Developer S-Sport’s upcoming motion title, Phantom Blade Zero, is making an attempt to duplicate the sensation of taking part in by way of a kung fu motion film. Director “Soulframe” Liang spoke about this in a dialog with Eurogamer at Sport Developer’s Convention 2025. On this dialog, Liang additionally spoke about managing the scope of Phantom Blade Zero by taking cues from recreation improvement concepts of the 90s.
“We need to name again the golden age of Hong Kong kung fu motion pictures from the Seventies, ranging from Bruce Lee after which Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Donnie Yen,” mentioned Liang. “The development has pale out because the early 2000s so we need to return to that and attempt to carry the development again.”
Staying with this concept, Liang additionally brings up Sloclap’s motion recreation Sifu as one of many inspirations behind the themes and gameplay of Phantom Blade Zero. He brings up the concept that, if a French studio can do it so nicely, why couldn’t a Chinese language studio. “If a French studio can do one thing like that,” requested Liang, “why couldn’t we do one thing much more genuine from Chinese language tradition?”
Liang additionally spoke about eager to develop video games within the model of the previous, again when video games have been being developed for the unique PlayStation and the PS2. Video games on the time was extra slim of their scope, and barely did we see a recreation that attempted to chew off greater than it may deal with, particularly contemplating the {hardware} limitations of the time. Liang refers back to the scope of Phantom Blade Zero as being “like an even bigger indie recreation.”
“We need to get again to the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 period,” mentioned Liang, “when the video games weren’t so massive, the budgets not sky excessive, the group manageable, and all of the builders have been passionate and artistic and with expertise. It’s like an even bigger indie recreation, however with finances and with expertise and with a steady hand, and the whole lot feels so built-in from the place to begin whenever you press down the Begin button to the end level of the employees listing.”
Together with this, Liang additionally spoke about one other main Chinese language launch—Black Fable: Wukong. Liang spoke about how the discharge of the title gave the bigger gaming market the realisation that there’s a massive marketplace for video games made by Chinese language builders on the worldwide stage. “Everybody now realises there’s potential for a Chinese language-made recreation to make 30m copies in half a 12 months,” mentioned Liang.
Phantom Blade Zero doesn’t but have a launch date. The title is at the moment in improvement on PC and PS5. Rumours from final 12 months have indicated that S-Sport is focusing on a Fall 2026 launch window for the upcoming motion title. The studio revealed by way of an interview again in January that it expects gamers to take wherever between 20 and 30 hours to complete the primary story in Phantom Blade Zero.
A launch date for Phantom Blade Zero is anticipated to be introduced later this 12 months. Within the meantime, take a look at some uncut footage of a combat towards one of many title’s bosses—Chief Disciple of the Seven Stars.
