S-Game showed almost 20 minutes of Phantom Blade Zero footage that dives deep into its story and gameplay mechanics in Sony’s State of Play. Donnie Yen kicked off the event, who acts as the game’s creative consultant. Yen revealed the unique aesthetic for Phantom Blade Zero, called ‘Kung-Fu Punk.’ He described it as a combination of ‘bold imagination’ and ‘distinct cultural elements’ that draw from Chinese martial arts.

Creative Director Soulframe Liang took over to explain the game’s premise. He told the story of ‘Soul,’ once the order’s most feared swordsman who was set up for their leader’s murder. The rest of the order betrays Soul, leading to a final duel with his childhood blood brother, which the protagonist loses. A ‘flesh sculptor’ brought him back to life, but with only 66 days to live, setting up the game’s goal of finding a cure and discovering more about the betrayal.

Pre-orders for Phantom Blade Zero are now open!

Watch the 11-minute trailer and follow Soul deeper into his journey, where new faces and encounters await along the way.

---

Follow us on Twitter Follow @GamerBraves and Tweet us Tweet to @GamerBraves

---

Donnie Yen has served as Creative Consultant on Phantom Blade Zero since 2023, bringing his martial arts and… pic.twitter.com/Eoaa9gw4rk

— Phantom Blade Zero (@pbzero_official) August 12, 2026

A separate ‘66 Days’ difficulty mode reinforces the premise, with Soul’s remaining time winding down with every defeat. Meanwhile, Wayfarer offers a more cinematic experience, and the tougher Hellwalker mode forces players to incorporate the core fighting mechanics.

Speaking of fighting, the presentation also revealed there’ll be over 30 primary weapons and Phantom Edges as secondary weapons that cater to different styles. One of the examples shown was the ‘Drunken Sword,’ which builds drunken energy, enhancing Soul’s dodging ability.

Meanwhile, the ‘White Serpent and Crimson Viper’ work in tandem, with one blade working as the main sword while the other is flung around for ranged attacks. The State of Play presentation also showcased the world of Wulin. The devs describe it as something between linear and open-world, where players can find hidden quests and bosses, rare treasures, and main story clues.

Wulin also showed its Steampunk and Kung-Fu inspirations when the creative director was citing different areas of interest across the map, including villages, valleys, lakes, and caves.

Lastly, Sony revealed DualSense and PULSE headset features, including adaptive triggers and 3D audio. Phantom Blade Zero comes to PS5 and PC, via Steam and Epic Games, on October 29, with pre-orders available now.