Genshin Impact ruined the surprise: Arknights Endfield criticizes stagnation

Do you feel like you've been playing the exact same title over and over again lately? You're not crazy, and even the creators themselves know it. Ryan, the lead developer of the world-famous Arknights: Endfield, just dropped an uncomfortable truth during the Game Developers Conference. He spoke without filters about how incredibly difficult it is to launch a gacha game in what he himself dubbed the "post-Genshin Impact world." And honestly, he's absolutely right.

The problem with clones and the predictable formula

The critique went straight for the video game industry's jugular. According to Ryan, today's action RPG market is so saturated with copies that the magic of exploration and surprise has completely vanished. He claims that players jump into a new title for an hour and already guess exactly what they'll be doing for the next twenty. It's an endless farming routine and generic clones of open worlds that end up boring the gaming community incredibly fast.

To avoid falling into this same trap, the team behind Arknights: Endfield decided to risk it all by mixing genres. Instead of copying the basic formula, they integrated heavy automation mechanics and base building. Now you have to set up production lines as if it were a massive industrial simulator. Additionally, they listened to public complaints regarding the game's economy. They brutally reduced the cost of building teams and increased free pulls so people can get their waifus and husbandos without having to mortgage their house, encouraging them to try new combat strategies with total freedom.

Surviving the most aggressive market of the decade

It has been just over two months since this installment landed globally on PlayStation 5, PC, and mobile devices. Enough time for developers to receive direct feedback from users in real-time. It is crystal clear that trying to squeeze players' pockets with the same worn-out mechanics from five years ago is no longer a sustainable business model. Companies need to take risks and truly innovate if they want to stand out in a sea of releases where users' phones no longer have space to install yet another exact copy.