Breaking through the second-tier battle royale scene, they’ve once again delivered a fully realized journey steeped in Chinese cultural elements.

The 2026 Spring Festival arrived unusually late this year, about a month later than usual. As a result, many games have pushed their Spring Festival events back to February. However, *Return to the Future: 1999* (hereinafter referred to as *1999*) has already fully embraced the festive spirit, releasing its Spring Festival update, “Eternal Spring,” on January 20 to let me celebrate the holiday early.

The game *1999* features three major in-game celebrations: the Spring Festival Celebration, the Anniversary Celebration, and the Box Parade Celebration. Among these, the Spring Festival Celebration is the major in-game update most closely tied to the Spring Festival, offering a purely traditional Chinese aesthetic.From the Tang-dynasty-inspired supernatural atmosphere of the 2024 “Notes from the New Moon” to the Hong Kong-style police-and-gangster theme of the 2025 “Shadows of Chinatown,” each Lunar New Year update in *1999* offers a fresh and unique experience.

So even before Version 3.3 of *1999* had ended, I was already looking forward to the 3.4 Lunar New Year update.

This year’s “Eternal Spring” features a Chinese fantasy theme infused with Daoist philosophies of longevity, drawing on Huizhou culture for its cultural and artistic inspiration, and continuing the distinctive thematic approach that has always defined *1999*.

For someone like me, who has never set foot in Anhui but has long heard of the fame of Huizhou-style architecture and Southern Anhui paper-cutting, the Lunar New Year edition of *1999* is nothing short of a cyber pilgrimage into Huizhou culture.

01

Breaking Down the Fourth Wall: Huizhou Culture Spans Both the Virtual and Real Worlds

When the Lunar New Year update, "Eternal Spring," went live, I opened the game and was immediately immersed in the rich cultural atmosphere of Huizhou.

The UI interface features an artistic framework adorned with paper-cut elements, with the distant backdrop of the scene within the box depicting a serene cluster of Huizhou-style architecture. The core design element of the Lunar New Year limited-edition character "Egret Cut" is also inspired by the paper-cut art of southern Anhui. In particular, when Egret Cut appears in battle, the scene is adorned with paper-cut decorations, creating a very festive atmosphere.

The event's storyline is rich in elements of Huizhou culture.

The fictional city of Huanzhou in the series is inspired by ancient Huizhou, featuring the harmonious arrangement of Huizhou-style architecture with its whitewashed walls and black-tiled roofs. The iconic horse-head walls and exquisite Huizhou-style brick carvings are prominently featured throughout the show’s CGI sequences.Scenes such as the folk parade, stilt-walking performers, and lantern markets at the temple fair accurately recreate the vibrant folk traditions of the Huizhou Spring Festival. While brimming with a lively, down-to-earth atmosphere, these scenes also vividly bring to life the festive spirit of a Huizhou-style New Year.

If the Huizhou culture depicted in the game is a form of cyber tourism, then the offline collaboration between *1999* and Anhui Culture and Tourism, as well as the Anhui Museum, allows players to step out of the virtual world and into reality, where they can truly experience the essence of Huizhou culture firsthand.

The promotional video for the offline collaboration event released during the preview livestream had a documentary-like feel to it, shattering the stereotype that game-tourism collaborations are always "stiff and monotonous."

Rather than delivering a dry cultural lecture, the promotional video uses rich, resonant narration and cinematic storytelling to weave together elements such as South Anhui paper-cutting, Huizhou ink, the collections of the Anhui Provincial Museum, and Huizhou fish lanterns. The ink-wash landscapes of Hongcun and the down-to-earth charm of Huizhou, epitomized by “hairy tofu,” also flash across the screen, with every frame exuding an artistic quality.

After the in-person event at the Anhui Museum kicked off on January 28, I noticed that many players, drawn by the Huizhou culture featured in the game, visited the museum to check it out. In fact, the game has long included Easter eggs featuring artifacts from the museum’s collection, such as the Five-Legged Bronze Vessel with Cloud Patterns. I’m sure players will find the experience even more rewarding when they see the actual artifacts at the museum.

At the event, the organizers specially invited a master of the intangible cultural heritage of South Anhui paper-cutting to lead a workshop. Players sat in a circle and, following the instructor’s guidance, transformed paper-cutting elements from the game into tangible works of art, immersing themselves in the charm of this intangible cultural heritage. Meanwhile, cosplayers dressed as the new six-star characters Lu Si Jian and Cheng He Guang made a surprise appearance, sending the crowd into a frenzy as players scrambled to take photos with them.

The wide range of cultural and creative merchandise released in conjunction with the collaboration event was a huge hit with players at the venue. In particular, the collaboration “ink”—which looks like traditional Huizhou ink but is actually a fruit juice drink—was not only visually appealing but also quite tasty, and quickly sold out.

A rich array of collaborative events has brought a lively atmosphere to the Anhui Provincial Museum, painting a unique picture of a bright and beautiful spring.

I believe that this collaboration between *1999* and Anhui Culture and Tourism, as well as the Anhui Museum, is just one part of Deep Blue’s offline ecosystem strategy. In fact, since the open beta launch of *1999*, Deep Blue has been continuously organizing offline events—from participating in comic conventions to cross-industry partnerships—and has gradually built an ecosystem centered on “games + IP matrix + offline social interaction.”

As an extension of the game’s content, the offline events for *1999* maintain a niche yet accessible style.

In a previous collaboration with Nanjing Hongshan Zoo, *1999* sought to raise players’ awareness of animal conservation through an animal adoption program, offering them a unique way to check in while visiting the zoo. Meanwhile, the “Echoes in a Box” salon in Shanghai provided players with an immersive artistic experience, showcasing the game’s artistic vision through music, visual art, and other mediums.The "9-flavor" character-themed perfumes, the most distinctive merchandise of the event, became a hot seller, with many items selling out on the first day—a clear indication of players’ enthusiasm for the *1999* IP.

A series of highly acclaimed in-person events for *1999* has brought the game IP into players’ real lives. Through collaborative events and cultural and creative merchandise, players have formed cross-dimensional connections with their favorite IPs and self-created characters, which has undoubtedly amplified their sense of happiness.

02

The second half of the event is now underway, and the Lunar New Year update continues to deliver plenty of excitement.

The Spring Festival update for *1999* offers the ultimate blend of stunning 2D visuals and a profound storyline. As the latest masterpiece in the *1999* cinematic gaming experience, it showcases Deep Blue’s consistently high standards in content creation and has been widely acclaimed by players.

On the day the Lunar New Year update launched, *1999* once again cracked the Top 10 of the App Store’s China Top Grossing Games chart (peaking at ninth place). It’s worth noting that the top ten spots on the chart are now virtually dominated by Tencent and NetEase, with anime-style games having all but disappeared. Now in its third year, *1999* continues to demonstrate enduring staying power through long-term operations, fueled by substantial content investments.

It’s worth noting that this year’s Lunar New Year update offers some truly generous rewards. In addition to the usual free 6-star skin and 20 free pulls for logging in, the update also generously introduces a special gacha pool offering 100 free pulls. Combined with the bonus special items, the Lunar New Year update essentially guarantees that players will be able to unlock the first ascension for “Tooth Fairy.”

Tooth Fairy was once a T0-tier survival character in *1999* and has always been a fan favorite. In the Lunar New Year update, she returned with a major buff, becoming the core support for the Wooden Revelation build and regaining her former glory. Both new and veteran players are thrilled with Deep Blue’s brilliant move.

Let's collect Mu Qi cards for a lifetime!

Today (the 12th), the second half of the Lunar New Year event has begun. The new 6-star character Cheng He Guang has been added to the gacha pool, and his personal story event has also launched.

During the preview livestream, Cheng Heguang’s character art and design immediately caught players’ attention. Once the Lunar New Year event storyline began, everyone discovered that Inspector Cheng was also a master angler who had once caught a massive 28-jin bass, earning him the reputation as the “Bass King” known far and wide in the area.

Add to that the fact that the Youtim in Xiao Cheng’s box is a night heron—a master fisherman—and it’s clear that Xiao Cheng’s “fisherman” persona has become an integral part of his charm. As a result, the community has come up with plenty of jokes about him.

Upcoming content includes Xiao Cheng’s personal storyline, the “Pre-Rain Exploration Guide” featuring the Search, Attack, and Retreat gameplay mode, and a rerun of last year’s Spring Festival event. During this period, the Liang Yue rerun and a selectable gacha featuring the three first-year limited characters (Qunian, Lucy, and Angel Nana) will also be available. Clearly, my cyber Huizhou journey is only halfway through.

Beyond the game, *1999* has another surprise in store—more details about the first official art book were also revealed today.

Fans have long been eagerly awaiting a compilation of the high-quality artwork that makes *1999* so special. Judging by the quality of the finished product revealed in the art book’s promotional video, the layout is exquisite, and the content is incredibly rich—including unused concept art—not to mention the top-tier skin for the mascot character “Sonnet.” My thoughts on this are shown in the image below:

03

A Breakout IP in the Mobile Battle Royale Genre: Deep Blue Steadfastly Forges Ahead

It’s been a year since I returned to the game, and I can clearly see how each version of *1999* has steadily improved, delivering an ever-better gaming experience.

The game’s visual artistry has consistently remained at the top of the industry; its cinematic visuals never fail to impress me, and the Lunar New Year update has seamlessly integrated Eastern aesthetics into the visual design. Since the 3.0 update, the quality of the storyline has continued to improve, with its multi-layered narrative consistently generating significant buzz.

At the same time, the game has been optimized to reduce the grind, with features such as increased stamina caps, the ability to save excess stamina, and the introduction of a monthly pass that grants additional items—all of which put an end to the exhaustion of grinding like a 9-to-5 job. Existing characters have also been continuously strengthened; following mechanical optimizations, veterans like Isold, Semmelweis, and Melanie have risen to become the core of the new system, breathing new life into their roles.

Complete the weekly tasks to receive two-month cards and make-up items

The rewards are incredibly generous: complete the main storyline to receive a 6-star character of your choice; the *Assassin’s Creed* collaboration event offers a mini monthly pass; and the “Journey” event offers a premium monthly pass… Deep Blue is showing its sincere appreciation by rewarding every player’s support with tangible benefits.

With a long-term vision, Deep Blue has refined the quality of *1999* and continuously explored the breadth and depth of narrative-driven games, making *1999* virtually the only new IP to break through the crowded battle royale market and garner a loyal player base.

Last year, Deep Blue unveiled a new 3D open-world project currently in development, taking on even greater technical challenges. However, with *1999* setting such a high standard, I am confident that, guided by a long-term vision, Deep Blue’s new project will also deliver impressive results and offer fresh insights into the exploration of content-driven games.