Mongil: Star Dive PD Lee Dongjo has published Dev Note #9, and it answers the balance question the community has been raising since launch: the plan is to buff 5★ characters, not to nerf the 4★ units outperforming them.
Character Balance
The note is direct about the problem. Mongil: Star Dive was deliberately built without power creep, so that all content stays clearable with 4★ characters. The side effect is that 5★ characters ended up feeling weak or without a distinct combat role — a gap made wider by 4★ units like
Yeonhwa
and
Francis
, whose utility is powerful enough to be effectively irreplaceable.
The fix is a buff pass on 5★ performance rather than a nerf pass on 4★ units. It will not arrive as one sweeping patch: the team plans to prioritize the characters and specific elements that need attention most and roll the changes out sequentially, with details shared once the first balance plan is finalised.
Monsterling Balance
Feedback on Wind-element Monsterlings is being addressed by adding new Monsterlings rather than adjusting existing ones. That also requires a new Boss, which is being prepared alongside them.
Equipment Balance
4★ equipment is not being used effectively, so the team plans to let existing 4★ equipment be upgraded to 5★ equipment with new stats and options. 5★ equipment crafted from stage boss materials is part of the same system, and the goal is to open up gearing routes — combining upgraded equipment for specific stats, or running it alongside existing Set equipment — that can cover individual characters’ weak points.
Morning Star’s Pledge
The subscription perk enhancements are in final tuning and ship with the Version 1.3 update. The note lists reduced Gold costs, expanded Monsterling Bag capacity, and increased Key acquisition among the areas being improved.
What Players Should Know
If you have been holding 5★ characters on the bench because 4★ teams clear everything, this is confirmation that situation is changing — but gradually, character by character, not in a single patch. There is no reason to invest hastily before the first balance plan is published. On the equipment side, 4★ gear you would otherwise scrap is worth keeping now that it becomes upgrade material.
