CBT2 isn't a nostalgia trip. It's a stress test on whether Nexon can rebuild classic MapleStory without dragging in the old game's worst habits. Orbis, El Nath, Dead Mine, 3rd Job, a new Citizenship system, and class reworks that change how every job plays.

Here's what to prioritize and what to skip.

• Test Schedule: Don't Grind Blind
• Priority Checklist
• New Zones: What to Actually Test
• Starter Kit & Economy Test
• Cash Shop: Nothing Carries Over
• Citizenship System (Brand New, Test This)
• Monster Balance Changes
• Class Changes: The Real Meat
• Warrior — Rush Moves to 2nd Job
• Mage — More Damage, Less Control
• Thief — Mobility Everywhere
• Archer — Leap Skills Fix the Stiffness
• Movement Skills: The Bigger Pattern
• Which Class to Test First
• Efficient Test Route
• Feedback That Actually Helps
• FAQ
• When does Orbis open?
• When can I test 3rd Job?
• Does anything carry over to launch?
• Is Holy Symbol still an EXP buff?
• Are pets permanent in this test?
• Bottom Line

↖ Test Schedule: Don't Grind Blind

Key point: 3rd Job doesn't unlock until Aug 11. Don't burn out grinding before then — the level 100 boost exists so you skip straight to endgame testing.

↖ Priority Checklist

Roll 3 characters — one Warrior, one Mage, one Thief/Archer. You'll get a far better read on the balance shift than grinding one class to death.

El Nath at low level is a bad time. You can enter early — you shouldn't.

↖ New Zones: What to Actually Test

No Aqua Road this round. If Dead Mine chews through potions on one class but not others, that's your headline feedback right there.

↖ Starter Kit & Economy Test

You get Leaf Points (Cash Shop test currency), a Store Permit, Hired Merchant Box, megaphones, and starter potions.

The Hired Merchant Box is the real signal — Nexon wants Free Market stress-tested. Too many permits floating around = prices crash fast. Too few = trading dies.

Events worth your time:

• Physical Fitness Challenge – jump quest, drops Scroll of Secrets
• Monster Invasion – GM-summoned mobs, party testing
• Coconut Harvest – team event, locked out if you already hold a Scroll of Secrets

Note that lockout. If you're farming the Scroll, use it or hold it — you can't double-dip.

↖ Cash Shop: Nothing Carries Over

Runs on Leaf Points, not real NX. Gifting is off.

Pets aren't just cosmetic — they affect loot speed and grind fatigue. A 3-day cap will get noticed fast if it feels stingy.

↖ Citizenship System (Brand New, Test This)

Unlocks at level 12. Lets you settle in a town for local quests, shops, and perks.

Check for:

• Can you switch towns later?
• Are rewards actually worth the grind?
• Does one town clearly outclass the rest?

If one town wins, everyone piles in and the system's dead on arrival. That's the exact failure mode to flag.

↖ Monster Balance Changes

Lower avoidability on early mobs = Warriors don't get stuck missing every third swing anymore. Small change, huge quality-of-life win.

↖ Class Changes: The Real Meat

Every class gets more mobility or more identity. This is a philosophy shift, not a patch note.

↖ Warrior — Rush Moves to 2nd Job

If you play Warrior, test Rush early — narrow maps vs. open maps feel completely different now.

White Knight looks like the biggest winner:

• Elemental Crash strips fire/ice/lightning resistance
• Ice Charge still full-freezes — stronger crowd control than actual Ice Mages
• Charge Blow at max level maintains charge 100% of the time

White Knights now feel more control-focused than Ice/Lightning Mages. That's a wild role reversal.

Spearman gets a stealth buff: Spear Mastery now grants up to 20% crit rate instead of avoidability.

↖ Mage — More Damage, Less Control

The poison detonation mechanic is genuinely fresh — apply poison, group mobs, detonate, repeat.

Ice/Lightning losing hard freeze is the controversial one. In our testing mindset, that lost control matters more early than the damage buff compensates for. Test survivability first.

Priest — biggest party meta shake-up:

Holy Symbol lost EXP bonus, which changes party grinding at its core. Instead, it now revives the Priest at 35% HP on death at max level.

What does this mean for your class choice? Priests go from mandatory EXP bot to support class that needs to earn its slot. Bring one and judge purely on healing/utility feel.

↖ Thief — Mobility Everywhere

Bandits finally get Flash Jump. That alone could make them more popular than Assassins this round.

Hermit's Meso Saver revives you from fatal damage, restores 25% HP, lasts 30 min at max level — but costs mesos + a magic stone per use. Test whether that cost feels worth it outside of boss fights.

↖ Archer — Leap Skills Fix the Stiffness

If you play Archer, test whether the leap actually cancels animation smoothly — that's the difference between quality of life and gimmick.

↖ Movement Skills: The Bigger Pattern

In our testing mindset, movement skills matter more than raw damage early. Slow classic pacing stays intact — the tedious walking doesn't.

↖ Which Class to Test First

If you've only got time for one character, pick based on curiosity, not meta. This test rewards specific feedback, not clear efficiency.

↖ Efficient Test Route

Day 1–2: Hit level 10, then 12 for Citizenship. Test town systems.

Before Aug 8: Push to level 20. Stock potions. Try the Free Market permit.

Aug 8–10: Airship → Orbis → El Nath → Dead Mine. Log potion consumption per class.

Aug 11+: Set to 100. Test 3rd Job skills in real maps — solo and party. Comfort matters as much as damage numbers.

↖ Feedback That Actually Helps

Vague complaints get ignored. Specifics get fixed.

• Ice Mage feels bad
• Cold Beam slowing instead of freezing raises El Nath potion cost by ~40%
• Warriors are better now
• Rush helps in flat maps, feels clunky on vertical ones

↖ FAQ

↖ When does Orbis open?

August 8, via airship. Grants access to El Nath and Dead Mine too.

↖ When can I test 3rd Job?

August 11. Talk to Job Advancement Instructors at El Nath's Chief's Residence to instant-set level 100.

↖ Does anything carry over to launch?

No. Characters, items, and Cash Shop purchases are wiped after the test.

↖ Is Holy Symbol still an EXP buff?

No. It now revives the Priest at 35% HP on death instead. Party invites will hinge on utility, not free EXP.

↖ Are pets permanent in this test?

No — 3-day duration only, likely to test Water of Life mechanics.

↖ Bottom Line

CBT2 isn't just new maps. It's a full identity rework: Warriors get mobility early, Bandits get Flash Jump, Archers get leaps, Mages trade control for damage, White Knights become the new control class, and Priests lose their EXP crutch.

Level naturally to 12 for Citizenship, hit 20 before Aug 8, then dump your real testing hours into 3rd Job after Aug 11. Specific feedback — numbers, map names, potion counts — is what actually shapes launch.