Chinese action games are taking over the video game industry by storm. These games revel in their maximalist action that instantly catches the player’s eye and offer major power fantasy. Black Myth: Wukong was one of the best-selling games of 2024, while other Chinese games like Lost Soul Aside and Phantom Blade Zero are some of the most anticipated upcoming action games around. Another Chinese action game that can’t be ignored is Tides of Annihilation, which garnered a lot of attention following its reveal at Sony’s last State of Play.
Tides of Annihilation is an action game based on Arthurian legends. Players control Gwendolyn, who is reinterpreted as the sole survivor of an otherworldly attack on London, and fight in flashy, combo-based battles with the help of Knights based on Arthurian Legends. While it’s developed by a Chinese studio, this premise feels like it could’ve come from a British developer. That shows just how far Chinese game development has come in recent years.
At GDC 2025, I spoke to Ary Chen, Co-CEO and COO of Tides of Annihilation developer Eclipse Glow Games to learn more about the formation of the studio, this recent wave of Chinese action games, and how Eclipse Glow has gone about creating a game set in London while working in a studio based in Chengdu.
A cosmopolitan action game
The sudden influx of Chinese studios making high-quality console games might shock some Western gamers, who closely associate China with mobile, MMO, or free-to-play games. In reality, games like Tides of Annihilation are examples of Chinese studios finally taking advantage of the experience game developers in the region have gained by working with other well-known Western studios. Chen explains that developers at Eclipse Glow Studios have experience working at companies like Sega and Ubisoft on franchises such as Like a Dragon, For Honor, and Assassin’s Creed.
Of course, these Chinese studios still need to find ways to appeal to Western gamers, who aren’t typically as fond of the genres and styles of games historically popular in China. This has been done through a choice of gameplay genres, as Western audiences have attached themselves to this wave of action games, drawing from the likes of Dark Souls, Devil May Cry, and Bayonetta. Tides of Annihilation takes things further by having an unmistakably Western setting.
We want to truly respect the British culture and the legends of King Arthur.
Where Black Myth: Wukong embraced China’s Journey to the West myth, Tides of Annihilation embraces Arthurian legend. Players are exploring a fantastical version of London, torn between realities and fighting with the help of knights from Austrian legends. From the moment the game was revealed, Baldur’s Gate 3 voice actress Jennifer English was already cast and delivering a solid performance as the main character, Gwendolyn. It’s a bold swing for a Chinese studio to tell such a Western story, and Chen admits that this approach comes with its own challenges and requires a lot of care and research on Eclipse Glow’s part.
“Because the legend of King Arthur is a Western story, as a Chinese studio, we need to think about how to reinterpret the culture and how to tell a good story with it,” Chen tells Digital Trends. “That is something we are constantly working on. We want to truly respect the British culture and the legends of King Arthur, so in order to tell a good story, we’ve been referencing a lot of books and materials and consulting with experts in these fields. Last year, the team actually went to London to do a small-scale playtest and they also did sightseeing to actually see these historic locations.”
From what I’ve seen from the reveal trailer and extended gameplay footage, Eclipse Glow seems to have done a solid job of adapting these legends respectfully while still putting its own spin on things. And that setting might be Tides of Annihilation’s secret weapon when it comes to successfully riding this wave of Chinese action game hype. Chen says games like Tides of Annihilation has been in development for three years, so Eclipse Glow wasn’t directly inspired by its success. That said, Chen did admit Black Myth: Wukong’s warm reception has made the Tides of Annihilation team confident in what it’s creating.
“We recognize that there are a lot of action games in this genre achieving huge success, and I think that creates a lot of confidence in Chinese game makers and, for this studio, that we are on the right track,” Chen explained. “I wouldn’t say that [Black Myth: Wukong] was an influence because our objective never changed since the beginning. The goal was that we wanted to do action-adventure games because we are all huge fans of the genre, and we want to bring a new perspective to this genre.”
Tides of Annihilation is in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.