From Metin2Mester to NextWorld2: the story of a Hungarian gaming legend
Many people don't know this, but the story of NextWorld2 goes back more than a decade. Today, it's a fully independent, Hungarian-developed hack'n'slash MMORPG, but its roots reach back to a community known by tens of thousands of local players: Metin2Mester. In this article, we'll show you how we got from those beginnings to the fully independent game you see today.
The beginnings: the Metin2Mester era (early 2010s)
In the early 2010s, a Hungarian game server and community launched that players got to know as Metin2Mester, M2M, Metin2Master, or Mt2Mester. The server became one of the main meeting points for the local online gaming scene back then, building up a huge, tight-knit player base.
Over time, the project split into two branches: alongside the original Metin2Mester (better known as the Unicorn server), Metin2MesterNext was also created. After that, the two servers operated completely separately, each with its own large community.
Going separate ways
The Metin2Mester Unikornis server later shut down. After it closed, the client and server files ended up on the internet, so their content became accessible to anyone, regardless of the original operators' intentions.
The operators of the Unikornis branch later tried a reworked project called Magic To Master, but that eventually ended, and this branch of the game didn't continue. Our team doesn't have any more reliable info about this branch: by then, the two projects hadn't had any connection for years.
Important: we have nothing to do with the current "Metin2Mester" servers
The files that leaked still have consequences today: from time to time, servers pop up using the Metin2Mester or Mt2Mester name, but they're completely independent from our community. It's important to make it clear: we have nothing to do with these servers, and we've already taken legal action in more than five cases to get those servers shut down or to have our unique content removed.
So if you see a "Metin2Mester" server somewhere today, it's not a continuation of the old community. The legacy of the old community officially lives on in only one place: NextWorld2.
The rebirth: NW2Online
Metin2MesterNext also took a break at one point, but not because it was over - it was for a complete restart. The dev team rewrote the game from scratch: new engine, fully reworked graphics, original characters, animations, and refreshed gameplay. That's how NW2Online was born, and it stood on its own as a game.
Here's a nice little detail for those who've been with us since the beginning: the Metin2MesterNext server was called Kentaur, and later the Főnix server ran alongside it. When NW2Online launched, the legacy of both names merged into the server name: that's how Kentanix was born. The game still carries this name today: if you log into NextWorld2 now, you're playing on the Kentanix server, and that name tells every old player their own story.
The present: NextWorld2
During the 2025 merge, we moved every account from NW2Online to NextWorld2, and since then, development has continued as a single, unified project. Behind NextWorld2 is still the founder from the original community and a passionate, ever-growing dev team: the Budapest-based Donut Interactive.
NextWorld2 is now a fully independent, standalone hack'n'slash MMORPG:
- it has its own YouTube and Twitch categories,
- it has an official PEGI age rating,
- it's listed in the IGDB database,
- you can wishlist it on Steam,
- and with the official client from the game's website, anyone can jump in and play right away.
The international release of the game is also in progress, so the world built by the Hungarian community can reach even more countries.
What we're most proud of
The NextWorld2 economy is designed so you can progress just by being active and persistent in-game: the premium currency (Karzium) can also be obtained from other players through in-game trading, and Events come back regularly. So with enough time and effort, you can max out a character without spending real money.
And that's not just an empty promise - it's the most important lesson from the old community servers: a world stays alive for decades because its players feel it's fair. That's what we brought with us from the Metin2Mester era, and that's what we built Kigan on.
In summary
NextWorld2 didn't come out of nowhere: it's the result of more than a decade of community history, lots of lessons, and a complete restart. The team that started from the old Metin2Mester community has now built their own independent Hungarian game, and the story is really just beginning.
- If you're curious how NextWorld2 stacks up today: the best free and Metin2-like MMORPGs in 2026.
- If you want to try it: you can get started in just a few minutes on the download page, and the class quiz will help you decide who to jump in with.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the connection between NextWorld2 and Metin2Mester?
The NextWorld2 dev team started out from the original Metin2Mester community. But today's game is a complete rewrite: new engine, new graphics, new content. The community legacy lives on, not the old game.
What happened to Metin2Mester (Unicorn server)?
The original Unikornis server shut down, and the Magic To Master project that followed also ended. After the shutdown, the server's client and server files ended up online, so from time to time, servers using the Metin2Mester or Mt2Mester name still pop up: these are independent, unauthorized copies that NextWorld2's team has nothing to do with, and in more than five cases, we've already taken successful legal action to get them closed or to remove unique content. The old community's legacy officially lives on in only one place: from the Metin2MesterNext branch, completely rewritten as NW2Online, to today's NextWorld2, where all accounts were moved during the 2025 merge.
What was NW2Online?
NW2Online was a standalone game born from a complete rewrite of Metin2MesterNext, and it's the direct predecessor of NextWorld2. During the 2025 merge, all accounts were moved to NextWorld2.
Where does the Kentanix server name come from?
From the names of the Metin2MesterNext Kentaur server and the later Főnix server. When NW2Online launched, the two legacies merged into one name, and NextWorld2 still carries the Kentanix name today.
Is NextWorld2 free?
Yes, absolutely. The premium currency (Karzium) can be earned through in-game trading, so you can max out a character over time without spending real money.
The Metin2 name and related trademarks are the property of their respective owners. NextWorld2 is an independent, standalone game that isn't connected to the Metin2 publisher and has no partnership or other relationship with them in any way. The earlier project names mentioned in this article are included for historical reference only.