The teams over at Sunborn and Mica handling Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium just published one of the game's most substantial updates yet-Corposant. The gargantuan patch continues the game's main story with over one hundred thousand words of text. So, how did the team produce, localize, and coordinate the marketing for all that? And how did they manage to introduce such a strong second-generation Doll and release a hit new game mode at the same time?
To answer those burning questions, we sat down to chat with the studio about how it's able to spin so many plates at once and keep a game of this scale feeling fresh long after its initial release.
Pocket Tactics: Let's start with the Doll who's generated the most buzz among fans - Voymastina. She's a badass in the story, and she's got some of the best raw damage in the game. Could you tell us more about this new Doll?
Mica Team: Voymastina has arrived as your main Physical carry, and she is also the game's strongest second-gen Doll in the current storyline. As a Sentinel-class Doll, she boasts incredible defense-ignoring capabilities and can deal massive amounts of Physical damage through a variety of active and support attacks. Regardless of whether you're facing high-defense targets, large bosses, or particularly challenging stages, Voymastina provides the most direct-and brutal-solution.
Her skillset is built around "breaching" and "finishing blows," and she even comes with built-in AOE at the start, significantly reducing the strategic complexity of many combat situations. For that reason, now is a great time to join or return to the game, with a strong opportunity to quickly obtain Voymastina as the core Physical DPS for your team.
To help such a powerful Doll join commanders' ranks, we've also prepared generous rewards for this version. During the 42-day event period starting February 19, players can receive 55+ pulls and 11,000+ Collapse Pieces, as well as obtain an Elite Doll for free, along with free skins and a Commander outfit. We hope these rewards demonstrate our sincere appreciation and give players a truly rewarding experience.
Pocket Tactics: The sheer amount of content you've added for the Corposant update is staggering - new Dolls, new story missions, new game modes. What does it take to coordinate such a huge project? Did you have to hold anything back for a later update because it wasn't going to be ready in time?
Mica Team: Coordinating the "Corposant" update was a major undertaking for our team. The storyline alone exceeds 100,000 English words, and combined with high-quality CG cinematics, its scale is comparable to a full-length visual novel. Managing a project of that size required careful coordination across our production pipeline and close collaboration between multiple teams.
To maintain both quality and content depth, we also made some strategic adjustments to our production planning. For example, the Crew Deck feature originally planned for this version was moved to the anniversary update, allowing us to better balance development resources while ensuring each release delivers a strong experience.
On the marketing side, we also coordinated a variety of promotional content. Alongside standard assets like character trailers and version patch preview videos, we produced several pieces tailored specifically for global audiences, including the Beilan Island Emergency Shelter Broadcast , a Dinergates Invade Mica HQ video, and a fake commercial featuring Voymastina.
Internally, one key challenge is ensuring that marketing materials accurately reflect the final in-game experience. That means core game content needs to be locked earlier in the pipeline so promotional assets can be planned and produced in advance. This requires tight scheduling and collaboration between the development, art, narrative, and marketing teams. For instance, the Chinese script for the Corposant update was finalized as early as July last year, which allowed us to begin planning CG production and global marketing asset localization well ahead of the release.
Pocket Tactics: Splash Bash is such a fun, goofy addition - and it really stands apart from the serious main plot. Where did the idea come from - and is there any chance it could become a permanent mode?
Mica Team: The design inspiration for "Splash Bash" comes from our concept for the Crew Deck. From the beginning, we wanted to turn the Crew Deck into a shared "home" for both Dolls and Commanders. In this home, alongside spaces like Lounge, Fitness Center, and Rec Room, there should also be a place where everyone can truly relax and enjoy the cool atmosphere of summer-this idea ultimately led to the design of the pool and Mirage Terrace.
Beyond the Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium's main storyline, we wanted the Splash Bash to offer Dolls and Commanders a rare moment of lighthearted fun. With that in mind, we chose a direction that emphasizes interaction, while also incorporating surprises tied to each Doll's personality and combat characteristics. For example, Klukai, known for her exceptional mobility, also has a higher Miss in the arena; and Suomi, while lacking raw strength, is agile and nimble; and Sabrina takes on the role of a more "steady and composed" competitor.
Although Splash Bash is not currently a permanent feature, we have already seen strong enthusiasm from our Commanders. In the future, we do plan to release a second iteration or bring it back in a similar format. When that happens, we will introduce more interesting mechanics and new Dolls to the event. As a small teaser for everyone: Voymastina will also appear in a future Splash Bash-so be sure to challenge her when the time comes.
Pocket Tactics: Girls' Frontline 2 is on the very edge of what mobile gaming can achieve, and the latest update pushes that even further. If you could point to something and say "this is the cutting edge", what would it be?
Mica Team: If we have to choose one defining core feature, it would be the hybrid rendering technology pioneered in GFL2-a combination of NPR (Non-Photorealistic Rendering) and PBR (Physically Based Rendering). This technology serves as the foundation for the game's highly distinctive visual identity.
Traditional 2D or 3D rendering alone can no longer fully satisfy players' growing demand for immersive visual experiences. NPR focuses on stylized, cartoon-like aesthetics, while PBR emphasizes realism; in essence, the two approaches are inherently at odds. However, through a unique understanding of art direction, the GFL2 team managed to find a subtle balance between them, creating a distinctive "realistic anime" visual style.
This technological choice stems from our interpretation of the game's post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, and military themes. To convey a grounded and hardcore atmosphere, weapons and equipment must be rendered with PBR to showcase the cold metallic sheen, rust, and scratches of real-world materials. At the same time, to preserve the lively charm of the core characters-the Dolls-we rely on NPR to capture their signature sense of cuteness and expressiveness.
This "realistic anime" style is not only our technical signature, but also represents a leading breakthrough in the Chinese anime-style game industry, achieving both high visual quality and scalable production.
Pocket Tactics: We noticed that the Crew Deck was introduced in the anniversary update last December. This must have required technical support to realize the art team's vision. Did the technical team develop any customized tools or solutions to make this possible?
Mica Team: A representative example of collaboration between the art and tech teams is the recently globally released "Crew Deck" in our anniversary update.
GFL2 is not just a mobile game. To realize a feature like Crew Deck, which combines extreme visual fidelity with cross-platform support, the technical team carried out extensive custom development.
Due to the significant performance differences between mobile and PC, we implemented an exclusive solution in the sandbox environment that combines planar reflections with screen-space reflections, dynamically adjusting the reflection update frequency based on distance to balance visual quality and performance. At the same time, optimizations such as occlusion culling and frustum culling significantly reduce unnecessary pixel calculations, ensuring a smooth and consistent experience across devices.
This continuous fine-tuning of the underlying rendering logic is precisely what allows the art team's boundless creativity to truly "come to life".
Pocket Tactics: There are over 40 Dolls in the game now, which is a lot for any commander to keep track of! Do you have any rules when designing characters to ensure they're distinctive and compelling?
Mica Team: With such a large roster of Dolls, ensuring that each one feels unique and memorable is a core focus of our design. To achieve this, we follow several key principles:
First, we lay a solid narrative foundation for each character. Through long-term story arcs, Dolls grow alongside the plot, leaving a deeper impression on players. This ensures that our units are not hollow combat machines, but individuals with their own motivations and a genuine presence within the story.
Second, we build rich social relationships among characters to create cohesive groups rather than isolated figures. For example, by designing teams like the "H.I.D.E. 404," where personalities are distinct yet interactions are tightly interwoven, different Dolls generate intriguing "chemistry." This networked web of bonds not only enhances the story's appeal but also allows players to remember the group as a whole while distinctly recalling each member's unique traits.
Finally, we emphasize individuality through defining core elements for each Doll. In design, we assign highly recognizable visual or thematic tags: for instance, Klukai features a signature black cat motif that complements her strong offensive capabilities; Voymastina, as the most powerful second-generation unit, is highlighted for her exceptional solo combat skills and high damage output. By unifying visual cues and performance attributes, we ensure that each character maintains lasting appeal.
Take Sakura as an example. As the founder of Ouka Kyuso, she's hardworking but naturally unlucky. We gave her a pink delivery van-when it stops and opens, all the packages tumble out, highlighting her misfortune in a playful way. In combat, the van bursts onto the battlefield during her ultimate, clearing obstacles with wide-area [Burn] damage. This way, her backstory comes alive, not just as text, but as an interactive experience for players.
Pocket Tactics: What sources are you drawing on when you animate a character - anime is obviously a massive inspiration, but are there specific directors or series? Or is it more important to return to real-life sources - dancers, or animals, or martial artists?
Mica Team: In 3D Anime games, natural and logically coherent details often resonate with players and can serve as compelling cultural content, so we focus heavily on studying action details.
Many works serve as sources of inspiration. For example, the character Jiangyu's design draws from the Chinese martial art Wing Chun. Using motion capture technology, we convey the essence of the martial art as a tribute to Ip Man, resulting in a visually richer presentation.
Inspiration also often comes from paying homage to classic traditions. For instance, Suomi's Christmas outfit design not only incorporates traditional Christmas visual elements but also integrates the custom of exchanging musical snow globes during the holiday. A beautifully crafted musical snow globe model and accompanying video were specially created for her.
Pocket Tactics: Obviously it would be a lot easier for you to deliver the story using 2D portraits, but you invest a lot of time and energy into 3D storytelling. Why do you put the effort in?
Mica Team: For Girls' Frontline 2, was the first fully 3D game for Sunborn games, so many aspects had to start from scratch, making development quite challenging. Every gameplay element, every feature, and every visual presentation needed to be built from the ground up. Moreover, we have very high standards for quality, so we indeed invested tremendous effort in 3D storytelling.
Although 2D would have been less costly, we chose 3D storytelling primarily for two reasons: industry trends and emotional resonance.
Following next-gen trends: 3D is inevitable for high-spec mobile games. It eliminates the disconnect between 2D character portraits and 3D combat, providing players with a unified, coherent cinematic industrial feel across multiple platforms.
Better emotional resonance: 3D offers richer narrative dimensions. Through camera work, micro-expressions, and body movements, the Dolls are no longer static flat images. This immersion and emotional impact are something traditional 2D cannot achieve.
Pocket Tactics: What was the biggest challenge in the development of Corposant?
Mica Team: As mentioned earlier, the biggest challenge was how to support an extremely large narrative volume and industrial-level quality within a limited production schedule.
The storyline of the "Corposant" update exceeds 100,000 English words, which is extremely rare for a single game update. What made it even more difficult was that the narrative had to be paired with high-quality CG sequences, requiring a large amount of animation assets and storyboard design, while also ensuring optimized performance across multiple platforms. This posed a serious test to our team's workflow coordination and production efficiency.
Pocket Tactics: What should fans look forward to next?
Mica Team: More content and more surprises. Main storyline, new game modes, and new outfits.
The much-waited Doll-Community will make its appearance in the first half of the year. In addition, new gameplay modes and the new Dolls Cheyanne, Helen, and Lainie will be steadily introduced during this time.
Also, new skins for Dushevnaya and the leader of 404 will also come online. CCs can reference news from the simplified Chinese server and make guesses about whether "the leader of 404" refers to Leva or Klukai. In addition, they can use already-released info from the CN server to guide players into asking about the upcoming Dolls and the gameplay modes.
Before signing off, Sunborn teased an upcoming IP collaboration, suggesting that players "keep an eye on the official SNS for the latest news." Remember: whether you're a new or existing Girls' Frontline 2 player, the Corposant update kicks off 42 days' worth of rewards, including over 55 pulls, 11,000 Collapse Pieces, and even a free Elite Doll to make some of its hardest content just that little bit easier to fight through.