After playing *Infinite*, I realized that NetEase really does have big ambitions.

Visiting an exhibition with a specific goal in mind might be a mistake; after all, any preconceived notions can narrow one’s perspective and cause you to miss out on many of the exhibition’s highlights.

But for me, attending the TGS 2025 demo of NetEase Leihuo’s *Infinite* for the sake of verification was still the obvious choice.

The gameplay trailer released by *Infinite* a few days ago truly took me by surprise. What surprised me wasn’t just the expansive urban gameplay it showcased, but also the development team’s aesthetic sensibilities revealed through the trailer’s background music—Republic Era’s “Sunshine”—as well as the potential *Infinite* holds to revolutionize the long-established format of mobile games.

At the time, I made some predictions in my article about the trailer: for instance, that *Infinite* might do away with gacha mechanics and tie characters directly to gameplay; and that, while maintaining the traditional content-driven competitiveness of mobile games, *Infinite* would also introduce a new, quality-driven competitive edge centered on “gameplay,” ultimately charting a course entirely distinct from existing mobile games.

Yes, in my view, *Infinity* is likely to mark a new beginning—or perhaps a turning point—for the second game. But speculation is just that; without actually playing the game, it’s like trying to see through a fog. To prove or disprove this, we’ll have to wait for the facts to speak for themselves.

The TGS demo is the perfect opportunity to see for yourself—it’s definitely not to be missed.

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I probably don’t need to elaborate on just how “huge” *Infinite*’s presence was at this year’s TGS—its set design and merchandise speak for themselves: at the entrance to the Makuhari Messe and along the main path through the exhibition, the scene featuring the male protagonist and Taffy the rabbit holding guns catches the eye of every attendee;Amid the distinctive booths of exhibitors from around the world, the “eye-catching backpack”—featuring Taffy’s giant face—certainly stood out as a unique sight. Every visual element related to *Infinite* was large and striking, drawing the attention of passersby.

As the saying goes, “bigger is better”—just as few could overlook the towering Taffy statue at the *Infinite* booth, standing alone as the undisputed king of the show. I have good reason to believe that Rayfire is deliberately imprinting the perception of *Infinite* as “big and eye-catching” into the collective memory of this year’s TGS.

Judging by the number of "pain bags" I saw on the floor during the two trade days on the 25th and 26th, as well as the demo stations that were constantly "temporarily suspended" due to being packed to capacity, the "Infinite" logo and the slightly "sassy" Taffy have indeed become major memes at TGS 2025.

Do you know how frustrating it is to see this sign suddenly go up just as you're about to get in line?

The primary objectives of booth and surrounding area design, as well as product exhibition, are typically to attract visitors for hands-on demos and to boost in-person visibility. At TGS 2025, *Infinite* achieved both of these goals quite impressively.

But even before all the hype—and before I’d even played *Infinite*—my theory that “you don’t need to pull cards” had already been proven true.

In its TGS 2025 special issue published on the 25th, Japanese media outlet Famitsu devoted several pages to a feature on *Infinite*, including a full-page spread announcing a major change to the game’s monetization model: “all” characters will be available for free.

Famitsu: Are you really giving these away? Taffy: Yep, really!

At the same time, the text in the Famitsu column notes that the core monetization in *Infinite* will focus on clothing, vehicles, and housing-related items. It assures players that they need not worry about encountering the typical negative feedback loops found in gacha games—namely, "wells" (guaranteed drops) and "slips" (unwanted pulls)—since the game does not involve any "character gacha" mechanics at all.

In this interview with Famitsu, producer Ash also mentioned that *Infinite* aims to deliver the inherent enjoyment of "exploration," "combat," and "story," and hopes that players' relationships with the characters will begin with a "meeting."

These public disclosures seem to corroborate what Ash mentioned in his Moments post a few days ago: "From the very beginning, we set out to create a game where players pay purely for the visuals."

I originally thought that the question of whether *Infinite* would separate gacha mechanics from character progression wouldn’t be settled until at least a few large-scale tests had been conducted. After all, gacha is the foundational logic of mobile games. Even setting revenue aside, without gacha, mobile games would face the question of “how to operate.” For instance, if daily active user (DAU) incentives were decoupled from gacha resource rewards, how many players would log in every day? How could DAU be maintained?

Currently, no mobile games on the market have truly demonstrated the viability of a gacha-free model, so there are no precedents to draw upon for addressing these issues.

But now that it seems certain that *Infinite* will do away with gacha mechanics, it’s reasonable to assume that Lei Huo must have considered monetization strategies and ways to retain players. As for exactly what those are, the answer may lie in the clues—namely, the demo.

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A notable feature of the demo version of *Infinite* is that it does not interweave gameplay and narrative; instead, it separates the two, allowing players to experience them independently.

Instead of grabbing a drink with Leika after the intense street race, you’ll need to exit Story Mode and start the City Map demo.

This could suggest two possibilities: First, there isn’t yet a prologue that satisfies the internal team enough to deliver a “narrative → open world” transition on the scale of CJ being thrown into an alley in *GTA SA*, so they’ve simply split the demo into two parts;2. The development team is keeping something under wraps; the ultimate goal of this TGS demo was likely just to showcase *Infinite*’s production quality and to “prove” the gameplay trailer’s claims.

After trying it out, I personally lean toward the latter because, although it lacks a certain degree of cohesion—whether in terms of the story presentation or the gameplay mechanics—the framework and concept of *Infinite* are clear.

Let’s start with the story mode. Setting aside the opening combat sequence—which demonstrates the game’s deep interaction with the environment—the dialogue between the male protagonist and Leika, featuring phrases like “It’s you again” and “Last time,” clearly indicates that this takes place at a midpoint in the *Infinite* storyline, after the plot has already progressed.

And it essentially reflects the typical narrative formula of *Infinity*: as many cutscenes as possible, logically sound QTEs, and a well-paced narrative progression.

From the opening scene where the male lead breaks through a door, to the arena-style brawl at the end, and then the car chase sequence, *Infinite* features virtually no static dialogue—only a wealth of cinematic action.

The car chase scenes, in particular—with their hail of bullets and complex urban terrain—feature the protagonist weaving through enemy encirclement while navigating elevated railways, all enhanced by expert camera work, giving the sequence a distinct action-movie feel.

What’s particularly commendable is that *Infinity* doesn’t just let players “watch”—it actively involves them in the action. Going far beyond simple QTEs, elements like shooting and driving, along with a variety of player actions, become integral parts of the spectacle, making this chase sequence feel truly immersive. In the process, *Infinity* seamlessly blends combat mechanics, vehicle gameplay, shooting mechanics, character traits, and narrative.

Reading this, you might feel a sense of familiarity. Yes, this is precisely how many AAA single-player games are structured—titles like *Uncharted*, *Watch Dogs*, and *The Evil Within*, among others. These pinnacles of the gaming industry all share a fundamental narrative logic rooted in the integration of their internal gameplay mechanics with their story presentation.

As for *Infinite*, at least in terms of the quality of its story mode, it is indeed closing in on the AAA experience. While it may not yet be on par with AAA titles, it certainly captures the essence of them and possesses a distinct AAA-quality feel.

As a result, many visitors stopped to watch the story demo playing on the large screen at the TGS booth; even for those who don’t play the game, the visual experience of *Infinite* is captivating.

If performances of this caliber are standard for the *Infinite* storyline, I can’t even imagine how intense the workload must be during the production phase.

The assets related to the second game’s storyline are essentially consumables with few opportunities for reuse. That said, they play a crucial role in character development. I’m sure any player who has played through or watched the “Infinite” storyline will have a vivid image in their mind of the male protagonist—the “Kick-Ass” character—who seems frivolous yet somehow surprisingly reliable.

A well-developed narrative dimension is clearly a major advantage for most mobile games, as the logic behind successful mobile game operations is: invest heavily in high-quality content → create compelling characters → generate commercial returns → continue refining the content.

However, since *Infinite* lacks character gacha mechanics, this logic clearly cannot be applied directly to it, which goes somewhat against commercial intuition. While the game is clearly focused on polishing AAA-quality content, it places its monetization points on character “merchandise”—it’s as if *Infinite* is passing up the watermelon to pick up the sesame seeds.

What is the rationale behind Lei Huo's approach? Is it truly an "infinite" ideal?

To answer this question, you have to consider the gameplay as well.

First and foremost, it’s worth acknowledging that the gameplay trailer for *Infinite* wasn’t just making empty promises—what was shown in the trailer is essentially exactly what you get in the demo. By now, I’m sure you’ve all seen leaks in various reports and videos revealing gameplay features such as street racing, basketball, and buying cars and real estate.

Just as I suspected, the characters are differentiated by their gameplay mechanics; the male protagonist’s special ability involves tentacles similar to Venom’s, and his Spider-Man-style movement is a unique feature of his gameplay.

The other two characters, Taffy and Rishi, each embody a distinct role. For example, Taffy is a delivery person who can trigger delivery missions, while Rishi is a patrol officer who can question and arrest NPCs or issue traffic tickets.

When it comes to gameplay freedom, *Infinite* clearly isn’t content with simply asking “how many things can be done,” but rather focuses on exploring “how far each thing can be taken.”

For example, when I’m playing as a police officer in *Rish* and dealing with NPCs, there are as many as eight available actions: issue orders, verify identity, conduct a search, perform a breathalyzer test, conduct a drug test, issue a ticket, make an arrest, and release the suspect. Some of these options even have several sub-options, such as issuing a ticket.

It’s worth noting that career modes are a classic feature of open-world city games, but few titles take it to the same level of depth as *Infinite City*. Another example: when you switch to Taffy’s home, you’ll notice just how richly detailed the interior is.

Plus seamless entry into buildings, the ability to perform violent actions on NPCs, the ability to customize the appearance of nearly every part of a character's body, and much more.

By incorporating countless high-quality urban gameplay elements and expanding upon them, *Infinite* appears to be attempting to build an “urban gameplay ecosystem.” These gameplay elements are not isolated from one another; rather, they can trigger one another and intertwine to form a network.

To some extent, this design philosophy explains why *Infinite* dared to abandon gacha mechanics; it attempts to use "gameplay" rather than the "characters" typical of mobile games as the primary motivator for players.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that *Infinite* is abandoning character development; rather, like many single-player games, it aims to develop characters through the story, their personalities, and gameplay mechanics as players progress. The goal isn’t to build content solely for the sake of the characters, but to subtly shape them as the content unfolds.

If this model truly works, players will stay not to pull the next new character, but because the city itself offers ongoing content to explore; and their motivation to spend money will no longer stem from anxiety about their character’s power level, but from the desire to “make my character, my car, and my home even cooler.”

In other words, the ambition behind *Infinite* isn’t to create a “better mobile game,” but rather to build an open-world platform that combines the visual style and aesthetic of mobile games with the narrative depth and gameplay quality of single-player titles. The business model it aims to establish is likely to funnel players toward in-game purchases by offering “AAA-quality storytelling and gameplay.”

To understand the business logic behind the *Infinite* series, one cannot view the storyline, gameplay, and cosmetic purchases as separate entities.

They all share a common goal: to build a virtual city where players want to stay for the long term, and to shift the motivation for spending from gacha mechanics to the overall experience.

First, a high-quality dramatic production serves a purpose that goes far beyond simply telling a compelling story. In the case of *Infinity*, it fulfills at least two distinct functions.

First, it establishes an emotional connection, laying the groundwork for players to pay for cosmetic items. This is no different from conventional mobile games. In other words, it’s the process by which players, after sharing adventures with a character and experiencing their charm, develop an emotional attachment to them—which then becomes a motivation to spend. And *Infinite*’s AAA-quality narrative is precisely the machine that efficiently generates this “love.”

Next is conveying a sense of realism in the world—for example, the seamless integration of driving and shooting mechanics in a car chase scene. The goal is to make players feel that every gameplay element is “logical” and “substantial.” Once players have experienced a heart-pounding high-speed chase on an overpass during the story campaign, purchasing a sleek sports car in the open world is no longer just about getting around faster; it’s about reliving that feeling of being an “action hero.”The storyline infuses gameplay with narrative meaning, thereby elevating the emotional value of all cosmetic items.

However, high-quality storytelling alone is not enough; what truly underpins a sustainable business model are the ongoing consumption opportunities and natural retention mechanisms created by the gameplay ecosystem.

The retention strategy for *Infinite* should be based on "life simulation." For example, a player might log in today because they just bought a new apartment and want to decorate it (housing system); tomorrow, they might log in to race their new sports car in an underground race (vehicle gameplay); and the day after tomorrow, they might want to play as Taffy to experience the thrill of being a "Ghost Fire Girl" (role-playing).

In other words, the motivation that *Infinite* provides to players is open-ended and self-driven; it stems from an interest in the game’s virtual world, rather than being dictated by a list of daily tasks designed to distribute gacha rewards.

In the context of consumer experiences, gameplay naturally drives demand for different visual styles. A player who enjoys playing as a police officer might purchase police uniforms and patrol cars in various styles; a player passionate about racing will naturally want to buy high-performance race cars or invest in modifications.

Since characters are free to obtain, players can switch between them without any pressure and experiment with different playstyles. This actually broadens the scope of spending—a single player might purchase skins, vehicles, and homes for multiple characters simultaneously to satisfy their various “role-playing” needs.

Not to mention, if *Infinite* were to introduce an online mode in the future, these cosmetic items would become a form of social currency once players’ homes, vehicles, and outfits become visible to others in the open world. Visible social display would reinforce the perceived value of paying for cosmetics—a concept that has already been proven successful in the market through *GTA 5*’s online mode.

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Therefore, Lei Huo’s true intention may not have been to “sacrifice the big picture for the small details,” but rather to try planting a new melon patch.

"Infinite" is banking on the following: by redirecting the substantial costs traditionally associated with creating dozens of gacha characters and weapons—costs typically incurred in mobile games—toward building a highly immersive world, several deeply engaging core characters, and a gameplay framework brimming with possibilities, the game aims to ultimately cultivate new spending habits among players.

This model faces significant challenges. For instance, can a pay-to-appear model sustain the ongoing investment required for AAA-quality content? Can the gameplay ecosystem truly create a virtuous cycle? Or will it devolve into a hodgepodge that tries to do everything but excels at nothing? *Infinite* has yet to provide definitive answers to these questions.

But if successful, the rewards are also enormous.

This will lead to higher user retention; once players have established social circles, invested emotionally, and crafted unique virtual identities within this world, the cost of switching will be extremely high. Furthermore, since cosmetic purchases do not rely on power anxiety or periodic spikes like gacha systems do, revenue streams are likely to be smoother and more sustainable.

At the very least, judging by the demo at TGS, *Infinite* certainly shows the potential to achieve this goal, and Lei Huo has made clear its ambition to “redefine the mobile gaming industry by adopting a model that doesn’t rely on gacha mechanics.”

When I spoke with the project team, they told me that the TGS demo is just around the corner and that the project’s content pipeline looks promising.

This demo may well be the fuse leading up to the explosion of *Infinite*, and now that it has been lit, the day of the explosion surely cannot be far off.