They grow up so fast, don't they? Nexon Europe this weekend announced the seventh anniversary celebration of MapleStory, the free-to-play 2D MMO with an anime theme. I believe the traditional seventh anniversary gift is “gaming goods,” and it looks like Nexon is looking to dish a few out as a way of saying “thank you” to the fans who have kept the game going strong all these years.

According to a press release from Nexon Europe, Maple Story will enjoy an anniversary patch offering loads of new content to keep players busy, including tweaks to adventures new and old that will feature quite a few familiar faces for those who have been cruising around Maple World for nearly a decade. For those who know their Maple history, a similar event was hosted for the eighth anniversary since the US launch earlier this year. Since the game launched a year later in Europe, that means players are getting two anniversary celebrations this year, which basically boils down to “even more free goodies.”

“Time flies when you're having fun, and we've had a lot,” said Anna Kwon, Operation Manager at Nexon Europe. “We're thrilled to be rewarding our loving community with new content and so many special events to commemorate the occasion. Here's to another seven happy years.”

It looks like festivities will be rolling through June 11, so you only have a week and a half to take in all of the special events before the glitter of another anniversary wears off and everything goes back to normal. Of course, when you're adventuring in a fantasy world full of bright colors, goofy critters and fun activities, “normal” isn't exactly a bad thing. So, here's the rundown of some of the special events you'll be able to take part in.

For starters, players can jump into a special event and help Little Richie prepare his water park and defeat Black Bean. Doing so will shower the player in a bunch of special items, including seventh anniversary coins that can be used to purchase even more goodies.

Also available are special seventh anniversary boxes and gifts for those helping overthrow the Red Monster Invasion. There are even more gifts for those who have reached the coveted rank of 200, as well as coins and items for those who take part in the Five Maple Marble event.

So all of that stuff will be available in Maple Story through June 11, with plenty of additional info available on the site for those who want to dig in and get a better grasp of what is available where. As far as regular upgrades from the patch, however, there's just one. Chances are longtime players will fall in love with it, though. It's a new button that lets players easily swap out their various characters, meaning you'll no longer have to log out and log back in if you're looking to tool around as a different toon for a spell.

For those looking to jump in and enjoy this browser-based 2D MMO, simply head on over to the Maple Story website, get registered and get to playing.