Phantom Blade Zero has just shot to the top of my most-anticipated list because I saw its new Year of the Snake gameplay trailer, and apparently, the success of Black Myth: Wukong led to a surge in investment for it.
Phantom Blade Zero is an upcoming PlayStation and PC-exclusive action RPG that looks like a stylish mix of Sekiro and Devil May Cry, but it's not a soulslike. Combat is lightning fast and the boss fight shown in the new gameplay video features multiple enemies who all attack you in perfect unison.
The new footage shows protagonist Soul using the twin snake swords, blades that bend and curve as you use them. Perfect for the upcoming Year of the Snake, which starts after Lunar New Year, January 29.
- Phantom Blade Zero is a "kung fu punk" action RPG that wants to follow in the footsteps of Black Myth Wukong: "there's a lot of pressure on us, but I think in a good way"
- Black Myth: Wukong empowered fellow soulslike devs to become China's first "elite" devs on par with Naughty Dog or Capcom: "The market has been validated"
According to a Twitter thread posted by game consultant Daniel Camilo, "Phantom Blade Zero received funding thanks to Black Myth: Wukong's success."
According to two of his sources who worked on development at S-Game, the studio behind the title, "The tremendous success of Wukong in China in particular signaled to many investors that AAA gaming is the new golden egg." Phantom Blade Zero got "a substantial amount of extra investments and funding thanks to the success of Wukong."
Black Myth: Wukong sold very well, over 20 million copies as of October, 2024, so the figure now is likely much higher. According to Camilo, "Even before the actual release of Wukong, S-Game got new funding thanks to all the hype/metrics surrounding Wukong."
Apparently, "the studio even had to turn down investors after Wukong released, as so many came rushing to join this new wave of AAA Chinese development hype." It may sound odd for a studio to refuse money, but it's unlikely there were no strings attached to these offers, so S-Game may have simply fielded different offers and chosen the ones that were the most beneficial to it or came with the fewest conditions.
China has typically been known for mobile games over the years, and the CEO of S-Game, Liang Qiwei, says "In the past, the market and our technology weren't mature enough, so we simply weren't able to make console games." But these new waves of investment could change that. "We've wanted to make these kinds of games from the beginning," adds vice president Michael Chang.
It's exciting to see games get support in regions outside of Europe, North America, and Japan, and it will be interesting to see how many new great games we see in the future.
There's no launch window for Phantom Blade Zero just yet, so while you wait, check out all the confirmed upcoming video game release dates so you know what to get excited for next.
