A ‘new’ mobile game based on the Devil May Cry franchise will be coming to mobile this year, with Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat.
Based on the famous action-adventure series that first debuted in 2001, Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat seems to draw heavily on the game’s unofficial genre designation of a “spectacle fighter,” rather than undergoing a genre-shift. It’s a good move, considering the games are well-known for flashy, over the top action and moves that are integrated into gameplay, not just cutscenes.
The game, also, is not technically a new release. It was released way back in 2020 for the Chinese market – seeing some initial criticism for performance and the aesthetics of the main character, Dante who features in the game. Nonetheless, fans of the series will be delighted to see the game series make its debut in the west. But it also gives us an interesting insight into why this, and other games like Street Fighter: Duel are leaving China.
Eastern Exodus
More remarkably it was actually nearly two years ago that DMC: Peak of Combat’s global release was announced, though a lot has changed since then. The previously untouchable Chinese mobile game market has taken a significant hit, from a combination of strict regulation and pandemic restrictions that severely hampered growth and even prompted predictions of a recession in the game industry.
For a while, it seemed that with the end of a stringent licensing freeze that affected much of late 2021 and 2022, that the worst times were over for Chinese companies. However, with new indications from regulators that more needs to be done to combat “Youth video game addiction”, it seems confidence in the Chinese market has been dented. With the possibility of regulatory crackdowns even on a highly successful market an ongoing possibility.
Therefore, what we’re seeing here may be a slow move to bring previously lucrative, Chinese-only titles to the West. Titles which companies such as Tencent are hoping will diversify their revenue and make them more resilient in the face of more restrictions.