In a new documentary, 24 Entertainment — the pioneering studio behind NARAKA: BLADEPOINT — reflect on where their inspirations came from, and how they built a game that would go on to sell over 10 million copies, completely changing the online action genre.
Fun fact: it all started with the iconic 1999 arena shooter, Quake III, as Lead Producer, Ray Kawn, explains. “It was so fun, but when I was playing it I came up with an idea. What if we played with swords instead of guns? Wouldn’t it be more fun?” And so the seed was planted, an idea that Kwan and his team would ultimately grow into NARAKA: BLADEPOINT.
Something else you may not have known is that Viper Ning, the instantly recognizable face of NARAKA, underwent a dramatic makeover during development. In the documentary, 24 Entertainment reveal that their original mascot was a stoic swordsman, though the team wanted to shatter this stereotype and appeal to a wider international audience. By fusing the cinematic style of modern action games with the beauty of oriental aesthetics, the Blind Blademaster of West Yushan was born.
The developers also discuss the challenge of breaking into the battle royale genre, years after its original surge in popularity. Instead of thinking there was no hope, 24 Entertainment knew that that this genre was a perfect fit for their unique blend of dynamic player movement and melee action, as Kwan explains. The shrinking safe zone forces players to fight and adapt instead of simply fleeing when their health is low, solving an age-old issue with multiplayer action games.
Not only would they need to breach an overcrowded genre, the studio were challenged to make their game accessible to a wider audience, something melee-focused games have always struggled to achieve. Revealing all, the documentary explores how NARAKA’s gameplay went through many iterations, from something one tester refused to even touch, to a point where its own developers couldn’t stop playtesting from their desks.
At its heart, NARAKA: BLADEPOINT has always focused on skill-based melee combat, allowing players to unleash their inner warrior; the team’s unrivalled passion for the action game genre is clear to see in its unique combat gameplay. It’s also here that 24 Entertainment showcase their incredible attention to detail, carefully studying martial arts techniques from around the world. In their pursuit for authenticity they invited real Shaolin monks to their offices to provide motion capture for NARAKA’s newest in-game weapon, the Staff.
NARAKA has swiftly become one of the most popular battle royale games around the world and there’s plenty more to come. “I believe 24 Entertainment will bring you more surprises in NARAKA in the future,” Kwan teases. The 24 Entertainment team are excitedly looking forward to sharing their vision, adding more modes, heroes, weapons, and maps to this beloved title in the coming months and years.
For a full transcript of the dev team’s insights, click here. More details on the studio and what they’re working on can be found via the official 24 Entertainment website.
Make sure to keep up to date with all the latest NARAKA: BLADEPOINT action on the NARAKA site, Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, Steam, and Discord.
About 24 Entertainment
24 Entertainment is a Chinese game studio founded by a group of artists, engineers, and designers; who are all gaming industry veterans. We have a shared vision of introducing global players to Eastern cultures through cutting-edge gaming technology.
