Players have the option of joining one of 6 starter clans: Shaolin, Wu-Tang Clan and The League of Beggars which are loyal to The Imperial Emperor of China, while The Brotherhood of Thieves, Heavenly Demon, and Sacred Flower Clan (for women only), are opposed to his rule. Three special advanced clans, which will be fully controlled by players in respect to leadership and alignment, will be added to the game as the story progresses. Since each free account allows up to 3 character slots, it’s easy to create multiple characters, join different clans, and experience new gaming experiences based on each clan’s different Kung Fu style and unique philosophy.

To ensure that Western gamers would be able to relate to a storyline based in Ming Dynasty China, the game lore and story elements of 9Dragons have been completely adapted and remastered by best-selling author and Hollywood screenwriter Steven-Elliot Altman.

Current 9Dragons players will be able to continue playing with all items and characters intact after the transition.

9Dragons is a Martial Arts MMORPG set during the Ming Dynasty of feudal China. Players explore the vast expanse of the lands as a member of one of the legendary clans of Chinese Martial Arts and challenge each other for ownership of immense Fortresses in massive PvP battles.

Players can fully immerse themselves in the robust powerful storyline that details the history of ancient China and their respective clans. Tilt the balance of power between the White and Black clans and participate in quests that lead each player on a journey of enlightenment and martial art mastery.

“9Dragons is the most authentic Martial Arts MMO on the market with a very active and fun community,” say Tracy Spaight, Executive Director of Publishing for GamersFirst. “INDY21 clearly made significant investments in best-in-class resources to create this stunning Martial Arts MMO. GamersFirst looks for great Free2Play MMO titles with strong and dedicated communities and with 9Dragons we noticed a rare opportunity to incorporate a new MMO genre to the GamersFirst catalogue in addition to working with INDY21.”

In addition to the solid foundation of existing PvE and PvP gameplay, the changing of hands will also include several new key features over the next quarter, including:

• Dedicated tutorial map for easing new players into the 9Dragons experience
• New high level dungeon encounter “Vault of the Ice Dragon”
• Updated “Tibet” map
• Brand new Kung Fu patterns to master
• ‘Most Wanted’ list – useful in avoiding—or becoming—one of the most dangerous and skilled players in PvP

“We chose GamersFirst, because it is a company that understands the Free2Play market and communicates with its gamer community,” said Yong-Nam Jin, CFO at Indy 21. “We have seen GamersFirst build Free2Play MMO’s with the same type of strong community presence that exists within 9Dragons and are looking forward to continuing the success of the game.”