The China Hero Project is a Sony Interactive Entertainment initiative launched in 2016. It supports Chinese teams with funding, technology, publishing and marketing as they build console games for a global audience. Released titles from the program include F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch, ANNO: Mutationem, Hardcore Mecha, Lost Soul Aside and AI Limit.
Recruitment for Phase 3 opened in November 2022.
Below are the nine selected titles, with a short introduction and their current status.
Batch One (May 2023)
Exiledge
- Studio: Enigmatrix Games (Suzhou)
- Genre and setting: third-person shooter, post-apocalyptic science fiction
- Overview: Set on a dying planet covered by "ocean" and "structures", the game follows a diver moving through hostile territory on a series of high-risk missions. It is the only shooter in Phase 3, and the official pitch leans on three things: visual impact, story depth and a large cast.
- Platforms and status: PS5, PC; planned for release within 2027
AWAKEN: Astral Blade
- Studio: Dark Pigeon Games (Beijing)
- Genre and setting: metroidvania side-scrolling action, dark fairy tale with science fiction
- Overview: Tania, a bionic girl, is sent into the rainforest of the Horace Islands to find a missing survey team. Karpas energy has mutated the local wildlife, and her search carries her into the ruins of an ancient civilisation and, eventually, toward her own origins. The official description highlights charm, level design and boss fights. The core team averages about 15 years in the industry, and the action design cites Muramasa: The Demon Blade as an influence.
- Platforms and status: released October 22, 2024 on PS5 and PC (Steam, Epic), later extended to PS4, Xbox and Switch. It remains the only Phase 3 title in stores.
- Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1716310/
Will-less