While there are a lot of great titles coming out this fall, what I’m looking forward to most is Phantom Blade Zero. Originally slated for September 9, Phantom Blade Zero received a brief delay to October 29, 2026. Based on the latest materials for the game — a pre-order trailer and a gameplay deep dive — that delay is only making the wait all the more difficult.
I don’t think I’ve been more excited for a game since Phantom Blade Zero was announced three years back. So, naturally, I’m hoping what I believe could be a Game of the Year contender lives up to the hype.
What We Know So Far
Despite its imminent release, not a lot has been revealed story-wise about Phantom Blade Zero. Here’s what we do know about developer S-Game’s upcoming title: Our main character, Soul, was an assassin recently betrayed by his organization, but he was saved thanks to a miracle heart implant. However, he now has only 66 days to live. To extend his life, he must find a cure for his ailment, which means uncovering secrets that will shake the world he lives in while searching for the truth behind his betrayal.
Now, most of that info can be gleaned from the pre-order trailer, which does a great job concealing a lot of what makes this game intriguing. Most of the gameplay footage we’ve seen thus far has been of side quests, leaving the broader story a mystery. Given the content shown has largely covered only one or two of the eight hand-painted maps in the game, we can expect a lot more surprises.
While there is a lot of action in the game, to be clear, this is not a Souls-like. A lot of what we’ve seen is action combat; however, it isn’t the kind that harshly penalizes players for dying or making mistakes. That’s intentional by the developers, who don’t want to be pigeonholed by the genre and “just want people to enjoy the game.”
That being said, we can expect a lot of exploration, as the maps appear to be guidelines more so than strict representations of the environment. In a lot of ways, this is refreshing. We’ve talked about the exhausting loop of open-world games on this site before, and a large part of this comes from maps that overwhelm the player with too much stimulation. Phantom Blade Zero is building something new, and this difference will set it apart.
Kung-Fu Punk
The genre of Phantom Blade Zero is a new one that the game’s director, nicknamed “Soulframe” Liang (after his online pseudonym), has mentioned a few times: Kung-Fu Punk. This combination of martial arts and steampunk opens up the game to a number of possibilities, like using the boat we see in the gameplay trailer to navigate the world, and I’m anticipating some unique weapon combinations too. We’ve already seen some crazy machine-augmented characters in the footage, and I imagine there’s more where that came from.
Speaking of weapons, there’s a plethora of options in the game: 30 primary and 25 secondary weapons. With plenty of exciting combinations possible, I’m sure you’ll earn an achievement for collecting them all. Already, we’ve seen swords, greatswords, two-handed hammers, and iron fists (i.e., gauntlets), with more weapons likely to be discovered. The weapons take inspiration from various media, but my favorite that S-Game has shown off are definitely the lightning swords and the twin viper blades. A special shout-out to the flaming mane for crowd control.
A huge part of ensuring everyone can play any game is variable difficulties. Phantom Blade Zero’s “Waywalker” mode will be the easiest, for players who mainly desire the story. “Pathfinder” is the normal mode, balancing combat and dialogue. Meanwhile, “Hellwalker” seems like a great challenge because enemies will adjust to your combat style, forcing you to switch things up mid-fight. Lastly, “66 Days” is the ultimate skill test. You only have 66 lives; lose them all, and it’s a permanent game over.
They Got Donnie Yen?!
I’m not sure how S-Game swung putting the Ip Man star in the game, as this is the studio’s first AAA title, but Donnie Yen was a creative consultant. If anything, this makes the anticipation for Phantom Blade Zero greater, as the actor is among the greatest action stars to grace the screen. Surprisingly, this will be the second game that Yen has advised on for combat, the first being Onmusha 3. It’s a pretty good skill translation, given he’s led choreography for multiple films in the past.
Yen’s character remains a mystery thus far, but with a scene of him holding a baby and fighting simultaneously, I have a pretty good idea of how he’ll fit into the game. Nevertheless, the most fun parts of wuxia titles are the winding tales of mystery, the interpersonal political drama, and the betrayal. We’ll just have to see where he falls among that list.
Not Much Longer Now
Phantom Blade Zero arrives on October 29, which will be here sooner than we know it. As excited as I am for the game, I must admit I am disappointed there is no physical copy or collector’s edition available. I’m sure many, myself included, would have loved to have a memorable collectible from this release. Alas, we can only hope the game is great, so I can proudly proclaim I called this year’s GOTY.
For now, patience, young grasshoppers; work through that backlog and wait for October!
Phantom Blade Zero, developed by S-Game Studio and published by S-Game Publishing, releases on October 29, 2026, for PC (via Steam and Epic Games) and PlayStation 5.
Vaughn Hunt is writer who has loved video games since he picked up a controller. His parents wouldn't let him buy swords as a child (he wanted the real ones) so he started writing, reading, and playing video games about them. A historian at heart, you'll often find him deep into a rabbit hole of culture, comics, or music.
