News Network and Crunchyroll News covered it starting on the 17th, aligned with the official @Sololv_KARMA account. The official site's campaign tagline doesn't bother with cheap metaphysics: "DIE, RISE, REPEAT". In a genre crowded with runs, at least the slogan admits you're going to die.
The narrative premise, according to Netmarble's own materials and Enduins' recap, slots right into a gap in the canon that the anime hasn't fully digested yet: after the 4th Jeju Raid, Sung Jinwoo uses the Cup of Reincarnation to enter a dimensional rift and fights a 27-year Monarch War. Inside that gap, hunters are corrupted by an unnatural power, and someone—or something—is pulling strings from the shadows. ANN warns of major spoilers regarding sections of the webtoon not yet seen on the animated screen; if you care about going in blind to the next anime film, close the cinematic trailer and stick to the systems overview.
Gameplay-wise, KARMA is pitching itself as a roguelite of combos and buffs, not an MMO in disguise. The overview shows a procedural run loop where weapon types, stacking over 200 buffs, and combat upgrades between attempts all matter. The key difference Netmarble emphasizes most—and which Enduins highlights compared to previous entries in the franchise—is direct control of the Shadow Army: not just summoning and watching, but actively commanding units like Beru and company on the same action layer, alongside battling corrupted hunter bosses. Digital Today, in its TGS coverage, notes eight playable characters in the showcased material; the exact launch roster size remains subject to what Netmarble confirms on store pages, but the design message is clear: Jinwoo isn't alone in the rift, and his shadows aren't UI set dressing either.
The audiovisual presentation comes stamped with anime pedigree. ANN reports that A-1 Pictures animated the game's opening, with Yūya Horiuchi and Yoshihiro Kanno handling storyboard/creative direction, Tomoko Sudo on character design, shibito directing the animation, and Kanno also handling the action. It's the kind of credit Netmarble puts front and center to remind everyone that Solo Leveling is no longer just a hit manhwa: it's a multimedia machine with seasons on Crunchyroll, a compilation film, an upcoming live-action adaptation, and now a roguelite aiming to take over both mobile and PC within the same calendar year. The global website sololeveling-karma.netmarble.com/en is the hub for pre-registration and brand messaging; in Korea and Japan, Digital Today reports that pre-registration on Google Play and the App Store kicked off around September 16–17, with announced rewards (Sung Jinwoo's Predator Outfit, Shadow Monarch’s Halo decorations, Monarch’s Box, Hunter’s Box, and a Secret Support Card, according to that coverage).
For PC players, the practical question comes down to storefront timing and the business model. As of this writing, Netmarble points to a global launch in 2026 without locking in an exact day on Steam or other Western storefronts with the same level of detail as the Asian pre-registration. That usually means: build a mental wishlist, not midnight alarms just yet. On mobile, pre-registration follows Netmarble's usual revolving door—log in, claim the reward, wait for a soft launch or a marketing build. KARMA's intriguing angle isn't "another gacha with a Jinwoo skin"; it's that the studio is pushing an isometric roguelite centered on the shadow army fantasy within a franchise that, until now, was mostly associated with frontal action combat and the System's power curve. If the run fails, the tagline already warned you. If the run goes flawlessly, Beru will probably take all the credit in the recap anyway.
In the context of TGS 2026—an anniversary expo recently clipped by a typhoon—KARMA fits into the wave of mobile/PC showcases using the Japanese show floor as a global megaphone. Two trailers, an English website, live pre-registration, and a promised launch year: the classic starter pack. What's missing is a day-one date and the fine print on monetization, which, coming from Netmarble Neo, always warrants a close read once store listings go live. Until then, the dimensional rift remains open on YouTube and the landing page. Jinwoo fights for 27 years in the lore; the average player will fight for 27 minutes per run until the buff build says otherwise.
Sources: Enduins (Sep 20, 2026), Anime News Network (Sep 17), Crunchyroll News (Sep 17), Digital Today, official Netmarble Solo Leveling: KARMA website.