Arknights: Endfield — Everything We Know

Great news, anime lovers: GRYPHLINE is back in action. If you enjoyed the mobile game Arknights, you'd be thrilled to hear that a spin-off is soon coming your way. Announcing the new title Game Awards, the developers showcased Arknights: Endfield, a new gacha game. 

Now, whether this will be a sequel to the original remains unclear. However, it'll borrow elements from the Arknights universe, possibly expanding it. We hope the title lives up to the hype from the new storyline, characters, and gameplay mechanics. So before it launches, let's peel back the layers to get a gist of what the game is about. Here's Arknight: Endfield — Everything we know.

What is Arknights: Endfield?

Arknights: Endfield is an upcoming real-time 3D RPG by GRYPHLINE. The title builds on the foundation of Arknights. The game knights you as the galactic savior, where you must rescue the Talos-II planet from an impending catastrophe. The game provides players with a fresh perspective, given its new challenges and adventures. It'll certainly appeal to Arknights fans, newbies, and Genshin fans. Why the latter, you may ask?

From face value, Arknights: Endfield appears to be cut from the same cloth as Genshin. Although the devs have reiterated their unique approach, they are promising that the upcoming title is not a Genshin copy. However, Endfield has some elements that Genshin fans will undoubtedly appreciate.

Story

Arknights: Endfield narrative is centered around galactic warfare. The Planet Talos-II is an independent planet, the only one yet to be conquered by Endfield Industries. The industry is notorious for ‘taming' planets and harvesting their resources, but not the Talos-II. Its citizens have remained steadfast in preserving their independence; consequently, they are constantly in squabbles with other species. 

Now, Talos-II is attacked by a mysterious anomaly known as the Blight and Angelo creatures. The attack had been prophesied years ago, and Endfield Industries can't risk the planet's destruction. This is where you come in. 

As an Endministrator, you are woken from your hibernation in a cryostasis pod to defeat the Blight and the creatures. Your goal as Endministrator is to ensure civilization on the planet thrives and survives. Legend has it that the Endministrator always shows up whenever a crisis arises, proving the character is usually Endfield Industry's trump card. 

Gameplay

Arknights: Endfield combines elements of Mass Effect and other popular RPGs, offering a unique and engaging gameplay experience set in a somewhat open world. From the trailer, players are free to traverse the environment by building zip lines that connect them to different archipelagos. There's some speculation that the game could have a linear approach that limits your explorations. But it seems Endfield will have varied archipelagos ranging from open, narrow, small, and large. Plus, you'll be able to interact with the environment.

Now, for the character, players take on the role of the Endministrator. Unfortunately, the game doesn't feature character creation, but you can choose between a male or a female character. In the previous title, players took on the role of a hooded, androgynous character dubbed the Doctor. The trailer shows Perlica inquiring whether to refer to the protagonist as the Endministrator or the doctor. It clearly shows an expansion of the previous game, but the upcoming title gives you a new hat with the same role.  

Speaking of roles, each character has a high health value and attack power. They both have two active skills: the Instant Strike and the Blade Strike. The former deals with a pulse damage of 190%, while the latter is 260%. 

Ideally, you'll field different characters or leverage team formations to unleash powerful attacks. Besides the main two, each character has a special skill that amplifies the formation. The game lets you explore different lineups for varied gameplay.

The game's weapon and equipment system also allows you to craft your own choices. This is a new element not seen in the previous title, which players will certainly appreciate. Weapon crafting is not a side event in the game but a core element. Players can tweak their weapons, adding a layer of personalization and strategy to the gameplay. 

Development

Arknights: Endfield is a masterful creation by Chinese developers HYPERGRYPH OPERATORS and GRYPHLINE publishers. The studio is behind the Arknights mobile game, which received critical acclaim for its gacha system. It secured a nomination for the esteemed Google Play “Users' Choice Game” and “Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game” at the Dragon Awards 2020, showcasing its popularity among the gaming community. The game also won the Best Innovative Games of 2020 award.

With such accolades as a testament to the studio's creation, we can undoubtedly say that Arknights: Endfield will be one for the books.

Trailer

News of Endfield first hit the grapevines in 2022, when the developers revealed the CG trailer. The 2-minute, 6-second video showcases Talos-II, the setting for the upcoming title. The trailer also showcases the characters and environment, which have a futuristic vibe.

The devs also released a gameplay trailer. Here, you can see the added mechanics, such as switching between characters and using your team formations to complete missions. I won't spill the beans any further. You can see for yourself in the videos embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Arknights: Endfield will be launching on PC and mobile devices. This shows the game is in its early stages of development. But we expect the devs to share details on the release date in the near future. Plus, the studio could include the game on more devices, so we must keep you posted. The same goes for special editions. 

A technical test of the game is now available. The devs have invited ‘skilled live streamers and video content creators' to participate in this experience. If you wish to take part, you can sign up here. The test ends on December 18. 

If this game floats your boat, you can keep up with the devs on the official social media handle here. If anything exciting drops before launch day, we'll be sure to give you the exclusive scoop right here on gaming.net.

So there you have it. Will you pick up a copy of Arknights: Endfield once it launches on PC and mobile devices? What features of the game stand out the most for you? Let us know in the comments below or on our socials here.