Dynasty Warriors maker reveals unmade sequel and Star Wars goals

Dynasty Warriors maker reveals unmade sequel and Star Wars goals

Koei Tecmo A character attacks another, causing him to fly backwards with light refracting off his body. They are both dressed in feudal era Chinese clothes and wielding swords. Behind them, a lush green scene with cherry blossom trees.Koei Tecmo

Dynasty Warriors: Origins launched worldwide in January 2025

It’s uncommon {that a} online game sequence turns into so well-liked it evokes copycats – however it’s rarer nonetheless that it is so distinctive it kicks off its personal style.

However that is what occurred with Dynasty Warriors, a sequence which pioneered the so-called “1 vs 1,000” gameplay, by which the participant defeats 1000’s of enemies in every stage.

All through years of improvement – the sequence has been going since 1997 on the unique PlayStation – {hardware} limitations meant at its finest just a few hundred enemies may seem on-screen at anyone time.

However all that’s now altering, with the facility of contemporary consoles enabling as many as 10,000 opponents on-screen directly.

In different phrases, the “1 vs 1,000” moniker is lastly coming true.

And with that new energy comes a brand new recreation – after seven years within the wilderness, writer Koei Tecmo is again with Dynasty Warriors: Origins.

All through this era the sequence has confronted an issue – regardless of promoting 21 million copies all through its historical past – Dynasty Warriors has all the time bought considerably higher in Japan than within the West.

“It is one thing that we have been attempting to get lots of people abroad to play,” the top of developer Omega Power, Tomohiko Sho, instructed the BBC.

However occasions could also be altering, as the discharge of Dynasty Warriors: Origins in January 2025 has seen encouraging gross sales.

Within the UK, it broke the highest 10 of the retail gross sales charts, whereas on-line it was the top-selling recreation on PC retailer Steam – with slightly below 70,000 individuals taking part in the sport on the identical time on launch.

Koei Tecmo Tomohiko Sho stands in front of a wall with a picture of an owl. Mr Sho is wearing a blazer over a colourful blue shirt with an open top button. He is Japanese. He has a neutral expression and smart medium-length hair.Koei Tecmo

Mr Sho was chatting with the BBC through a translator, following the discharge of Dynasty Warriors: Origins, the primary mainline recreation within the sequence since 2018

There have been 9 numbered entries within the sequence because it started in 1997, culminating in 2018’s Dynasty Warriors 9 on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

However advances in {hardware} imply Mr Sho believes now could be the time for a sequel.

Although he didn’t name it a reboot, the staff has ditched the numbered titles and easily referred to as the sport Dynasty Warriors: Origins – maybe signalling that the studio believes this can be a turning level for the franchise.

It launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Sequence X/S and PC in January 2025, changing into the primary mainline entry within the sequence in seven years.

Mr Sho instructed the BBC the staff had been engaged on a sequel – which might have been referred to as Dynasty Warriors 10 – however he felt it was just too just like earlier video games, which followers had been “beginning to get a bit bored of”.

As a substitute, the long-awaited recreation was scrapped so as to reap the benefits of the brand new {hardware}.

DW10 cancelled

The explanation Dynasty Warriors: Origins seeks to interrupt away from what got here earlier than is easy, Mr Sho mentioned – it was a results of fan response to the final mainline recreation launched within the sequence, 2018’s Dynasty Warriors 9.

“Both you actually preferred it, otherwise you did not,” he mentioned.

The unreleased sequel was too just like what got here earlier than, he mentioned, however by the point improvement was in full swing, a change within the video games trade finally halted manufacturing.

Inside two days of one another in November 2020, Sony launched the PlayStation 5 and Microsoft launched the Xbox Sequence X – consoles so highly effective Mr Sho ceased improvement to deal with the brand new {hardware}.

“The present know-how permits us to have many troops and armed forces officers on the display screen,” he mentioned.

“That is one thing I have been desirous to do since Dynasty Warriors 2 and three.”

These two video games, which launched on PlayStation 2 again in 2000 and 2001, may at most handle twenty or thirty enemies on-screen directly.

The brand new {hardware} can handle much more – with PlayStation 5 Professional homeowners seeing a fair greater leap in efficiency.

“We’re in a position to have many troops on-screen – not simply 1000’s, however tens of 1000’s,” Mr Sho mentioned.

“With the present era of consoles, we’re ready to try this.”

Koei Tecmo A battle sequence from the game. There are many hundreds of soldiers in feudal era armour running towards one another holding pikes, swords and other similar era-appropriate weapons. There is a Chinese temple in the background, with mountains behind.Koei Tecmo

He mentioned the present era of consoles permit them to have “tens of 1000’s” of enemies on display screen directly

However all that energy comes with a price – no multiplayer, which has been a staple of the sequence since its PlayStation 2 days.

“I’m very conscious that it’s seen as an iconic a part of the sequence,” he mentioned.

He felt multiplayer would lead to a “efficiency loss”, which means fewer enemies on display screen, so he determined in opposition to together with it.

However he mentioned that will change if the sport got a sequel.

“If everybody actually enjoys the sport, then for the following recreation within the sequence, we will certainly have multiplayer,” he mentioned.

Spin-offs and future

Within the interim years between the discharge of Dynasty Warriors 9 and Dynasty Warriors: Origins, the staff has focussed on different issues – specifically spin-offs.

These are variations of the sport, inside the 1 vs 1,000 style, outdoors of the principle sequence that usually characteristic completely different characters – very similar to how the movie franchise Puss in Boots was a spin-off of Shrek.

The corporate has discovered success on this space with video games that includes characters from sequence reminiscent of Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda and Sega’s Persona 5.

Mr Sho mentioned Dynasty Warriors: Origins was a shift in route because it centered on efficiency – whereas spin-offs had been about being true to the franchises concerned.

“When the groups had been approaching improvement, they weren’t interested by the {hardware},” he mentioned.

“However extra, with Hyrule Warriors and Fireplace Emblem Warriors being on the Change, how would we be capable of try this finest as a Warriors recreation?”

Nintendo/Koei Tecmo Link from Zelda, dressed in the blue tunic from Breath of the Wild, wields the Master Sword and a shield in front of scores of moblins - a short goblin-like creature.Nintendo/Koei Tecmo

Hyrule Warriors options many characters from the ever-popular Legend of Zelda sequence, one of many best-selling video video games in historical past

He mentioned Dynasty Warriors’ future was about “getting probably the most” out of present consoles – maybe with much more enemies on display screen.

Although he laughed off the suggestion that maybe the studio ought to think about collaborating on the last word “spin-off” – a Sonic the Hedgehog recreation.

“I additionally truly like Sonic, simply to let you recognize,” he mentioned.

And Mr Sho mentioned if he may make any Dynasty Warriors spin-off, there are two sequence he is enormous followers of – Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

“If there’s a probability, I would undoubtedly like to tackle the problem,” he mentioned.

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