Naraka mobile’s first public test event was held in Chengdu in December 2023.
A significant milestone for the melee battle royale title, it coincided with the Naraka Bladepoint World Championship (J Cup) riding on the hype, attracting thousands of eager players to the city center.
ONE Esports joined a cozy press conference with Naraka Bladepoint lead producer Ray Kwan, who oversees both the PC and mobile versions, to find out more about what existing players and new players can expect from the battle royale’s mobile version that’s currently under development.
How Naraka mobile is designed for players of all skill levels
When Naraka Bladepoint was first released on PC in 2021, NetEase already had plans for it to be available on all platforms, including mobile, Ray said, because the team wanted its core gameplay to be enjoyed by all.
The game is free to play on PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox Series X and Series S, as of the time of writing.
During the very first mobile test in the lab, the development team discovered that even though they managed to create an innovative system that ports over Naraka’s rock, scissors, and paper systematic gameplay, it was still challenging for players due to information overload.
As a result, they shoved that version and rethought their strategy.
“There’s a very popular skill right now called Switch Weapons Combos on the PC version. Let’s say I attack you first with a sword and then switch to a dual blade. It deals a lot of damage,” said Ray.
“But that will be too much and too difficult for the mobile version players,” he continued. “In that case, we removed that mechanism so that the mobile players can have a more streamlined experience.”
By adjusting some of these mechanics on mobile, he believes that this approach will reduce the skill gap between entry-level and experienced players. In turn, this will hopefully welcome new players to the title and create a fun experience for all.
Besides rethinking some of the detailed mechanics while retaining its core gameplay, one major change you’ll notice for Naraka mobile is that it no longer has a trios option. Instead, you play in a party of four.
“There are mainly two reasons we want to switch from trios to squads from PC to mobile. Basically in China, a lot of college dormitories are four-man,” said Ray. “Secondly, there will be fewer teams in one match and hence less competition. The difficulty will lower. It will be easier for mobile players to enjoy the game.”
While participating in J Cup, American pro player Joshua “Tryhard” Martinez also had the opportunity to try out this latest version of Naraka mobile and appreciated how the portable version combined vertical and light attacks into a sequence, he told the press. He was able to replicate some of the PC mechanics, and is looking forward to its full release.
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