Is this a quiet year for new releases at NetEase Games?

During the build-up to NetEase Games’ 520 press conference last week, eagle-eyed players noticed that highly anticipated titles such as *Infinite* and *Return to Tang* were missing from the promotional video.

“Maybe they’re saving it as a grand finale surprise?” Though a bit disappointed, some players still held out a glimmer of hope that it would make a surprise appearance at the official launch event.

It’s a bit of a letdown that, during tonight’s press conference—which lasted over an hour—we saw the new cultural tourism collaboration for the PC version of *Fantasy Westward Journey*, the upcoming companion system for *Sixteen Sounds of Yan Yun*, and the official announcement of the new season for *War of the Three Kingdoms*, but we didn’t get to see the promotional videos for *Infinite* and *Return to Tang*.

However, Game Teahouse has learned that *Return to Tang* is scheduled to make its debut at next month’s Summer Game Festival. NetEase appears to be sticking to its own promotional schedule, refraining from making empty promises, filling slots with subpar titles, or being swayed by external expectations.

At this year’s press conference, only four new games were announced: *The Sea of Forgetfulness*, *Star-Painted Friends: Sunny Day*, *The Song of the People: Three Kingdoms*, and *Journey Through Mountains and Seas*. Is this a quiet year for NetEase Games as it bides its time?

01

These four new games are of high quality

After watching the press conference, I think NetEase has largely maintained its usual steady approach, showcasing only new games that are highly polished and of good quality. They aren’t making empty promises to players or secondary market investors.

Of the four new games unveiled at tonight’s press conference, *The Eternal Song of the People: Three Kingdoms* was a pleasant surprise, while *The Forgotten Sea* and *Star-Painted Friends: Sunny Day* are both proven contenders that have stood the test of time. Based on the information released, *Journey Through the Mountains and Seas* also appears to be of top-tier quality. *War Spirit: Three Kingdoms* has launched a brand-new season; though not a new game, it’s certainly eye-catching.

*The Sea of Forgetfulness*

The third beta test will be held at the end of the month, with a planned launch in Q3

Following its beta test in February, *Sea of Forgetfulness* has received positive feedback from players, with pre-registrations across all platforms surpassing 22 million.

At the press conference, *Sea of Oblivion* officially announced that the “Dawn Test” will begin on May 28, with a preview livestream scheduled for May 22. During the livestream, the specific start time of the third closed beta, gameplay mechanics, and key in-game locations will be revealed.

During the earnings call, NetEase management revealed that *Sea of Forgetfulness* is scheduled to launch in Q3 of this year.

“Star-Painted Friends on a Sunny Day”

The “Happy Lamb and Gray Wolf” collaboration starts tomorrow

Strictly speaking, *Star-Painted Friends: Sunny Days* has already undergone a soft launch (a limited release) and is not a completely unreleased game. Currently, players can only download the PC early access version via the official website. No specific release dates have been announced yet for the Steam or mobile versions of the game.

The PC Early Access version is a permanent release, allowing players to continue playing through Season 0. The “Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf” collaboration will launch on May 21.

Although the market categorizes *Star Friends Sunny Days* as a *Animal Crossing*-style game, the PC early access version reveals significant differences between the two. The mini-games and UGC editor built into *Star Friends Sunny Days* expand the scope of gameplay, and the integration of simulation and management elements enhances player engagement. This makes the phrase “farm during the day, throw parties at night” a reality.

Journey to the Mythical Mountains and Seas

Hinting at a first beta test in June?

“Journey Through Mountains and Seas” is another heartwarming simulation game that made its debut at Gamescom 2024, when it was still known as “Code Name: Journey.” It received its publishing license in March of last year.

“Mountain and Sea Adventure” features a cute art style and a soft, soothing color palette that creates a truly relaxing atmosphere. In the game, players take on the role of the new caretaker of Floating Dream Island, where they’ll befriend superpowered neighbors, grow all kinds of crops, and throw parties with friends whenever they like.

A brief new PV released tonight reveals, in the form of a log, that “Operation Island is loading,” eventually landing on the page for June. Could the phrase “We have a major announcement” be hinting that *Journey of Mountains and Seas* will release information about its first beta test in June?

“The People’s Anthem: Three Kingdoms”

It really came back to life

*The Song of the People: Three Kingdoms* made its debut at NetEase’s 520 conference last year and garnered significant attention as a new single-player title from the *Rateshu Zhibin* team. However, the game’s subsequent journey has been fraught with challenges, and following its beta testing, there were rumors that it had been canceled. Just when everyone had given up hope, *The Song of the People: Three Kingdoms* reappeared before us in a new form.

The game remains a single-player historical war strategy title, allowing players to relive classic battles from the Three Kingdoms era on authentically recreated 3D battlefields. In response to player feedback, the game now features a sandbox mode where players can experience multiple classic battles from the Three Kingdoms period. A new AI editor has also been added, enabling players to edit maps, scenarios, and generals to freely create their own version of the Three Kingdoms.

According to reports, the development team is committed to creating a “True Three Kingdoms” war game that stays true to the classic while offering a high degree of freedom; testing for future versions will begin soon.

However, I get the feeling that the in-game footage in the PV was recorded directly from the engine, which seems to suggest that the new version of *Ode to the People: Three Kingdoms* is still in the early stages of development.

“Spirit of War: Three Kingdoms”

There are even more experts!

At the end of tonight’s press conference, NetEase surprised everyone by announcing the all-new season of the *War of Spirit* series, *War of Spirit: Three Kingdoms*.

Judging by the gameplay footage, the new season introduces famous Three Kingdoms military units such as the White Horse Righteous Troops and the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry, along with a number of gameplay features inspired by the Three Kingdoms era. The visuals are impressive, and the large-scale battles are highly immersive. Combined with the Three Kingdoms setting, which is familiar to Chinese players, the game is sure to offer an even more immersive experience.

*War of the Three Kingdoms* was developed by Buming Studio using its proprietary CHAOS engine. In the vast Central Plains, where warlords rise in droves, join thousands of generals in this turbulent era—players will inherit the legacy of legendary Three Kingdoms generals, command renowned units such as the Tiger-Leopard Cavalry, and participate in territorial and power struggles among factions led by Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei. Forge brotherhoods in the Peach Garden, vie for dominance in this chaotic world, and fight to claim your own realm.From Luoyang to Chang’an, from ambushes on mountain trails to ambushes in valleys, all the classic Three Kingdoms war strategies and battlefield tactics you know so well will be recreated here.

02

These veteran players are real fighters.

Although new games have been somewhat quiet lately, the “veterans” are still going strong. Evergreen titles remain the cornerstone of NetEase’s vast empire.

According to a previous announcement by NetEase, *Fantasy Westward Journey* (PC version), which has been in operation for over 20 years, has once again set a new record for concurrent online players; *Sixteen Sounds of Yan Yun* has not only been well-received domestically but also surpassed 15 million players in its first month overseas; *Marvel Showdown*’s Season 6 update secured the No. 2 spot on Steam’s global best-sellers list, taking a major step toward achieving the management’s goal of becoming a “long-standing title with over a decade of operation”……

Content updates for 35 existing games made up the bulk of the information presented at the event. NetEase adopted a steady, methodical approach to consolidate and expand its market presence. However, as a press conference goes, it lacked a certain element of surprise.

03

NetEase really did have a trick up its sleeve after all

In fact, observers had already noted last year that NetEase’s pipeline of new games was smaller than in previous years. In response, management stated during a previous earnings call that this was primarily because NetEase was focusing more on its existing successful products and did not want to divert resources to new projects with uncertain outcomes. Management also emphasized that for new projects with the potential to become long-running hits, “we will decisively place heavy bets and increase investment.”

In short, NetEase has moved away from its previous strategy of casting a wide net and is now focusing its resources on its strongest titles. It’s therefore not surprising that only four new games were unveiled at this year’s NetEase 520 event.

But if you think about it, aside from *Infinity* and *Return to Tang*, NetEase actually has quite a few new titles in the pipeline.

“Wind and Glory,” an auto-battler spin-off based on the “Onmyoji” IP, underwent a closed beta test late last year; another auto-battler featuring Chinese mythical creatures, “Yao Yao Qi,” received its publishing license in February. There is also “Sword Heart and Dragon,” a “flexible buyout” project led by Gong Changjun, among others. These games will be released when the time is right.

New titles such as *Infinity*, *Return to Tang*, *The Battle of Splendor*, *Yao Yao Chess*, and *Sword Heart: Carving the Dragon* are all biding their time for the right moment. The current strategy of “fewer but better” will prove itself through market validation in the coming years, and the results will speak for themselves. But for now, at least, NetEase is making a choice that hinges on “certainty.”