Naraka: Bladepoint
Developer(s)24 Entertainment[a]
Publisher(s)NetEase Games Montreal
Composer(s)Yunkoo
TRI Studio
Ryuu
Zhang Shuhao
G-Fun
Chen Junhan
Xiao Longlong
EngineUnity[2]
Platform(s)
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
August 11, 2021[1]
Xbox Series X/S
June 23, 2022
Xbox One
December 22, 2022
PlayStation 5
July 13, 2023
Genre(s)Action-adventure/Battle royale
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Naraka: Bladepoint (Chinese: 永劫无间; pinyin: yǒngjiéwújiān) is a free-to-play action battle royale game developed by 24 Entertainment and published by NetEase Games Montreal. It is a game where up to 60 players fight each other to be the last one standing. The game incorporates martial arts-inspired melee combat and features a rock-paper-scissors combat system.[3] There are vast arsenals of melee and ranged weapons to choose from, as well as a grappling hook that can be used for both combat and traversal. In addition, each hero has unique skills and talents, allowing for customization to suit your play style.[4] The game was released for Microsoft Windows in August 2021 and was ported to Xbox Series X/S on June 23, 2022. An Xbox One version was later released on December 22, 2022. PlayStation 5 port of the game was released on July 13, 2023, and the game was made free-to-play on that date.[5] Naraka: Bladepoint has sold more than 6 million copies globally since its launch in August 2021.[6]

Gameplay

Naraka: Bladepoint sets its premise on "Morus Island" where heroes gather for battle.[1] Players can queue up for either solo games or in trios[1] and can choose from more than nine different characters, while each of those has two skills (F skill and Ultimate).[7]

In solo mode, players play alone, while in trio mode, players start the game with two other members in the same team to compete in the game. After matching with enough players (maximum 60 players in one round),[8] players choose characters with different skill set, called Heroes, to play. Finishing selecting heroes, players choose one spawn location on the map, and other teammates can choose to follow or spawn wherever they like. Once players are shown on the map, the team can search for weapons grapples, health or armors to equip them up. In the meantime, the team will have to pay attention to enemy squads showing up to avoid ambush.

While players keep searching and fighting on the map, the safe zone in Naraka: Bladepoint will get smaller with a random center. However, players have time to prepare for the spreading of shadow corruption. There are multiple events in one round of the game, such as eliminating the targeted enemy, praying in front of a Buddhism[clarification needed], etc.

When knocked down, players are able to get on their feet again if teammates come to rescue them in a short period of time; otherwise, they will die after being cairns. However, if it is before the first round of shadow corruption spreading, players can still get back on the map and fight again by using soul altars after their death.

In each round, a squad of heroes will win the game as the top one team.[9]

Seasons

Seasons of Naraka: Bladepoint after release[10]
Number Title Time Description
Season 1 Tidal August 11, 2021~November 10, 2021 110 Levels in total, and the season has more than 30 season tasks.
Season 2 Cavalry November 11, 2021~February 14, 2022 130 Levels in total, and the new season has different awards including skins of new characters.
Season 3 Echelon February 14, 2022~May 21, 2022 130 Levels in total, and the new season has different awards including skins of new characters.
Season 4 Ordeal May 21, 2022~August 19, 2022 130 Levels in total, and the new season has different awards including skins of new characters.
Season 5 Dawn August 20, 2022~September 11, 2022 130 Levels in total, and the new season has different awards including skins of new characters.

Characters

Naraka: Bladepoint currently has 16 playable characters, the newest being Hadi Ismail, added on November 15, 2023 as part of the season 10 of the game.

Yoto Hime originates from another game made by NetEase Games, Onmyoji Arena.[11]

Character List[12]
Character Release Date English Voice Actor Japanese Voice Actor Chinese Voice Actor
Tianhai August 12, 2021 Noshir Dalal Makoto Furukawa Li Yuantao
Viper Ning August 12, 2021 Erika Ishii Hiromi Hirata Huang Ying
Yoto Hime August 12, 2021 Fryda Wolff Shiori Izawa Zhang Qi
Temulch August 12, 2021 Greg Chun Takuya Sato Meng Xianglong
Tarka Ji August 12, 2021 Chris Naoki Lee Yūki Ono Liu Yijia
Tsuchimikado Kurumi August 12, 2021 Anne Yatco Juri Nagatsuma Tao Dian
Matari August 12, 2021 Xanthe Huynh Kana Ueda Yang Menglu
Valda Cui September 17, 2021 Judy Alice Lee Shizuka Ishigami Zhou Shuai
Yueshan November 10, 2021 Andrew Kishino Kaito Ishikawa Tony Leung
Wuchen January 19, 2022 Aleks Le Natsuki Hanae Li Lanling
Justina Gu March 12, 2022 Sumalee Montano Yui Ishikawa Zhong Ke
Takeda Nobutada May 20, 2022 Daisuke Tsuji Tomokazu Sugita Liu Beichen
Ziping Yin August 19, 2022 Angel Lin Fairouz Ai Yunhe Chasing
Feria Shen December 22, 2022 Emi Lo Ikumi Hasegawa Gui Niang
Akos Hu March 16, 2023 Stephen Fu Ryōhei Kimura Chang Wen Tao
Zai June 1, 2023 Kimberly Wong Ami Koshimizu Xiao Sibai
Tessa August 9, 2023 Stephanie Kerbis Mao Ichimichi Cai Na
Hadi Ismail November 15, 2023 Nezar Alderazi Yūsuke Kobayashi TBA

Development

Naraka: Bladepoint is a battle royale which was partly influenced by Devil May Cry and Sekiro. The game's producer had also included elements from the fighting game Meteor Butterfly Sword [zh] / Meteor Blade, which he had previously worked on, while Thunder Fire UX has helped with UX design and user research.[13][14] Naraka: Bladepoint, along with many other titles, was officially announced during the Game Awards 2019 ceremony on December 12, 2019.[15] From November 3 to 9, 2020, Naraka: Bladepoint had its steam server test in North America region to test its gameplay and performance.[16] It was then announced that Naraka: Bladepoint was in development for consoles, with the game being shown running on a PlayStation 5.[17][18] The mobile version provides the melee-focused combat gaming experience for mobile players globally[14][19] and was released in 2022.[20]

Release

Naraka: Bladepoint launched worldwide on August 11, 2021 with more than 10 language versions.[21]

The game was released on Xbox Series X/S on June 23, 2022, with the game also being available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers at no additional charge. In September 2021, ThunderFire Universe X Studio[22] was officially established, shifting its focus to overseas markets and console development. The first job was to accept the commission from NetEase Thunderfire Business Division and 24 Entertainment to develop the console version of the game.[23] An Xbox One version of Naraka: Bladepoint was released on December 22, 2022 and it's ported by ThunderFire Universe X Studio. Alongside the release date, a crossover event with Nier series was announced.[24] The PlayStation 5 version was released on July 13, 2023 along with the game going from a paid service to free to play in all available platforms.

Esports

The first official Naraka: Bladepoint tournament in Southeast Asia, Celestra Cup, started on September 9, 2021, ended season finale on December 12 and witnessed the first winner of SEA Naraka tournament.[25]

In China, the Naraka Bladepoint League (NBPL) is a prestigious competition featuring multiple seasons throughout the year, boasting an annual prize pool of $750,000.

An integral component of this league is the J-Cup, an esteemed tournament recognized as the World Championship of Naraka Bladepoint. This pinnacle event draws participation from global regions, including EU, NA, AS, SEA, and CN, as teams vie for a substantial prize pool of $1,500,000.

To secure a spot in the J-Cup, regions host qualifiers with varying prize pools. For both the European (EU) and North American (NA) regions, qualifying rounds are conducted, each offering a prize pool of $15,000 per region.

Reception

Naraka: Bladepoint received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[31] The game was nominated as Best Multiplayer Game 2021 of Golden Joystick Awards on October 19, 2021, which is one of the oldest game awards globally.[32]

Player count and revenue

The game hit over 120,000 concurrent players in its April Steam test.[18] By November 9, 2021, the game has reached more than 6 million copies selling globally. It means that it had more than $250 million gross revenue by selling copies and in-game virtual collectibles.[14][33]

Notes

  1. ^ Console versions developed ThunderFire Universe X Studio

References

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  6. ^ "6 Million Sales Record, Thanks to All Players！". www.narakathegame.com. Archived from the original on 2022-09-30. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
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