Tech giant NetEase has just announced development on their upcoming game titled Project: Ragnarok, a AAA open-world role-playing game inspired and based partly on Norse mythology. The news was first reported on by Daniel Ahmad (going by ZhugeEX on Twitter), a Senior Analyst at Niko Partners.
NetEase is developing a new AAA game, tentative title is Project Ragnarok.
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) May 20, 2020
It is an open world adventure game inspired by Nordic mythology.
Will take a multi-platform approach which indicates PC and Console in addition to Mobile. pic.twitter.com/tAKM3BViFs
In Project: Ragnarok players assume the role of a hero summoned to the mortal world to stop the destruction of Ragnarok. Its translated official description reads “Project: Ragnarok is an open-world adventure game based on Norse mythology that will be available for all platforms. Under the doomsday prophecy of Ragnarok, the title will tell the fated struggle of nine individual races fighting against destruction and guarding their homeland in a world of dragons and giants.”
NetEase has a very tall order in front of them as the company is planning to release Project: Ragnarok for every platform, even including mobile. As of now, I have yet to encounter an enjoyable and well-made open-world title on mobile. NetEase also seems to be planning to create an unlikely mix of your classic MMO catered to Chinese audiences (which is NetEase’s strong suit) and a triple-A title.
Project: Ragnarok’s unveiling also included an announcement trailer and a gameplay video. The two clips showcased what looked like gameplay footage and featured some of its movement and combat systems. It also showed the game’s characters traversing fields, climbing cliff faces, and battling a large, troll-like creature. An Assassin’s Creed-esque leap from a cliff was also seen. Whether this can all be classified as gameplay footage or just cinematics is still in question, though. As for its storyline and plot, we will have to wait for more reliable information from NetEase before we can make assumptions regarding the game’s plot.
NetEase is one of the largest internet and video game companies in the world with ventures in PC-client and mobile games, internet media, and e-commerce. Among its most popular titles are the WestWard Journey series, the local versions of Blizzard Entertainment titles (Warcraft III, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, StarCraft II, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, Overwatch), and PUBG clone Rules of Survival.
