Dynasty Warriors maker reveals unmade sequel and Star Wars dreams

It’s uncommon {that a} online game sequence turns into so well-liked it conjures up copycats – however it’s rarer nonetheless that it is so distinctive it kicks off its personal style.

However that is what occurred with Dynasty Warriors, a sequence which pioneered the so-called “1 vs 1,000” gameplay, by which the participant defeats 1000’s of enemies in every degree.

All through years of growth – the sequence has been going since 1997 on the unique PlayStation – {hardware} limitations meant at its finest only some hundred enemies might seem on-screen at anyone time.

However all that’s now altering, with the facility of recent consoles enabling as many as 10,000 opponents on-screen directly.

In different phrases, the “1 vs 1,000” moniker is lastly coming true.

And with that new energy comes a brand new sport – after seven years within the wilderness, writer Koei Tecmo is again with Dynasty Warriors: Origins.

All through this era the sequence has confronted an issue – regardless of promoting 21 million copies all through its historical past – Dynasty Warriors has at all times offered considerably higher in Japan than within the West.

“It is one thing that we have been attempting to get lots of people abroad to play,” the pinnacle of developer Omega Drive, Tomohiko Sho, advised the BBC.

However occasions could also be altering, as the discharge of Dynasty Warriors: Origins in January 2025 has seen encouraging gross sales.

Within the UK, it broke the highest 10 of the retail gross sales charts, whereas on-line it was the top-selling sport on PC retailer Steam – with slightly below 70,000 individuals taking part in the sport on the identical time on launch.

There have been 9 numbered entries within the sequence because it started in 1997, culminating in 2018’s Dynasty Warriors 9 on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

However advances in {hardware} imply Mr Sho believes now could be the time for a sequel.

Although he didn’t name it a reboot, the staff has ditched the numbered titles and easily known as the sport Dynasty Warriors: Origins – maybe signalling that the studio believes it is a turning level for the franchise.

It launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Collection X/S and PC in January 2025, changing into the primary mainline entry within the sequence in seven years.

Mr Sho advised the BBC the staff had been engaged on a sequel – which might have been known as Dynasty Warriors 10 – however he felt it was just too just like earlier video games, which followers have been “beginning to get a bit bored of”.

As an alternative, the long-awaited sport was scrapped so as to make the most of the brand new {hardware}.

The explanation Dynasty Warriors: Origins seeks to interrupt away from what got here earlier than is easy, Mr Sho stated – it was a results of fan response to the final mainline sport launched within the sequence, 2018’s Dynasty Warriors 9.

“Both you actually appreciated it, otherwise you did not,” he stated.

The unreleased sequel was too just like what got here earlier than, he stated, however by the point growth was in full swing, a change within the video games business in the end halted manufacturing.

Inside two days of one another in November 2020, Sony launched the PlayStation 5 and Microsoft launched the Xbox Collection X – consoles so highly effective Mr Sho ceased growth to deal with the brand new {hardware}.

“The present expertise permits us to have many troops and armed forces officers on the display,” he stated.

“That is one thing I have been eager to do since Dynasty Warriors 2 and three.”

These two video games, which launched on PlayStation 2 again in 2000 and 2001, might at most handle twenty or thirty enemies on-screen directly.

The brand new {hardware} can handle much more – with PlayStation 5 Professional house owners seeing an excellent greater leap in efficiency.

“We’re in a position to have many troops on-screen – not simply 1000’s, however tens of 1000’s,” Mr Sho stated.

“With the present era of consoles, we’re ready to do this.”

However all that energy comes with a price – no multiplayer, which has been a staple of the sequence since its PlayStation 2 days.

“I’m very conscious that it’s seen as an iconic a part of the sequence,” he stated.

He felt multiplayer would lead to a “efficiency loss”, that means fewer enemies on display, so he determined towards together with it.

However he stated which will change if the sport got a sequel.

“If everybody actually enjoys the sport, then for the following sport within the sequence, we will certainly have multiplayer,” he stated.

Within the interim years between the discharge of Dynasty Warriors 9 and Dynasty Warriors: Origins, the staff has focussed on different issues – particularly spin-offs.

These are variations of the sport, inside the 1 vs 1,000 style, outdoors of the principle sequence that usually function totally different characters – very similar to how the movie franchise Puss in Boots was a spin-off of Shrek.

The corporate has discovered success on this space with video games that includes characters from sequence comparable to Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda and Sega’s Persona 5.

Mr Sho stated Dynasty Warriors: Origins was a shift in route because it targeted on efficiency – whereas spin-offs have been about being true to the franchises concerned.

“When the groups have been approaching growth, they weren’t eager about the {hardware},” he stated.

“However extra, with Hyrule Warriors and Fireplace Emblem Warriors being on the Swap, how would we be capable of do this finest as a Warriors sport?”

He stated Dynasty Warriors’ future was about “getting essentially the most” out of present consoles – maybe with much more enemies on display.

Although he laughed off the suggestion that maybe the studio ought to contemplate collaborating on the final word “spin-off” – a Sonic the Hedgehog sport.

“I additionally truly like Sonic, simply to let you realize,” he stated.

And Mr Sho stated if he might make any Dynasty Warriors spin-off, there are two sequence he is large followers of – Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

“If there’s a likelihood, I might undoubtedly like to tackle the problem,” he stated.