Since its reveal at the 2023 PlayStation Showcase, Phantom Blade Zero has been almost impossible to ignore. Developed and published by S-GAME, the upcoming action RPG combines wuxia-inspired martial arts with modern action design, featuring fast, reactive fighting, blisteringly quick hack-and-slash gameplay, and a dark, broody mood wrapped in a cinematic art style.
While the game is billed as an action RPG, its design bears a strong influence from the Soulslike genre, with game director Soulframe Liang describing Phantom Blade Zero as a hybrid of classical kung fu, steampunk, and cyberpunk themes. With the game recently securing a September release date and more details starting to fall into place, here’s all you need to know about Phantom Blade Zero, including its release date, story, gameplay, and more.
Phantom Blade Zero: Release Date
After months of speculation, Phantom Blade Zero is finally set to launch on September 9, 2026. Out of the gate, Phantom Blade Zero will be available on PS5 and PC, with no Xbox version at launch.
S-GAME has confirmed that the game will initially skip Xbox, with a release planned 12 months later, making it a timed PlayStation console exclusive. The game is targeting current-gen hardware only and will not be released on PS4 or Xbox One.
What Will The Story of Phantom Blade Zero Be About?
Phantom Blade Zero tells a grim, wuxia-inspired story about Soul, an elite assassin working for a powerful and secretive organisation known as The Order. The game takes place in the Phantom World, a shared universe created by S-GAME that draws heavily from classic wuxia traditions while introducing gritty, more unconventional elements.
According to studio founder and CEO Soulframe Liang, the project represents a spiritual rebirth of Rainblood, the indie RPG he began developing in 2010, now reimagined on a far larger scale. The game’s story begins when Soul is framed for the murder of The Order’s patriarch, which sets off a brutal manhunt led by his former allies. During the pursuit, he is severely wounded and left on the brink of death, only to be rescued by a mysterious healer who keeps him alive using a temporary cure that will only last for 66 days.
With time already running out, you are forced into a desperate hunt for the mastermind behind the conspiracy that condemned him. As Soul digs deeper, the story pulls him into a larger web of betrayal, secret groups, and hidden power structures that exist within the Phantom World. As per S-GAME, Phantom Blade Zero is a character-driven revenge story with moral uncertainty and looming consequences, featuring multiple endings that will change depending on how Soul’s final days play out.
Phantom Blade Zero: Gameplay
Phantom Blade Zero’s gameplay is built around fast, aggressive melee combat, and what’s been shown so far suggests the devs are going for something more visceral and cinematic. The game plays as a high-paced action RPG, with close-range encounters built around faster, more fluid combat that rewards precise timing alongside constant pressure.
Enemy variety also seems to be a major focus, particularly in boss encounters, with footage released thus far showing bosses wielding long-range weaponry, trick weapons, and abilities that can alter or destroy parts of the environment mid-fight.
Players will have access to a broad mix of weapons, including blades, axes, and even cannons, adding flexibility instead of limiting Soul to a single fighting style. While comparisons to Soulslike games are inevitable, Phantom Blade Zero will favour speed and visual flair over slower, more methodical pacing. Liang has described this hybrid tone as “Kungfupunk.”
As Liang puts it, “From Louis Cha’s Wuxia stories to Bruce Lee’s movies, and Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Donnie Yen in John Wick: Chapter 4, Kungfu in pop culture is constantly evolving, but always awesome! With Phantom Blade Zero, we are adding a new twist to the formula, a heavy dose of punk spirit, alongside with stylish visuals. We call this overall art direction “Kungfupunk”.”
Outside of combat, the game will feature a semi-open world made up of interconnected regions rather than a single massive map. Exploration is built around Soul’s acrobatic movement, allowing players to traverse environments quickly and fluidly between encounters.
Is There A Trailer For Phantom Blade Zero?
Phantom Blade Zero already has a healthy slate of trailers, and the devs have been generous in showing the game off. The very first trailer for Phantom Blade Zero was shown off during PlayStation Showcase 2023, setting the tone with early looks at its world, style, and action.
Following that, a special “Year of the Snake” trailer was revealed in early 2025. Often associated with Chinese New Year celebrations, this trailer teases the game’s combat in greater detail. It features fast-paced swordplay, themed weapons like twin snake blades, and a boss encounter.
More recently, the developers released a 22-minute demo walkthrough blending exploration, story moments, and combat from a hands-on build shown at the S-Party 2025 event. To cap things off, S-GAME dropped the official release date announcement trailer, confirming the game will launch on September 9, 2026 and offering another extended look at its story, combat, and world ahead of its debut.
Are There Any Other Games Like Phantom Blade Zero?
If you’re looking for games that come close to Phantom Blade Zero, the best place to start is Devil May Cry 5. The team at S-GAME has been open about their love for classic hack-and-slash games, and that influence shows in the focus on fast, stylish melee combat and fluid combo chains. Ninja Gaiden, particularly the modern entries, is another useful reference point.
On the more deliberate side of action design, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty are also worth playing.
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