When discussing the landscape of subculture games in Korea, 'Girls' Frontline' remains an essential title. While it now enjoys such widespread popularity that the term 'subculture' feels almost understated, back in 2017, when it first launched in Korea, it was considered a niche genre for a dedicated few. Nevertheless, with its unique gameplay, profound and immersive world-building, compelling story, and charming characters, 'Girls' Frontline' is credited as the pioneer that ignited the massive wave of Chinese-developed subculture games that continues to this day.

Having launched in China in 2016, 'Girls' Frontline' celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. In the interim, numerous Chinese subculture games have been released globally, and domestic titles have also begun to emerge, making their mark on the industry. In this environment, while perhaps not as dominant as it once was, 'Girls' Frontline' maintains a presence that any fan of the genre would recognize.

To mark this 10-year milestone, MICA Team has announced two new titles to expand the Girls' Frontline universe. Notably, MICA Team—which has historically had little connection to real-time action, having focused on SRPGs, auto-battlers, and roguelikes—drew attention by unveiling both new projects as full-scale TPS titles. At the carnival, which served as both a retrospective of the past decade and a launchpad for the next, we met with Producer Yuzhong to discuss the journey so far and his vision for the future.

10 Years of Girls' Frontline and the Story Leading into Girls' Frontline 2

Girls' Frontline has reached its 10th anniversary. How do you feel?

"Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and it feels surreal. When we first started making 'Girls' Frontline,' I never imagined it would last this long. Looking back, we have been through so much, and there have been many memorable moments.

Overall, I am very happy. Ten years is a significant milestone. We intend to keep pursuing what we love and continue delivering even more exciting titles to our users.

This carnival is a meaningful celebration of your 10th anniversary. What was the theme behind it?

"We prepared this carnival in the hope that the many Commanders visiting the venue could relive their memories. We set up walls featuring moments from the past and interactive mini-stages tailored to the concepts of each project. We wanted Commanders to be able to play mini-games and revisit the stories that unfolded in the game, allowing them to reconnect with the memories of when they first played.

We also created a dedicated space for users to interact, share stories, and trade merchandise on-site. Providing this kind of enjoyment is one of the things we want to offer our community.

In the afternoon, we are holding a concert, which will feature new performances of tracks that haven't been showcased before. As we have always used these concerts to announce new content, I believe our users have high expectations. The core of the event is the new title announcement, and we hope this reveal will breathe new life into our IP.

After the conclusion of the main Girls' Frontline story and the transitional period following the launch of Girls' Frontline 2, things seem to have stabilized. It feels like the buildup has restarted, particularly starting from 'The One-Point.' I am curious about the process of getting back on track.

"Thinking back to that time, we readjusted the overall flow of the story based on user feedback. There were also adjustments within the scenario team. We assigned more roles to team members who better understood and were better suited for Girls' Frontline, giving them more responsibility for the main story.

From my perspective, we made a fresh start from the 'Da Yan' event. From that point on, I invested a lot of time in supervising the story writing and coordinating the outlines. Because the project development was quite long, many stories were actually completed quite early—they were largely finished by 2021 and 2022. However, I realized that the storytelling style we had created earlier might not align with what users expected at the time of the official launch.

So, we wiped the slate clean and reworked the stories to better meet user expectations.

On the other hand, as the reliance on the relationships with dolls and characters from the previous game has increased, there is a concern that it might be unfamiliar to users who haven't played the original. Are there any preparations for this?

"We have been making efforts to provide context for the story through various means, such as the battlefield manuals and the in-game Elmo server room. We are also considering providing summaries of past storylines to help new users understand the game content more easily, as you mentioned.

Additionally, we plan to release more art books and setting guides. These will make it easier to understand the characters, stories, and detailed settings from the past to the present. We hope that by organizing this context and content in detail and clearly in these guides, we can help all users gain a deeper understanding of the overall story and world-view.

Girls' Frontline 2 started as a hardcore tactical SRPG but has gradually become more casual, while simultaneously increasing the focus on the 'activity layer' to solidify its core as a character-driven game. Could you introduce when you began preparing for this and what direction you plan to take it in the future.

"During the first year of the Chinese server launch, we collected a massive amount of user data and feedback. We discovered a clear difference in needs between users who enjoy strategic tactical gameplay and those who prefer a more casual experience. Consequently, we developed different play modes to cater to these diverse needs, allowing players at different levels to enjoy the game according to their own tastes and styles.

As for the 'activity layer,' we actually began planning it quite early. By the time of the second test, around 2022, we already had similar ideas and plans. We realized that Commanders wanted to interact with their dolls and engage with them more closely.

Initially, we tried to satisfy this need through the dormitory system. However, starting around last year, we decided that a dormitory alone was not enough. We wanted users to be able to roam the Elmo freely and interact more naturally with the dolls they wanted to meet. That was the 'activity layer,' and it took about a year and a half from initial design to final completion, so the development cycle was quite long.

Moving forward, we are preparing content that caters to diverse user tastes simultaneously. For users who enjoy hardcore combat, we recently launched the 'Repeated Corridor' on the Chinese server. It is content where you organize a team of five dolls to clear floors, with enemies becoming stronger as you ascend. Each doll has two base deployment slots, which recover by one each day. Records are periodically reset, and after a certain point, more difficult stages open up, requiring the use of new elements like 'Armed Platoons.

While we are preparing for hardcore players, we also intend to add more interesting content to the activity layer, such as stories and mini-games featuring a wider variety of dolls. We want users who enjoy interacting with their dolls to feel the charm of more characters and become more immersed.

You previously attempted real-time PVP, such as Wargame Matches, but support was discontinued. Is there any intention to reactivate it?

"PVP requires high demands for character performance balancing, and character performance has changed significantly from our initial projections. Consequently, we have to be cautious about strengthening the PVP sector or resuming Wargame Matches.

Speaking based on the current Chinese server, we have introduced a new cooperative play mode called 'Extended Expedition.' It is essentially content conducted at the Circle level; after Circle members vote on which faction to choose, the Circle leader selects the faction, or the team is assigned to the faction with the most votes. The layout of the Circle battlefield will likely be familiar to players of the previous game, but there are various new elements, so please look forward to it. The play records are aggregated by Circle, and rank rewards are distributed accordingly.

Beyond that, through methods like the aforementioned 'Repeated Corridor,' which involves soft competition based on records, we hope users can experience the desire to improve their team's strength and a sense of competition. We are carefully reviewing direct character-versus-character combat and will re-evaluate whether it can be opened if a better solution emerges in the future.

Personally, I was very surprised when the teaser for Rainey appeared. Since UMP40 had such a dramatic exit in the previous game, I thought it would be difficult for her to return. Of course, she isn't 100% the same entity as in the previous game, but is there room for other characters who sacrificed themselves to reappear?

"Regarding Rainey's setting, first of all, we already laid a lot of foreshadowing in the first game. While there may be similarities between Rainey and UMP40 in the story, we have mentioned that they are not the exact same character position.

The key point is that Rainey's appearance was actually planned since the original 'Girls' Frontline.' She plays a very important role in the growth of UMP45—that is, Riva. She also serves as a complement in various aspects.

Regarding characters who sacrificed themselves in the previous game, we want to approach this very carefully. We will not force the resurrection of specific characters for commercial purposes. If one were to appear, we would need to build up the character relationships, story, and narrative development to justify it. It would only be possible after clearly conveying that necessity to the users.

Several characters have already sacrificed themselves on the fierce battlefields of the past, and we will not resurrect tactical dolls simply because they are dolls. Doing so would diminish the cost they paid and the meaning of their actions at the time.

Two new titles to lead the next 10 years: 'Girls' Frontline: Contract of the Blue Butterfly' and 'Reverse Collapse F'

To mark the 10th anniversary, you announced two new titles: one for Reverse Collapse and one for Girls' Frontline. When did you start preparing for each?

"It has actually been quite a while. For the new 'Girls' Frontline' title, it has been over two years since we officially began production. Full-scale development started in mid-2023.

For the new 'Reverse Collapse' title, the groundwork also began quite early. As we are moving into a new IP, we had to rethink many aspects, from world-view settings and character design direction to the underlying logic of the gameplay. We invested a lot of time in discussing and conceptualizing these issues.

Through that process, we entered official production around June 2024. That was when we started creating the first demo and concept PV, which will be revealed at the concert.

Let's talk about 'Reverse Collapse' first. Even when I played the previous game, 'Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery,' I thought there was more potential, but I didn't expect the new title to be a TPS, let alone a co-op game. Was there a specific reason you focused on that genre?

" Although I said it's a new IP, 'Reverse Collapse' is still part of the Girls' Frontline world-view. The Girls' Frontline series has always been a game that focuses on weapons and military themes.

Many users have asked in the past why we don't make a shooting game, and we have been researching and studying that for a long time. Because the technical difficulty is relatively high, we judged that after long research and exploration, we have reached a stage relatively suitable for presenting it.

We chose TPS because it satisfies not only the needs of players who want a shooting genre but also the desire to clearly see the character they are controlling. Given our game's characteristic of featuring various characters and emphasizing their individual charms, we thought this approach would be more friendly and advantageous.

We chose co-op because we judged that creating a PVP game in the Girls' Frontline world-view was not very suitable. We want to provide an experience where users cooperate and help each other to unfold the story, and work together to face and overcome the powerful enemies they encounter.

On the other hand, since it's a genre MICA hasn't shown before and a rare attempt in the AGC (Anime, Game, Comics) style, I'm curious how you will drive the story.

" We hope that all users will drive the missions and story together through a method where the entire server carries out missions together. If I were to express that grand narrative style in one word, you can understand it as a TRPG method where all server users participate together. We will have players decide the direction of the subsequent story together through various missions and branch choices. At the same time, we will present stories written by the users themselves, using a seasonal system as a periodic time unit.

The other work, 'Girls' Frontline: Contract of the Blue Butterfly,' also emphasized co-op shooting. What are the points of differentiation from the new Reverse Collapse title? I would also like to ask about the timeline gap between 'Contract of the Blue Butterfly' and Reverse Collapse F.

"'Contract of the Blue Butterfly' is a title that is relatively easier to start. It features exhilarating combat and clearer color contrast, making it easier and more fluid to identify the battlefield and distinguish between friend and foe. To mention the direction, you will engage with classic enemies that have appeared in the 'Girls' Frontline' series. We also plan to recreate the battlefields of past stories, allowing users to directly control tactical dolls and experience those scenes themselves. Compared to Reverse Collapse F, you will be able to enjoy a lighter, more exhilarating, and faster-paced combat experience.

'Reverse Collapse F' is a work that implements a more generally heavy style based on a new world-view. Various factions appear, including humans, tactical dolls, Shrike, and ruins. Each faction has its own unique faction and play style, and we have set the overall depth and weight of the gameplay to be heavier than 'Contract of the Blue Butterfly.' We also intend to prepare a deeper and richer range and depth of combat styles and overall experience.

Another point to note is that there is a difference in enemy design. In 'Contract of the Blue Butterfly,' we revealed many medium and heavy-armored enemies, but it is rare for the enemy scale to grow larger than that. However, in 'Reverse Collapse F,' giant and ultra-giant enemies appear. Boss battles are also a key element, and 'Contract of the Blue Butterfly' and 'Reverse Collapse F' will show significant differences in many aspects, including cooperation and interaction between allies, as well as how to respond to enemy patterns.

In terms of the timeline, there is a gap of about 50 to 80 years between the two works. As such, there will be many differences in the world-view as well. A lot of things will have happened in that time.

Shooting games generally have high requirements for graphics. Girls' Frontline 2 already showed improved modeling, but I'm curious how you are further developing this.

"'Contract of the Blue Butterfly' has a brighter, more cheerful style with strong color contrast. Visually, we aimed for richer colors, and technically, we implemented it closer to NPR, or cartoon rendering style.

'Reverse Collapse F' has a heavier and darker graphic style. We will emphasize not only cartoon rendering but also PBR, or realistic material expression.

If I were to point out a common direction for both works, since they are games that traverse the battlefield, we are putting a lot of effort into creating a battlefield environment where bullets and shells rain down and explosions occur everywhere. We hope that when users play the game, they will feel the atmosphere as if the flames of the battlefield are covering the sky, and feel as if they have jumped into the battle themselves.

The expanding 'Girls' Frontline Universe,' announcing a visit to Korea with a vision for the next 10 years

The universe is gradually expanding, from Girls' Frontline to Reverse Collapse, which deals with subsequent events. What is the core of that expanding world?

"The entire 'Girls' Frontline' IP has several major conflicts. For example, there are differences in survival ideologies between humans, ruins, and different races. Including our core slogan, 'Love and Hope,' all of these are important parts that form the inner core of the world-view.

While we write various stories in that vast world, we hope that the core of those stories can always be maintained stably within the style we want. By doing so, we expect users to have experiences that are familiar yet strange, and new, in the process of expanding the world-view and writing new stories.

As the producer overseeing the series and the CEO of MICA Team, is there anything you are currently most concerned about? Also, what is the future vision for the Girls' Frontline IP and MICA Team?

" At the current stage, what we are most concerned about is how to build a team system that can continuously produce higher-quality games and content.

To build such a system, we need to further refine our pipelines, processes, and rules so that talent from each field can join and exert their capabilities more fully. Ultimately, the concern is one thing: how to make better games. To this end, we have put a lot of effort into refining our entire company system, and this is something we will need to continue to do in the future.

Regarding the vision, it is for our IP to grow beyond games into various fields such as animation and music, exerting its strengths in each sector. In terms of the company, it is to provide a stage where users can unfold their own stories. We hope that all Commanders can be active in the Girls' Frontline world and write their own stories.

You held a fan invitation event in Korea last March. Can we look forward to a more full-scale meeting with Korean users in the future?

"We are actually already preparing a larger-scale event. We previously held a symphony concert in China, which received a lot of support and love from many users. Through this interview, I would like to mention in advance that we intend to present such an event in Korea as well, and we will announce the details of the event at an appropriate time.

Lastly, please say a word to the Korean users.

"I sincerely thank all the Commanders in Korea who have supported us so far. Please continue to love 'Girls' Frontline,' and we ask for your high expectations as we intend to show you more new titles and new stories in the future.