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Phantom Blade Zero Pre-Orders Have Exceeded S-Game’s Expectations
Momentum around Phantom Blade Zero appears to be building quickly, with S-Game saying pre-orders have already performed far beyond its expectations. Producer and studio founder Soulframe Liang shared the update through Bilibili, revealing that pre-orders had only been open for five days when they surpassed the developer’s internal expectations.
He did not disclose an exact figure, but thanked players for what he described as their vote of confidence in the game. The strong start follows a dedicated State of Play that revealed much more about Phantom Blade Zero, including more than 30 main weapons, 25 secondary Phantom Edges and several difficulty options.
Donnie Yen’s Mó Yuan Is Actually a Hidden Boss
Soulframe also revealed a significant detail about Mó Yuan, the character portrayed by martial arts star Donnie Yen. Despite featuring prominently in recent promotional material, Mó Yuan is not simply a mandatory boss waiting along the main story path. Instead, Soulframe confirmed that he is a powerful secret encounter that players must actively seek out.
Reaching him will require players to complete a series of exploration activities and trials before he finally appears, giving players another incentive to spend time digging into the wider Wulin instead of rushing through the main campaign.
Yen’s involvement also extends well beyond lending his likeness to the character. He provided facial and motion capture, performed Mó Yuan’s English voice, and served as a Creative Consultant on the game.
Donnie Yen Is More Than a Celebrity Cameo
Soulframe also addressed concerns from some players that Yen’s involvement might amount to little more than celebrity marketing. He stressed that the collaboration was never intended as a simple endorsement, highlighting Yen’s contribution to choreography, performance and the wider creative direction of Mó Yuan.
That fits with what S-Game showed during its State of Play, where Yen was presented as an important part of the studio’s effort to translate traditional Chinese martial arts into the game’s combat language.
Phantom Blade Zero Launches in October
With pre-orders already exceeding expectations after only a few days, S-Game has managed to turn its recent gameplay showcase into tangible early interest. Whether the studio eventually shares actual pre-order numbers remains to be seen, but hiding one of its most heavily promoted characters behind optional content is another sign that Phantom Blade Zero may have plenty left for players to discover once it finally arrives.
Phantom Blade Zero launches on October 29 for PlayStation 5 and PC, with October 28 listed for the US and select regions.
