Throne and Liberty Devs Reveal What to Expect From 12-Player Raid Altar of Calanthia

Throne and Liberty players have been preparing for today, June 26, for a while now. Following Throne and Liberty‘s Road to Raid Event (that began on May 29), they are now prepared to face the Command Marshal General of the Arkeum Legion. The Altar of Calanthia is the free-to-play, guild-based MMORPG’s first 12-player raid.

For those who need to brush up on their Throne and Liberty lore, Calanthia is a witch who once destroyed the Isle of Children. Together with the Arkeum Legion, she followed the orders of Kazar in its destruction. She is loyal to Kazar and has been searching for the star fragments of Sylaveth to attain her full power. Calanthia, in fact, made a pact with Reville before they were defeated and killed in the Belphoret War. Kazar then proposed to Calanthia’s new master, Gerhard, that he become the owner of the Pact Dagger, which has him cooperating with his once-enemy Calanthia.

With the stage set, Throne and Liberty players will be contending with all of this in the Altar of Calanthia raid. Luckily, two Throne and Liberty devs have given an overall breakdown of the raid, its lore, its story, its bosses, tips and tricks for it, and more. The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Throne and Liberty Devs

Jaehyeon Kim, Lead World Content Designer at FirstSpark Games/NCSOFT
Daniel Lafuente, Globalization Design Manager for Throne and Liberty at Amazon Games

The Beginnings of Altar of Calanthia

Q: What is the lore behind the raid, and what does it add to the overall story of the game?

Kim: Calanthia was once defeated in battle against the Resistance, suffering injuries herself and losing the one she revered most—Reville Lupius. However, following a mysterious event, she returns—now consumed by obsession and madness. Desperate to bring Reville back, she turns to necromancy and forbidden rituals. As members of the Resistance, players embark on this raid to stop Calanthia’s descent into madness and prevent the resurrection of Reville Lupius, which threatens to plunge the world into further chaos.

Q: Why did the team decide now was the time to add raids into the game?

Kim: We felt it was the perfect time to introduce raids as a form of long-form, weekly content. Raids offer a higher degree of complexity and cooperation than standard party play, and we wanted to give players a fresh, large-scale challenge that requires coordination and commitment.

Q: What was an interesting challenge the team faced when developing the new raid? Were there any technical challenges scaling the raid for 12 simultaneous players?

Kim: Rather than technical difficulties, the biggest challenge was figuring out how to deliver a truly fresh and engaging experience. We spent a lot of time discussing and designing entirely new systems to support this raid. Since we were designing entirely new systems from the ground up, it wasn’t so much about overcoming obstacles but about aligning our visions and ensuring that everyone on the team was imagining and designing the same thing.

Balancing Throne and Liberty’s 12-Player Raid

Q: How do you balance difficulty for both hardcore and casual players in a 12-player setting?

Lafuente: Our approach to balancing the 12-player raid experience focuses on creating meaningful engagement for both casual and hardcore audiences. We start with the natural complexity that emerges from coordinating twelve players, then layer in mechanical depth thoughtfully. For more casual groups, the base experience emphasizes what makes raids special: the joy of cooperation and distinct roles for different character builds.

For hardcore players, we’ve designed patterns that reward mastery and detailed understanding of mechanics in the more advanced tiers. What’s particularly important to us is that every player, regardless of their preferred weapon or class, feels they make a valuable contribution. The heart of this raid is creating an environment where everyone must remain engaged and fulfill their unique role to succeed as a team. That collaborative challenge is what makes the experience special.

Q: What kind of bosses or challenges can players expect to face in these raids?

Kim: In the first zone, players will face Dragail, the gatekeeper who teaches the fundamentals of 12-player combat—he sets the standard for what’s to come. The second zone features a twin boss encounter, where players must master party positioning and coordinated switching between roles.

Finally, the third zone presents the most complex challenge: a battle against Calanthia and her enraged, giant form. This fight requires players to strategically deploy specialized teams, making full use of divided roles and precise coordination.

Q: What feedback did the team keep in mind when creating the 12-player raid?

Kim: We focused heavily on whether each boss aligned with our intended design philosophy. The first boss introduces the basics of two-party combat. The second boss deepens that experience by requiring tighter synergy between the two groups. The third boss challenges players to fully utilize the two-party system through diverse role distribution and strategic cooperation. Each boss was crafted with this progression in mind.

Q: Will there be matchmaking options for this raid, or is it designed purely for premade groups?

Lafuente: The raid offers three difficulty tiers: Normal, Difficult, and Nightmare. The Nightmare tier will be arriving a few weeks after the raid goes live, giving players some time to learn and clear the previous two tiers. The entry-level ‘Normal’ difficulty does support matchmaking, making it accessible for players looking to experience the raid’s core mechanics. However, even at this level, we recommend forming pre-arranged groups whenever possible. The raid’s design emphasizes coordination and communication in ways that are significantly enhanced when playing with friends or guildmates. The higher difficulty tiers are intentionally designed for premade groups where strategic planning and practiced execution become essential components of success.

Tips, Tricks, and HLTB for Altar of Calanthia

Q: How long is the expected completion time for a full clear?

Lafuente: The completion time varies by difficulty and familiarity with the encounters. For groups tackling the ‘Difficult’ tier with some experience under their belts, the target is a satisfying 1-2 hours per week clear time. In the beginning, when players are learning the mechanics and developing strategies, sessions will naturally run longer. This learning curve is intentional – we want that sense of accomplishment when your team finally masters a challenging encounter after multiple attempts. The raid is designed to provide substantial endgame content that rewards repeated engagement while respecting players’ time commitments.

Q: What are some tips and tricks for players taking on the new 12-player raid?

Kim: In this 12-player raid, a single boss is tackled by two separate parties, which means role distribution differs slightly from previous cooperative dungeons. Unlike previous co-op dungeons where a single tank handled aggro, this raid requires two tanks to take turns managing the boss, which is a key mechanic. Mastering this switch-based system will be crucial for success.

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