'Phantom Blade Zero,' which opened pre-orders on the 12nd, climbed to the top of Steam's global sales chart in just one day. Chinese developer S-GAME launched pre-orders alongside a 11-minute trailer, hitting the top spot more than two months before the official release.

The game is a martial arts action RPG where a swordsman, framed for murder and left with a fatal heart injury, spends his remaining 66 days hunting for the truth behind a conspiracy. The core combat involves chaining combos by combining over 30 main weapons and various phantom weapons with martial arts styles. Notably, the new trailer revealed the involvement of actor Donnie Yen, who has served as a creative consultant since 2023, helping design the kung fu action and playing the role of the protagonist Soul's father.

Phantom Blade Zero, which drew attention for its impressive action and direction, had its release date pushed back from September 9 to October 29. The developer explained that the decision was made to include character model improvements and environmental reworks in the base game rather than relying on post-launch patches. While recent delays have sometimes been seen as a way to buy time for fixing unfinished games rather than improving quality, leading to dampened expectations, the consistent release of trailers and gameplay footage has propelled the title to #1 globally through pre-orders alone. The key question now is whether it can replicate the success formula of Chinese single-player action games established by 'Black Myth: Wukong.'

ISSUE | Today's News

■ Discount | Black Myth: Wukong Sales Surge Following First 30% Discount | INVEN GAMES

Black Myth: Wukong, which set Chinese console sales records before Phantom Blade Zero, has returned to the sales charts. A record-breaking discount triggered a surge in purchases, landing it at #9 in global sales and #5 in domestic sales. Since its release in August 2024, Black Myth: Wukong has sold over 20 million copies in its first month and swept Game of the Year awards, but its previous maximum discount was 25%. Meanwhile, Game Science is currently developing a sequel, 'Black Myth: Zhong Kui.'

NEW | Upcoming Releases & Updates

■ Early Access | Mandate Order

'Mandate Order,' a castle siege city-builder set in ancient China developed by Digital Sky, also entered Early Access on the 12nd. Set during the Spring and Autumn period, it combines grid-free building, four-season farming, recruiting historical figures, and real-time tactical battles involving thousands of troops. The game supports a Korean interface and subtitles, and the developer expects the Early Access period to last about 12 months. With gameplay similar to 'Manor Lords' and solid adherence to genre conventions, it currently maintains a 'Very Positive' rating.

■ Update | HELLDIVERS 2 | INVEN GAMES

'HELLDIVERS 2' climbed to #2 in global sales and #3 in domestic sales following a major update released on the 12nd. Arrowhead Game Studios' Patch 7.0, 'Devoid of Liberty,' introduces new missions set in reality-warping void zones and increases the level cap to 300. On the same day, the 'Castellan's Creed' Legendary Warbond was launched, featuring a collaboration with 'Warhammer 40k' inspired by the Astra Militarum Cadian Kasrkin.