Besides drawing character weapons, what else is there to talk about in this game?

Last Tuesday, October 28, "Double Helix," the most anticipated product of the year in the casual gaming sector, officially launched its global open beta.

"Double Helix" was developed by Pan Shen Studio, a subsidiary of Hero Games. Prior to this, it was difficult to say that Hero Games had a strong anime/manga heritage; its only apparent connection to the anime/manga gaming sector was its investment in Kuro and its involvement in the publishing of "War Dual." "Double Helix" marks Hero Games' first official step into the realm of independently developing high-quality anime/manga-style games.

Although in recent months, the marketing campaign for *Double Helix* has been closely tied to the slogan “No gacha for characters or weapons,” it initially gained recognition within the industry and among players primarily due to its gameplay and art design.

In terms of gameplay, the game established its core mechanics—switching between close-range and long-range weapons combined with Z-axis-based mowing-down and loot farming—as early as its initial reveal in 2023. At the time, this design—unprecedented in mobile games—made *Double Helix* an instant hit upon its debut.

Visually, the game’s post-apocalyptic style—centered on demons as its primary theme—and the producer’s background in art have also drawn significant attention from players.

However, following the open beta on the 28th, the *Double Helix* community was rife with controversy, and the game’s initial performance was less than impressive.

According to Qimai data, *Double Helix* peaked at No. 129 on the iOS Top Grossing Chart in China. As a title released simultaneously worldwide, data from platforms such as Game-i shows that its rankings in the Japanese and South Korean markets were also relatively low, peaking at No. 122 in Japan and remaining in the 100s in South Korea.

The commercial performance of *Double Helix* during its open beta, as reflected in these rankings, actually came as no surprise to me. With the removal of traditional character and exclusive weapon gacha pools, the limited scope of monetization made it difficult for *Double Helix* to attract a first wave of paying players aiming to climb the rankings—as is typical for mobile games—during the open beta phase.

However, it would be clearly unfair to write off *Double Helix* solely based on its so-called revenue figures. While the revenue performance of a new game during its open beta is certainly important, there are countless examples of games that got off to a great start but failed to maintain momentum—a phenomenon that is particularly common in the mobile gaming sector.

Since *The Double Helix* has taken a new approach to commercialization, we shouldn’t judge it by conventional standards.

Furthermore, after a week of playing and observing the game, public sentiment toward *Double Helix* is gradually improving. Once players have adjusted to the overall changes in gameplay logic and the shift in playstyle brought about by the monetization updates, they have indeed come to appreciate the game’s solid foundation.

In my view, the long-term potential of *Double Helix*, which is underpinned by its gameplay, may have been significantly underestimated or overlooked by many.

01

As is well known, the business model of most mobile games today centers on in-game characters as the primary source of revenue. This has resulted in the behaviors of both the supply side (developers) and the demand side (players) being tightly tied to these characters.

From a developer’s perspective, content creation in mobile games is all about character development; strong characters are essentially synonymous with strong revenue figures.

It’s hard to deny that this is a double-edged sword. Indeed, if high-quality content can make a version’s featured character resonate deeply with players, the commercial payoff is likely to be immediate. However, the typical one-month release cycle for mobile games imposes productivity constraints on developers, making it virtually impossible to distribute content evenly across all characters. The business model dictates that the ultimate focus of every update will always be the featured character in the current gacha pool.

This has made the "invisibility" of older characters in terms of content a common occurrence in mobile games. Not only that, but assets such as storylines and scenes also become one-time consumables that are no longer reused as the featured characters rotate. It is important to note that characters in mobile games also serve as vessels for players' emotional investment. For revenue reasons, developers naturally cannot treat characters carelessly when crafting storylines, which effectively limits their creative freedom.

Moving on from the content, let’s get back to the gacha pool issue.

The character gacha pool also influences the game’s core mechanics and shapes the player experience. Since developers aim to sell cards, new characters typically feature stats that surpass those of their predecessors or unique mechanics. As the game’s operational lifespan extends and the number of characters continues to grow, this can lead to an imbalance in game balance—or, more accurately, a loss of control over the game’s numerical design.

Veteran characters being relegated to "storage" roles, along with the FOMO (fear of missing out) associated with missing out on popular characters, have become the two main factors dampening players' enthusiasm for the game.

This is understandable, as game development inevitably involves considerations of profitability. The character-centric business model of mobile games finds it difficult to avoid these challenges, given that revenue relies heavily on the release of new characters and related content.

Basically, any game that can maintain the overall narrative coherence and give returning characters some screen time in key updates—or provide them with special treatment in terms of stats and mechanics—is already considered a standout among current mobile games.

The player side is even easier to describe: whether they initially got hooked by the art or the storyline, players’ ultimate in-game behavior is closely tied to gacha resources. The primary rewards for daily quests, seasonal events, and endgame content are almost always gacha resources, which means that the player experience revolves largely around accumulating these resources. Even engaging with the storyline and appreciating character development often ultimately serves the purpose of motivating players to pull for specific characters.

The so-called "work-life feeling" also emerges from this cycle of utilitarian play.

Furthermore, the pace at which developers produce content is simply not on par with the speed at which players consume it. Combined with weak gameplay mechanics, this means that many mobile games inevitably face a "downtime" phase. This is one of the reasons why many mobile gamers play multiple titles simultaneously.

Ultimately, developers are overworked and players feel frustrated—this has become the reality for many second-tier games.

I don’t believe the gacha system is inherently flawed; on the contrary, it has always been the most suitable monetization model for anime-themed games. Rather than saying the business model dictates that these games must be character-centric, it’s more accurate to say that what anime fans truly want are high-quality characters.

However, while the gacha model has generated substantial commercial returns, it has also, as the market has evolved, led to an increasingly severe Matthew effect, operational pressures, and user fatigue within the mobile game industry.

By eliminating the character gacha system, *Double Helix* is attempting to break free from these challenges.

02

First, once the development team has separated monetization from character progression, they will have greater freedom in planning content.

The open beta of *Double Helix* has unlocked the main story content for the first three chapters. As many players have put it, the game has been “constantly killing off characters.” In the prologue and Chapter 1, “Night Flight,” the core characters “Berenika” and “Saiki”—who are central to building deep bonds with the player—were both killed off in the storyline. Judging by the current plot development, it doesn’t look like they’ll be returning anytime soon.

It’s worth noting that Saiqi was the first character to be featured in the open beta in the traditional sense, and she enjoyed considerable popularity even during the testing phase.

For this very reason, Saiki’s death became the most memorable moment in the game’s storyline, further highlighting the irreconcilable conflict between the Charon and Sola races within the *Double Helix* universe. It served as a narrative climax in the early stages of the game and, from a storytelling perspective, was an unqualified success.

Chapters 2 and 3 are no exception; these chapters were also a major focus for the development team and writers. The game places significant emphasis on plot progression and character development. Whether it’s the overall portrayal of the Human Empire from the secondary protagonist’s perspective, the reconstruction of Lise’s values, or Bruce’s self-sacrifice, each element demonstrates considerable depth.

Overall, the existing chapters of *Double Helix* lack truly satisfying conclusions, which gives the game a feel more akin to traditional JRPGs.

In a sense, this plot structure has fundamentally transformed the narrative logic of *Double Helix*. Characters are no longer mere “assets,” but rather vehicles that drive the narrative and reinforce the theme. Players must confront the uncertainties within the story; Saeki’s departure is a prime example of this, and its narrative impact is far more powerful than if she had remained a safe “UP character” throughout the game.

However, this approach also carries obvious risks, as it tests players’ loyalty to the narrative itself rather than their devotion to specific characters. A protagonist who grows and develops, coupled with a heavy narrative, may not be easily accepted by players accustomed to the safe, conventional storytelling found in traditional 2D games.

This is evident from the controversy surrounding the game's storyline that erupted within days of the open beta.

Essentially, *Double Helix*’s business model—which decouples characters from monetization—has freed content creation from constraints. When planning dual storylines for the male and female leads, the production team no longer needs to prioritize the main characters’ exposure, image maintenance, or ongoing commercialization. As a result, the content itself no longer serves the commercial value of specific characters, but instead prioritizes ensuring the integrity of the world-building and the impact of the narrative itself.

Although *Double Helix* actually includes Easter eggs hinting at the possibility of characters like Saeki returning in the text of certain post-game content and side quests, not all players are able to actually access this information.

After all, in the design of *Double Helix*, some key information is hidden behind the protagonist’s five-dimensional stats and CRPG-style identification options. This design, which leans more toward single-player games, enriches the game’s narrative while also subtly challenging the play habits of mobile gamers.

It cannot be denied that *Double Helix*’s narrative structure and interactive exploration have indeed opened up broader possibilities for in-depth storytelling. To be fair, the game’s narrative presentation is quite strong; elements such as the fragments of memory during Saiki’s story segments and the final curtain call of the visions all exceed the standard for games of this genre.

However, the main storyline of *Double Helix* does indeed clash with the habits of mobile gamers.

Therefore, striking a balance between narrative tension and players’ emotional endurance in future updates may well be the top priority for the development team. Unburdened by the constraints of character microtransactions, *Double Helix* has the potential to develop its characters through storytelling in a way that far surpasses typical mobile games.

03

Having discussed the narrative, it’s worth noting that what truly underpins *Double Helix*’s “character-less gacha” system is, in fact, its gameplay framework.

As we all know, when discussing the gameplay of *Double Helix*, we cannot overlook certain successful loot-based MMORPGs. Essentially, *Double Helix*’s core gameplay logic—which centers on “loot farming and character progression as the foundation, with dynamic combat as the expression”—is directly inspired by the proven success of this genre.

The backbone of this system is the "Demon's Wedge" system, which is analogous to mods in loot-based games. Players can obtain these modules—which provide specific bonuses—by challenging various dungeons, and freely combine them to build their own combat styles.

The "Ward of the Demon" system is more than just a matter of stacking stats. From attack speed and critical hits to altering skill activation mechanics, it offers a wealth of customization options. Players must balance their "resistance" with slot resources, and since mods are not tied to specific characters or weapons, resource utilization is significantly improved.

In addition, characters are obtained entirely through farming shards—with no stamina limits—and the synthesis and promotion processes are completely transparent.

The addition of the Z-axis alone gives the combat in *Double Helix* a remarkable degree of freedom. Players can seamlessly switch between melee and ranged weapons during battle—from whips and bows to sniper rifles and grenade launchers—and freely combine maneuvers such as sliding tackles, spiral leaps, mid-air shots, and drop attacks to create a multi-dimensional combat system.

While clearing dungeons, mastering the "Spiral Leap" to extend your time in the air, or launching a drop attack from a high vantage point to control the area and move quickly, can both significantly improve your clearing efficiency. Switching characters promptly and using their skill rotations to deal sustained damage is also key to efficient dungeon clearing.

Therefore, once you’ve figured out the right farming strategy, the time it takes to fully level up a character becomes relatively manageable.

What I’m trying to say is that the significance of this gameplay-plus-progression system is precisely what gives *Double Helix* the confidence to overcome the challenges facing the mobile gaming industry that I discussed in the first section.

First, the "Demon's Wedge" system serves as the new core of character development and is not tied to specific characters. This means that any character can find their own playstyle and battlefield value through module combinations, fundamentally preventing veteran characters from becoming "shelf-warmers" due to stat inflation.

By ensuring that players' investment in character development is stored in a freely inheritable module library—rather than tied to a specific character that might be phased out in future updates—we can alleviate the potential anxiety and waste of resources caused by character iterations.

Second, the ability to grind for characters fundamentally reshapes players’ motivations, rendering the cycle of “logging in just to pull cards” obsolete. Casual players’ “daily check-ins” stem from the fact that rewards for card-pulling resources cannot be carried over within a given time frame (a day); if they miss a day, one-third or half of their card-pulling resources are “lost.”

However, in *Double Helix*, the daily and end-of-day rewards are not gacha resources, but rather tickets that can be used directly to farm modules and shards for character upgrades. Furthermore, with no stamina limits, the number of character shards a player can obtain and the length of the cultivation cycle depend entirely on how much time they invest.

There is no time limit on dungeon entry tickets, so hardcore players can grind to their heart’s content, while casual players can progress at their own pace. As a result, the utilitarian “9-to-5” grind typical of traditional MMORPGs has largely disappeared.

In essence, *Double Helix* puts the choice of whether to play back in the players’ hands. In fact, you can easily go several days without logging in and then spend an entire day grinding over the weekend; the depth of your collection may not be any shallower than that of players who log in daily.

Furthermore, the gameplay of *Double Helix* itself makes it difficult for players to lose interest. The game’s extensive mod combinations, character mechanics, and highly flexible 3D combat work together to create a gameplay loop with high replay value. The game’s dungeon design is relatively diverse, with stations, cart stages, and boss rushes all adding depth to the replay experience.

Although side activities like pet-catching, fishing, and parkour in the open world are still in their early stages, there is still plenty of room for development.

As you can see, *Double Helix* has indeed redefined the underlying logic of mobile game operations, development, and user experience through its commercial restructuring. However, given that the vast majority of mobile games today are moving toward a more streamlined approach, it’s hard to say that *Double Helix* is equivalent to a typical mobile game; it’s more akin to a game with an anime-style aesthetic.

However, the game’s promotional strategy has cemented *Double Helix*’s reputation as a mobile game in the public eye. As a result, players drawn to it specifically because of its mobile game attributes may feel that, while the game lacks gacha mechanics, it requires a significant time investment. Furthermore, the game’s gacha-free system—which is far more complex than typical mobile games—and its wide variety of dungeons can leave many mobile gamers feeling overwhelmed. Combined with optimization issues and an unconventional storyline, the backlash it has faced is hardly surprising.

When you really think about it, the underlying structure of *Double Helix* is actually very well-designed; players can genuinely unlock the vast majority of the game’s content simply by investing time. What’s more, the grinding process in *Double Helix* isn’t tedious at all. The variety of character skill sets, weapon combinations, and the changes in combat mechanics brought about by mods all add significant depth to the grinding experience—which is a major reason why many original *Spawn* players find it so endlessly engaging.

In my view, the public backlash currently facing *Double Helix* is essentially an inevitable growing pain resulting from the industry’s transition from a “character-driven” to an “experience-driven” model. If you approach this game with the mindset typical of the mobile gaming industry, a disconnect between your expectations and the actual experience is inevitable.

Ultimately, only time will tell how far *Double Helix* will go.

Conclusion:

Time is both an enemy and a friend

To be honest, for *The Double Helix*, time is both an enemy and a friend.

The open beta version does indeed have many issues, such as optimization problems on mobile devices, insufficient modeling detail, and so on. If we evaluate it from these perspectives, combined with its short-term commercial performance, time is the biggest threat to *Double Helix*.

Although some players have indeed recognized the game’s solid foundation while playing, if the development team doesn’t prioritize optimization soon, players’ patience may run out.

Moreover, a game’s commercial performance now plays a significant role in shaping players’ confidence in its long-term viability; poor chart rankings and weak monetization during the first week of open beta have effectively become one of the key factors contributing to the decline of the community.

I think the development team really didn’t think through the commercialization issues. For one thing, the core cosmetic microtransactions are indeed less appealing than those in mainstream mobile games on the market.

Furthermore, the monetization structure is somewhat unbalanced: the monthly pass does not grant access to the limited-edition skin pool, and the extended monthly pass offers poor value for money, effectively excluding casual and mid-spending players from *Double Helix*.

The lack of social features means that the game’s extensive range of cosmetic items has little purpose beyond satisfying players’ personal preferences; while the storyline is commendable, it somewhat fails to fulfill the role of driving players to purchase these items.

Currently, aside from dungeons, the main city square is the only place where you can see other players.

Although character fragments can be purchased directly, the game’s strengths—namely its well-defined farming mechanics and clear expectations regarding the time commitment required—actually make direct character purchases less appealing to paying players.

Therefore, commercial adjustments to *Double Helix* are now a pressing priority. Whether it involves including items that reduce grinding time—such as multi-use coupons—in monthly and premium passes to boost spending among casual and mid-tier players, or optimizing character models to enhance the appeal of the game’s biggest revenue driver—the limited-edition skin gacha—these are all directions *Double Helix* needs to consider.

However, in the long run, time is also on the side of *The Double Helix*.

What *Double Helix* needs most right now is time. In today’s gaming industry, it’s still not uncommon to see fortunes rise and fall over the course of a few decades. While the issues uncovered during the open beta are an urgent matter, they are by no means insurmountable.

Given sufficient time, the team can fully optimize and refine the monetization points based on player feedback and data, while carefully introducing lightweight social features that enhance player retention without compromising the core experience.

While the game’s initial poor performance was certainly a source of pressure, it also relieved the team of the burden of having to deliver an instant hit right from the start, allowing them to focus more on refining the product. The leaked satellite characters and maps, the official promise of a new character every 28 days, and the job postings all suggest that the development team has a substantial content pipeline and is committed to long-term operation.

Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, unlike traditional mobile games that rely on intermittent content releases and offer relatively limited gameplay, *Double Helix* features a gameplay system that is not a one-time consumable. As players accumulate gameplay hours and deepen their understanding of character, weapon, and mod combinations, this gameplay-driven motivation will become the most solid foundation for the game’s long-term operation.

The decline in public sentiment during the early stages of the open beta was largely due to a disconnect between players' expectations and the actual gameplay experience; it takes time to come to terms with this disconnect and the resulting sense of unease.

As the game continues to operate over time, the strengths of *Double Helix*—including its storyline and gameplay—will gradually take shape. Players who embrace this narrative and gameplay will gradually stick around, forming a stable core community. Ultimately, the relationship between players and the game is a two-way selection process.

(Announcement on the Eve of the Launch of "Double Helix")

Having followed *Double Helix* from its beta testing phase all the way to its open beta, I believe it’s far too early to pass final judgment on this game. As for what the future holds, I trust that time will provide a fair verdict.