Naraka Bladepoint dev on building a mobile BR: “It’s been really challenging”
NetEaseNaraka: Bladepoint is coming to mobile devices. Dexerto sat down to discuss the process of translating the popular battle royale to mobile platforms.
At NetEase Connect, the publisher announced that Naraka: Bladepoint, the popular melee-focused battle royale from NetEase, is coming to mobile.
Naraka: Bladepoint is built on fluid motion and combo-focused melee combat which helps it stand out in a sea of popular online battle royales that focus on gunplay. With the likes of Call of Duty Warzone Mobile on the way, and the recent launch of Apex Legends Mobile, can Netease transfer those elements enough to help the game remain unique and playable on mobile, too?
We were able to speak to Ray Kwan, lead producer on the game, to discuss the challenges of moving to mobile devices.
Naraka: Bladepoint Mobile interview
NetEaseMoreso than any other battle royale perhaps, Naraka relies on moving faster and more smartly than opponents, with abilities and unique weapons forming a constantly evolving sandbox set within beautiful locales.
“It’s true – Naraka really relies on fast travel and combat. So we’ve made a lot of innovations regarding control, camera, and UI so players can achieve complex movements with ease,” Kwan explains.
“Mobile screens really set a limit on complicated controls, so it’s been really challenging. Our goal was to create a PC-level experience, without compromising on what players expect from Naraka when they play on mobile. We placed more thought on how to provide the signature unchained melee combat, with exquisite graphics, to bring Naraka to mobile faithfully.”
“We needed to ensure flexibility, so players can do complex movements just as they can on PC,” Kwan reveals.
“Naraka is all about the depth of combat and tactical possibilities available to the player and we had to ensure mobile players also had this level of depth in their experience. We’ve also worked on the UI to adapt and streamline it for mobile screens.”
“We are working on support for controllers and wireless pads, and that will come in a later update for the game.”
Worried your phone can’t handle it? While Kwan stopped short of giving specifics, he did note that the team “optimized the game a lot so it can run smoothly on all mainstream mobile devices.”
Naraka: Bladepoint has been popular on PC, pulling in players all over the globe and offering its own World Championship event in January 2022. But will the legions of fans be able to carry across their content?
“No, Naraka Mobile is not a mobile port of Naraka PC,” Kwan explains. “It’s an independent project. So it has its own server, and your progress will not transfer over from the PC version.”
- Read more: Apex Legends Mobile review
Does that mean we won’t end up seeing the same roster, though? After all, the game’s roster is expected to grow more over time.
“In regards to the launch roster, we won’t spoil too much here, but all heroes you’ve met in Naraka on PC will be in Naraka mobile as well.”
Players can register for Naraka Mobile at narakamobile.com.
