First Berserker: Khazan’s June Update Revamps Difficulty System and Adds New Hardcore Mode

Image: First Berserker: Khazan/Nexon

The upcoming June update for First Berserker: Khazan brings a major overhaul to the game’s difficulty settings, along with several quality-of-life improvements and new features that aim to refine the experience for all types of players.

Developed by Neople, First Berserker: Khazan is a solo action game set in the world of Arad, where players take on the role of Khazan, a disgraced warrior seeking revenge. The game officially launched on March 27, 2025, and has been steadily receiving post-launch updates that build on its core gameplay. 

The May update was particularly notable, introducing boss rush modes—Great General’s Crucible and Berserker’s Bloodshed—designed to challenge players who had cleared the main story. It also allowed earlier access to the Change Appearance feature, giving players more freedom to customize their look.

Now, the June update is looking to shake things up even more, particularly with a complete rework of the game's difficulty structure. The existing difficulty levels are being renamed and reorganized to better reflect player experience. The current "Easy" mode will now become "Normal," which will serve as the default setting going forward. The former "Normal" difficulty is being rebranded as "Challenge" to more accurately convey the tougher combat scenarios it includes.

According to the latest developer update, two brand-new difficulty levels are also joining the lineup. For newcomers or players looking for a more laid-back experience, "Beginner" will offer a gentler learning curve. This mode allows players to gradually get used to the game’s mechanics and bump up the challenge whenever they’re ready. On the opposite end of the spectrum is "Hardcore"—a punishing new difficulty designed specifically for veterans who’ve already conquered the game on Challenge mode.

Hardcore mode strips away many of the game’s usual supports to deliver an intense, high-stakes experience. Players won’t see enemy health or stamina bars, several UI aids will be removed, and even the in-game camera will change to enhance the sense of tension. It’s not for the faint-hearted. To support players diving into tougher combat, a new Combo tab will also be added to the in-game Encyclopedia. This feature will provide basic combo suggestions based on skill tree levels, allowing players to practice and refine their combat techniques directly in-game.

Beyond difficulty adjustments, the June update will also introduce a host of quality-of-life changes. These include a Skill Preset system and Gear Presets for easier loadout management, better inventory sorting by name, and a big increase in storage space—from 100 to 500 slots.

Drop rates are also being tweaked. Bosses from main missions will now always drop crafting materials needed for sets, and the drop rate for Augment of Wisdom is being increased to make farming less tedious.

One final change worth noting is that the online demo will be temporarily removed. Since the full version of First Berserker: Khazan has evolved significantly since launch, the developers believe the demo no longer represents the current gameplay experience.

Overall, this update reflects Neople’s continued effort to refine and balance First Berserker: Khazan while keeping it accessible for newcomers and challenging for long-time fans.