Solo Leveling Expands Again: Beyond the System Teases the Next Big War

The Solo Leveling franchise keeps widening the gap between “anime hit” and “full-on gaming IP,” and it shows no signs of slowing down. While many fans are still waiting on Solo Leveling Season 3—reported to land sometime between 2027 and 2028—there’s already plenty on the way. The universe is set to grow through Solo Leveling: Beyond the System, an anime film announced by Aniplex during the Crunchyroll Showcase at Anime Expo 2026. On the interactive side, the next major addition is Solo Leveling: KARMA, a new action RPG that aims to give players a hands-on look at one of the series’ most talked-about, least explored eras.

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For context, the original Solo Leveling story has fully wrapped up, but the franchise itself is still actively expanding. New projects are being positioned to fill in missing pieces of the world—tapping into lore and events that previously stayed off-screen. Solo Leveling: Beyond the System will continue from the point where Solo Leveling Season 2 concluded, while additional adaptations, games, and films keep reinforcing why Sung Jinwoo’s world remains such a staple for fans.

Right now, the biggest gaming expectation centers on a fresh action-RPG that spotlights a key chapter: the 27-year War of Monarchs Arc. That arc has been referenced repeatedly, but the upcoming game is designed to put that entire conflict front and center.

Solo Leveling: KARMA is the new action-RPG built around the 27-year War of Monarchs

Solo Leveling: KARMA was first formally shown during Anime Japan 2026. Its description frames the project as “the untold story of the 27-year war within the ‘Dimensional Rift,’” and positions the game as “a brand-new Roguelite Action RPG” arriving soon.

In February 2026, the game received a 2026 release window. However, the supported platforms have not been officially listed yet. What’s clear is the game’s creative direction: it jumps further back in the timeline than most players might expect, sending players into a period described as both crucial and still largely unexplored within the franchise.

Set during the 27-year War of Monarchs, the action RPG revisits the catastrophic conflict that shaped the world of Solo Leveling before the main story begins. The war happens after Jinwoo rewinds time using the Cup of Reincarnation. Fighting by himself inside the Dimensional Gap, he spends 27 years taking down the Monarchs one after another to stop them from invading Earth.

Solo Leveling is a major IP, and A-1 Pictures is returning with what’s described as the studio’s original lineup for the franchise’s anime production.

Crunchyroll lists Solo Leveling: KARMA as a roguelite action-RPG releasing in 2026. The announcement comes alongside a teaser trailer produced by Netmarble, which mixes gameplay visuals with animation from A-1 Pictures. The preview doesn’t show everything, but it does point toward heavy combat and storytelling that aims to preserve the series’ distinctive tone.

Players will be able to experience the legendary war directly, with the game designed to make the conflict against the Monarchs feel more immersive—especially given how long the battle stretches across nearly three decades. Combat is presented from an isometric angle, offering a top-down view of the battlefield during fights. As a roguelite action RPG, it blends fast-paced combat with replayable runs and challenges that shift over time.

Solo Leveling: KARMA: story, characters, and more

On the game’s official X account (formerly Twitter), Solo Leveling: KARMA says it will deliver an exclusive narrative focused on the endless war lasting 27 years. The project is also described as an original standalone story that is directly canon to the Solo Leveling universe.

Created by author Chugong, the game is intended to officially expand the source material. Players will travel through territories that never appeared in the original story, alongside a new cast of characters. Netmarble’s official page describes the story as follows:

Even after Sung Jinwoo triumphs over the Monarchs who tried to conquer Earth, he still ends up losing many of the people he cared about.

By using the Cup of Reincarnation, he pushes time back to a moment before the gates ever showed up.

As Jinwoo keeps fighting the Monarchs inside the dimensional gap, the Messengers of the Itarim—and their creator—finally appear before him.

To defend the dimensional gap, the Messengers of the Itarim strike a pact with Sung Jinwoo and share their power.

With these new abilities, Jinwoo cuts through the endless Denizens of Chaos.

But as he continues forward, he faces an unexpected enemy…

The playable lineup is led by Jinwoo, who appears in Solo Leveling: KARMA as the Second Monarch of Shadows. Jinwoo’s official description reads:

Once known as an E-Rank hunter—humanity’s weakest—Sung Jinwoo awakens anew as the Monarch of Shadows.

Though he wins the war against the Monarchs, he loses close friends and decides to use the Cup of Reincarnation to turn the clock back by ten years.

He steps into the dimensional gap alone to finish the war before it ever begins. But as time keeps slipping outside, Jinwoo finds himself pulled into an even bigger conflict within this new realm.

Another major character is Antares, the Monarch of Destruction and the King of Dragons. His official description identifies him as the leader of the Nine Monarchs and the final foe Jinwoo confronted during his first war against them. It also adds: “Even after time was reversed through the Cup of Reincarnation, the decisive battle against him remains an inescapable fate,” positioning Antares as one of Solo Leveling: KARMA’s most important and dangerous opponents.

Beyond Jinwoo and Antares, the game has also confirmed Nemir, Igris, and Beru, with additional characters expected to be revealed later. Igris is described as an enemy who becomes a loyal ally—and the first shadow ever named who stands by Jinwoo’s side. He’s identified as one of the Monarch’s two most trusted warriors in the Army of Shadows, and even after time is reset via the Cup of Reincarnation, Igris keeps fighting alongside Jinwoo as his blade in this new war.

There’s also mention that Solo Leveling has announced a major movie for 2027, with the claim that it could challenge Infinity Castle for the title of biggest anime film of all time.

Beru returns as Jinwoo’s obedient servant. Once described as the strongest magic beast created by the Ant Queen and a ruthless predator born to hunt hunters, he was defeated by Jinwoo before being reborn as part of the Shadow Army. Even after the timeline is rewound by the Cup of Reincarnation, Beru remains devoted to the Shadow Monarch. His description adds:

Though he used to show no emotion and simply followed orders, he has slowly started to develop into his own person while fighting alongside Jinwoo.

As of now, Solo Leveling: KARMA does not have an exact release day—only a confirmed 2026 window. The War of Monarchs has been referenced throughout the series, making it one of the franchise’s most intriguing bits of lore. Fans can expect to jump into Jinwoo’s fight alongside the Shadow Army as they take on the Monarchs to prevent them from destroying Earth. Overall, an action RPG built around the Monarch War’s central conflict should be especially appealing for long-time Solo Leveling followers, since it offers a chance to experience a pivotal chapter rather than merely revisit events from the main narrative. By bringing one of Solo Leveling’s biggest mysteries to life through gameplay, KARMA could deepen the franchise’s lore while still feeling like something new.

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Solo Leveling anime timeline and where to watch

The Solo Leveling anime was announced at Anime Expo 2022 by Crunchyroll and Aniplex. It premiered in Winter 2024, then returned for Season 2, Arise from the Shadow, in Winter 2025. The adaptation reportedly became a standout success, with its debut season winning the Anime of the Year award at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. The series is currently streamed on Crunchyroll, with the show described as an adaptation of the Korean webtoon by Chugong, DUBU (REDICE Studio), and h-goon.

The streaming platform’s synopsis describes Sung Jinwoo as the world’s weakest hunter—at least until things change. After being slaughtered by monsters inside a high-ranking dungeon, he returns with the System, a program only he can perceive, leveling him up in every way.

Now, he’s driven to uncover the secrets behind his powers and the dungeon that created them.

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