The Seven Deadly Sins Origin Versus Seven Deadly Sins Grand Cross: Which Game Should You Start In 2026?
If you are starting fresh in 2026, Seven Deadly Sins: Origin is the better “new main”, while Grand Cross is still a great side game if you enjoy turn‑based, box‑building gacha. They don’t compete directly, Origin is an open‑world action RPG, Grand Cross is a turn‑based card battler, so the “right” one depends on whether you want real‑time combat and exploration or a mature, spreadsheet‑friendly gacha.
Core gameplay: action RPG vs turn‑based cards
If you want live action combat and open world, Origin is the obvious choice; if you prefer turn‑based theorycrafting and PvP, Grand Cross fits better.
Progression and content in 2026
- Seven Deadly Sins: Origin
- Launches January 28, 2026 simultaneously on PS5, Steam, iOS, and Android, with a full new original story and explorable Britannia.
- Early reviews describe it as “a new chapter in a beloved universe” with lots of activities (climbing, fishing, gathering, co‑op dungeons) and a strategic team/weapon system.
- Designed from day one with co‑op raids and cross‑play, so the meta and events are only just beginning in 2026.
- Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross
- Live for years with a large backlog of story arcs, festivals, collabs, and endgame bosses, and still sits around 600–700k monthly active players with recent growth.
- Community sentiment in 2025: still “worth playing” if you like the anime, with lots of free gems and strong story/cinematic value, but also years of systems and units to learn.
- Feels more like a mature, routine gacha: you jump in for banners, guild boss, PvP, and periodic big raids.
For someone starting now, Origin offers a fresh, synchronous start with everyone else, while GC is a deep but older treadmill with lots of catch‑up.
Monetization and F2P experience
- Grand Cross (GC)
- Long‑standing reputation as “pretty F2P‑friendly for a Korean gacha” thanks to solid gem income and generous events, but with clearly P2W‑tilted PvP and dupe systems.
- Over time added more monetised systems and frequent festival banners, which some players feel made staying fully competitive harder without spending.
- Origin
- Built by the same company, but as a modern, multi‑platform live service with gacha, subscriptions, battle passes, and packs stacked on top.
- Analysts frame it as a “multiverse‑driven disruptor” designed to monetise via co‑op and cross‑play, implying heavier, more layered monetization than GC’s 2020 launch state.
- Community worries explicitly that Origin could feel like “a single‑player Korean mobile MMORPG with gacha” and end up more aggressive once the honeymoon ends.
If you care about long‑term F2P value, GC has a proven track record (with caveats), whereas Origin is a new unknown that looks more monetization‑dense even at launch.
What you should start in 2026
Start with Origin if:
- You want an open‑world ARPG with real‑time combat, exploration, and co‑op raids.
- You like the idea of being there from day one, learning systems as they’re added instead of catching up on years of content.
- Your main play is on PS5 or PC, and you want cross‑play with mobile.
Start (or keep playing) Grand Cross if:
- You prefer turn‑based, card‑driven combat and enjoy building a huge roster and optimising PvP/PvE teams.
- You want a mature, content‑rich gacha with lots of story already in place and a stable playerbase.
- You’re okay with an older game where festival power creep and PvP whales are part of the landscape.
Best approach for 2026:
- Use Origin as your main 7DS ARPG (new story, raids, cross‑play).
- Treat Grand Cross as a side game if you enjoy turn‑based gacha and want more 7DS content between Origin events.
They exist in “different markets” and don’t replace each other; in 2026, Origin is the obvious choice for a fresh start, while Grand Cross is a long‑running option if you also like classic mobile gacha structure.
