Phantom Blade Zero had a unique journey spanning 20 years: from RPG Maker to another AAA hit from China

The release of Phantom Blade Zero provides an opportunity not only to examine the impressive metrics of the new Chinese blockbuster but also to discuss the two decades leading up to this project. From RPG Maker, mobile platforms, investments from Tencent, financial discipline, and creative compromises.

'Small Teams — Big Games': Establishing a Sustainable Business to Realize Creative Ambitions

In the Phantom World, an elite warrior named Soul is condemned to death, with only a few dozen days to live to punish those comrades who betrayed him and uncover a massive conspiracy. This is the premise... no, not of Phantom Blade Zero, but of Rainblood: Town of Death—a role-playing game on RPG Maker, which was developed solo 20 years ago by architecture student Liang Qiwei, known by the pseudonym Soulframe Liang.

In 2008, the first free version of Rainblood was released in China, gathering 100,000 downloads in a single day on local indie project portals. According to local media, the game has been downloaded about 4 million times in total. In 2010, Rainblood became available in English, and Liang decided to pursue a career in game development.

In 2011, after completing a master’s degree at Yale University, he returned to China and founded S-Game. Liang received initial investment from China’s ZhenFund and, with a small team, developed two sequels. By the release of Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage in 2013, S-Game’s staff numbered 10 people. The game sold 300,000 copies, but after covering production costs, the studio was left with almost no money.

Rainblood: Town of Death

Liang first recognized the limitations of such a business model—it seemed nearly impossible to build a sustainable business by releasing small indie RPGs. Fortunately, in the same year, 2013, S-Game attracted investment from the Chinese giant NetEase and shifted its focus to the mobile market.