Naraka: Bladepoint (2021)
24 Entertainment and NetEase's Wuxia Martial-Arts and Grappling-Hook Battle Royale
Engineered by 24 Entertainment in Hangzhou and launched by NetEase in 2021, Naraka: Bladepoint fundamentally reinvented the battle royale formula by discarding firearms in favor of visceral Eastern martial arts and melee weapon clashes. Pitting 60 warriors on Morus Island vying for the Mask of Immortality, the game married high-velocity vertical grappling-hook parkour with an intuitive rock-paper-scissors counter system, katana parries, and supernatural Wuxia hero powers, surpassing 20 million players worldwide.
Tripartite Combat System and Vertical Acrobatics
Combat dynamics function on a strict rock-paper-scissors triad: Normal Light Attacks defeat Counters, charge-up blue Focus Strikes crush Light Attacks, and timed Red Counters deflect Focus Strikes, completely disarming opponents. Grappling hooks permit instant aerial parkour across rooftops, cliffs, and fleeing targets.
Wuxia Mythos and the J-Cup World Championship
Featuring an eclectic roster including blind assassin Viper Ning and the titan-shifting monk Tianhai, it captured the majestic visual romance of classic martial-arts cinema. Anchored by the international Naraka World Championship (J-Cup), it established mainland China's premier global melee esports franchise.