Flashy. Dynamic. Vibrant. These are the three words I’d choose to describe Fate Trigger: The Novita, a recently announced anime-inspired battle royale game from Tencent subsidiary Saroasis Studios. I had a chance to play the demo during Tokyo Game Show 2024 and I was quite impressed by what I saw.
For the sake of transparency, the session almost hit a snag due to a miscommunication. However, giving credit where it’s due, three very youthful and exuberant developers – Jiaheng Zhao, Qian “Frank” Kun, and Terry Liao – took their time to chat with me before their scheduled press conference.
Pocket Tactics: What inspired you to combine the battle royale genre with anime themes?
Zhao: “We have been developing shooter games for a few years, and we’ve been anime lovers for a long time. We’ve been thinking of how to combine these two elements together and, now, we finally have a chance to do just that. We met the right people at Tencent, and we all went, ‘Yeah, let’s make this happen!'”
The more I played Fate Trigger: The Novita at TGS ’24, the more I noticed similarities to other battle royale games. You start by joining a team of up to four players. You then deploy and glide toward a drop point, before scrounging around for weapons, attachments, armor, and other consumables. After a few minutes, the zone shrinks, and you have to find areas unaffected by the anomaly if you wish to survive. If you do perish, either due to the environment or rival players, you have one chance to respawn during the match.
The visuals were nothing short of colorful and vibrant, with character designs and environments that really popped. The action itself is also fast-paced and frenetic, since I not only relied on the armaments I picked up, but also the three abilities that each character has. Heroes also have their own roles, such as your typical damage dealers, support classes, and defensive bulwarks.
PT: There are a lot of battle royale games out there on the market, such as Fortnite and PUBG, there are also hero shooters like Overwatch, and some that combine the two concepts, like Apex Legends. What makes Fate Trigger: The Novita unique compared to existing titles from other studios?
Kun: “We’re aiming to develop many hero characters with their own unique skills, some of which [empower players further and allow them to make tactical decisions on the fly]. The idea is for each match to play out differently [and increase replayability] using these mechanics.”
My wife, who also attended Tokyo Game Show, played the game alongside me, too. We were able to choose from seven characters at the start. She chose Huxley, the Veiled Shadow, who primarily focused on marking and revealing enemies. Her “Lipstick Locus” skill creates a marker that reveals hostiles through walls, while her “Coup de Grace” passive causes the locations of opposing squad members to appear when one of their teammates is downed.
In my case, I opted for a damage dealer named Xiva, the Petrichor Flame. As you may have guessed, she specializes in flame-based damage, with her “Searing Munitions” passive that buffs incendiary grenades, and “Corvite Storm” ultimate that calls down a meteor bombardment in an area. Needless to say, the latter helped me clear out some of my foes.
PT: Can the three of you name one particular anime that you loved, and how it inspired a particular character or concept when you started designing the game?
Liao: “*laughs* It’s actually very hard for me to pick just one because I’ve watched so many of them over the years. At the same time, I want [to express that we still came up with refreshing quirks for characters] so as to align them with our vision.”
PT: How many characters will be made available on launch?
Liao: “The demo that you played only has seven characters. So far, we’ve made 15 characters already, though we can’t say for certain how many there will be on launch day.”
PT: How do you plan on balancing the game in case of “power creep” or unfair scenarios?
Kun: “Our teams have done a lot of internal testing. Then, the next step is to conduct our closed alpha and closed beta tests so players can try all the characters. We can then check the data to see which characters have extremely high or low win rates [and clear advantages in 1v1 situations]. We also want to hear more from community feedback once we conduct these tests.”
After trouncing an enemy squad and being eliminated in turn (whoops!), we watched as the remaining groups duked it out to see who would be declared the winner. Around this time, I also heard an esports caster introducing the teams that would be playing against each other in a mini-tournament at the booth.
PT: When developing Fate Trigger: The Novita, did you envision it as a premier esports title?
Zhao: “Our concept, overall, is to develop a fun battle royale game. We want to find the right balance between [what the esports crowd will enjoy and what casual players would find engaging even if they’re just starting out]. That’s also why we’ll have our closed alpha and beta periods, and we’re inviting competitive esports players and the general community so [we can broadly see what makes the game exciting for everyone regardless of skill level].”
All in all, Fate Trigger: The Novita is one battle royale extravaganza to watch out for. Although several features and mechanics reminded me of existing titles in the same genre, the visual flair and flashy presentation make matches very exciting. And, yes, dare I say it, the “fan service” that some anime-inspired media are known for might be a selling point for some gamers as well.
There isn’t a definitive Fate Trigger: The Novita release date yet, but we know that it will be available on iOS and Android devices, PlayStation and Xbox systems, as well as PC via Steam and Epic Games. Pocket Tactics will keep you posted regarding the game’s continued development.