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Arknights
- CN: Hypergryph and Bilibili
- Global: Yostar
- TW: Longcheng (2020–2024); Gryphline (2024–present)
- Tower defense
- Tactical role-playing game
- Android
- iOS
- CN: 2019/05/01
- Global: 2020/01/16
- TW: 2020/06/09
Arknights is a free-to-play mobile game developed by Hypergryph which also publishes the game's Chinese (CN) server, using Simplified Chinese, in partnership with Bilibili. Outside of China, Arknights is published by Yostar for the Japanese (JP), Korean (KR), and English (EN)[note 1] servers, which are collectively referred to as the Global server[note 2]. The Taiwanese (TW) server, which uses Traditional Chinese and also covers Hong Kong and Macau, was originally published by Longcheng until 2024, from which TW is published by Gryphline.
Arknights is notable for blending elements of both tactical role-playing games and tower defense games, a combination that has contributed to its growing popularity in mainland China and internationally following its global release. While the game includes gacha mechanics, it is often regarded as less "predatory" compared to other titles in the genre. Arknights is strictly a single-player game, though it features a limited cooperative system that allows for player interaction.
Synopsis[edit]
Arknights is set in the parallel world of Terra, which at first glance appears similar to Earth—a modern society with comparable, and at times slightly more advanced, technology. However, Terra’s inhabitants possess physical traits inspired by various animals and mythical creatures. With few exceptions, beings who closely resemble Earth’s Homo sapiens are virtually nonexistent.
The world of Terra is regularly ravaged by cataclysmic natural disasters known as Catastrophes, which have forced much of the population to adopt a nomadic lifestyle through the use of massive mobile settlements called nomadic cities. These disasters also introduced Originium, a black crystalline substance that serves as a highly versatile resource—used as both a power source and an engineering material. Originium also enables the use of magic-like abilities known as Originium Arts.
However, exposure to Originium causes a terminal illness known as Oripathy, which has become a widespread pandemic across Terra. Although Oripathy is not easily transmissible under normal circumstances, it becomes highly infectious upon the death and crystallization of its victims. These individuals, known as the Infected, are subjected to global discrimination and marginalization due to widespread misinformation and fear regarding the disease’s transmission.
Arknights is primarily told from the perspective of Rhodes Island, an international NGO and pharmaceutical company headquartered aboard its namesake landship. Rhodes Island employs a diverse group of Infected and non-Infected Operators from various backgrounds and professions, united by the goal of curing Oripathy and providing aid to all Terrans, regardless of infection status. Despite its humanitarian mission, the organization possesses the strategic capabilities and firepower of a small paramilitary force. Due to its expertise in managing Infected-related crises, Rhodes Island enters into direct conflict with Reunion, a violent non-state movement composed of radicalized Infected seeking retribution for the widespread oppression they have suffered.
The player assumes the role of the Doctor, one of the central protagonists—an enigmatic figure who suffers from amnesia following a prolonged period of stasis within the mysterious Sarcophagus beneath the nomadic city of Chernobog, located in Ursus. The Doctor is rescued by Rhodes Island during the game's opening events and is urgently reinstated as the organization’s chief tactical commander, relied upon for their exceptional strategic acumen.
While Reunion serves as the initial antagonist, the narrative has since expanded to encompass conflicts of far greater scale and complexity across every region of Terra. The story also explores existential and supernatural threats, including the ancient Feranmuts of Yan, the abyssal Seaborn, and the destructive phenomena known as the Collapsals—all of which threaten to annihilate Terran civilization if left unchecked. As the story progresses, the legacy of the space-faring "Predecessors"—the progenitors of modern Terrans—gradually becomes a central focus. In summary, Arknights evolves from a tale of Rhodes Island's humanitarian mission into a sweeping saga about Terra's peoples uniting across ideological and national divisions to preserve their way of life in the face of overwhelming odds.
Overall, Arknights explores mature themes such as marginalization, oppression, racism, xenophobia, and political conflict. Its narrative depth and tone may feel familiar to players of Girls' Frontline.
In-depth summaries of Arknights' plot are available in the Summary section or subpage of the subject, which includes Main Theme episodes as well as Intermezzi, Side Story, and Story Collection events.
Overview[edit]
Those who have played tower defense (TD) games will be familiar with Arknights' gameplay: the player must keep enemies from reaching a certain goal by using "towers."
However, Arknights integrates a significant design difference: unique Operators act as the towers who can be deployed around the map and hold off enemies whether by attacking or blocking them, and using skills to aid them in this regard; due to its RPG-inspired progression mechanics and unique Operator skillsets, no two "towers" typically work the same. Compared to most other TD games, Arknights features rather unique mechanics, as it is designed to be a tower defense game that plays like a strategy RPG. Enemies take various uncommon paths to reach their goals, there is a wide variety of enemy types with their own unique characteristics and behaviors, some stages event completely upend the tower defense dynamic, and the gameplay tends to be significantly more challenging than average, requiring the player to rely more on strategic thinking rather than raw statistics alone.
Arknights naturally integrates a character progression system as most gachas do, which implies some repetitive farming of stages to acquire the resources needed to enhance their Operators. For this reason, Arknights includes the Auto Deploy feature which, uniquely, stores a semi-exact recording of the player's every input, deployment order and skill activation from a previous flawless clear on that map, allowing that map to be completed on its own without any further player input and making "grinding" for resources less tedious.
Arknights includes the Rhodes Island Infrastructure Complex where Operators can be assigned to work and produce additional materials to enhance their abilities, a base building mechanic which requires the player to do some amount of management and thinking.
Despite being solely a PvE game, Arknights does feature cooperative mechanics between players in the form of Support Units and the Credit system. Actual cooperative game modes such as Multivariate Cooperation Defence Protocols and Rhodes Island Icebreaker Games does feature as limited-time events.
Being a free-to-play gacha game, Arknights features gacha mechanics in the form of headhunting to obtain Operators. While they are generally regarded as fairly generous, we shall refrain from making such assertions and let you make your own decision with the facts listed below:
- All players receive a 6★ Operator to start with from the Newbie Pool. See the Headhunting article. They will also receive several free Operators, including 2★, 3★, 4★ Operators and Amiya.
- A roll costs 600
. Ten rolls cost tenfold that amount exactly.
- The game does not advantage or incentivize doing ten-pulls. Ten rolls at once and ten individual rolls will have the same result.
- The game features a weekly farming operation called Annihilation that allows one to farm up to 1200 a week, and clearing a few of the harder operations allow increasing that cap to 1800 .
- Daily and weekly missions award up to 1200 per week if fully completed.
- Every perfect stage clear awards 1
, which can be traded for 180 . Challenge Modes for stages that have them award 1 as well.
- Character Outfits are purchased for either 15 or 18 , thus it is entirely possible to acquire skins without spending real money.
- Character Outfits are purchased for either 15
- It is possible to acquire a theoretically unlimited amount of Orundum per week by trading
Originium Shard in the Trading Post. However, the yield is so low, and the production of this material in the first place is so expensive (requiring heavy amounts of Materials and 
LMD that all but stop any character progression) that it is hardly an efficient method of acquiring free currency and it is not advisable for new players. Only commit to this if you know what you are doing. - Character duplicates are known as Potential and, up to a maximum of 5 duplicates, can provide some benefits to the Operator. Every duplicate awards some Certificates, and maximum Potential operators can see their tokens traded in for more Certificates. See the specific article on Certificates for the rules and exchange rates.
- A
Commendation Certificate is rather easily acquired from duplicates of low-rarity units, and the Commendation Store features 600 and 2 
Headhunting Permit in its first phase for the price of 240 
and 480 respectively. The first phase of this store can and should be cleared every month. - The second phase of the Commendation Store features 2 Headhunting Permit for 450 apiece. However, it is far less viable to acquire every month and should be reserved for extra rolls on banners you have saved up for.
- The third phase of the Commendation Store features theoretically uncapped weekly Orundum, but with diminishing returns compared to the above two, and it is hardly viable for free-to-play playing.
- A 6★ and 5★ Operator from the current Standard Pool headhunting banner can be acquired in the Distinction Store for 180
and 45 , respectively. - Otherwise, the distinction store has 8 Headhunting Permit and 3
Ten-roll Headhunting Permit for up to 258 , up to 38 rolls, with the stock being reset every month. - The currency is acquired rather sparsely, and acquiring this amount of currency requires quite a lot of saving it up and/or rolling, which makes it more practical to get free extra rolls to complement a banner for which you have saved up, as rolling a lot on a banner will be sure to give high amounts of Certificates. However, see Recruitment below for a better way to acquire Certificates.
- A
- The average headhunting banner features a 2% chance for 6★, 8% chance for 5★, 50% chance for 4★ and 40% chance for 3★.
- Featured Operators have 50% chance to appear in their rarity. The rate is spread evenly between the two should two characters be featured in the same rarity. That also means there is 50% chance that a roll is not a featured character.
- Headhunting banners always guarantee a 5★ if the player has not received any in ten rolls. Acquiring a 6★ or 5★ operator will consume this guarantee.
- After 51 rolls without acquiring a 6★, the rate of 6★ operators will increase on every subsequent roll by 2%, and can increase to a 100% chance eventually. Acquiring a 6★ resets this rate bonus back to its initial 2% and 51 rolls timer.
- There is no guarantee to eventually receive a Featured operator. A player can acquire multiple 6★ and they can potentially never be a Featured operator.
- On an average of every three to four months, the game features Limited banners, of which one out of two featured 6★ will not be added to the pool of available 6★ after the banner ends, and can only be acquired on their Limited banners.
- On limited banners, the rate of Featured operators increases to 70% from 50%
- Limited banners award 1
exclusive to the banner on every roll. A shop allows to purchase all the featured 6★ and 5★ for 300 and 75 each respectively. - After an exclusivity period has passed, these Limited operators will reappear in a lower capacity on other Limited banners of the same pool and be featured in their shops, for 300 still.
- The game features a system of Recruitment, or free gacha, of which a limited portion of the wider gacha pool is available entirely for free. However, the rates are much less generous, and it is significantly harder to get above 3★. Still, one can acquire most low rarity duplicates, and hope for the elusive Top Operator tag guaranteeing a 6★.
- The main use of the Recruitment system for old-time players who more than likely have every non-rare unit in the pool to maximum Potential, is to farm a large amount of Commendation Certificate, and, hopefully,
Distinction Certificate.
- The main use of the Recruitment system for old-time players who more than likely have every non-rare unit in the pool to maximum Potential, is to farm a large amount of
- All story content, as well as Contingency Level/Risk 18 of Contingency Contract, is tested with, and designed with 4★ operators in mind. All this content can, and has been cleared with the extremely easy to acquire 4★ operators, meaning that while they make the game easier, the lack of 5★ and 6★ operators certainly do not prevent one from actually playing the game and getting every reward.
Development[edit]
Arknights was developed by Hypergryph Network Technologies, a Shanghai-based game studio comprised mostly of former MICA Team (of Girls' Frontline fame) employees. Most notably, co-founder and producer Hai Mao was previously a UI designer and character artist for the former.
Project announcement[edit]
On 17 May 2017, Hai Mao made a recruitment post on Weibo to find a graphic designer for a new studio. The post didn't mention a name, but contained an early logo for Hypergryph. Humorously, poorly blurred text reveals that the post reused a job offer graphic asset from Girls' Frontline.[1]
On 14 August 2017, Hai Mao teased an announcement about a new project.[2] The next day, the first Weibo post from the official Arknights account was released, simply announcing “#Arknights It's time to set sail” with a CG from the game's opening sequence.[3] Hai Mao revealed that Arknights was the next stage of a personal project called 3.0. He shared 9 artworks and his vision for the upcoming game: a story of people who refuse to give up hope.[4] On some of these announcement artworks, the text XANADA v3.0GM can be seen, rooting the project in Hai Mao's Xanadu artbook series, started in December 2010 with Selenographic Rotation: Outline of Divine K.I.A.s (《月面辐射——神明阵亡纲要》), designated Xanadu v1.0Ga.[5]
From August 16th, 2017 until its official release in 2019, the Arknights Weibo account began posting its worldbuilding concept under the name "the Recorder", introducing some of the earliest factions like Penguin Logistics, Rhine Lab, and Karlan Trade. For the compilation of the Recorder's message in NGA, see here for more information (in Chinese).
On September 8th, 2017, the first concept PV, known as "PV1", was posted on its official Bilibili account, formally announcing the game's development. The cryptic messages hidden inside the PV also gave rise to its first ARG campaign which Hypergraph continues to practice even in the present days.
Concept arts[edit]
Global[edit]
The Global server of Arknights is released by Shanghai Yostar Co. Ltd. in January 16, 2020; about 9 months after the original CN release.
Arknights Global managed to reduce the gap with CN from 8-9 months to ~6 months by the Half Year Anniversary through releasing contents with minimal downtime which Global has consistently been ever since.[6] It is possible that Yostar originally intends for Arknights Global to achieve content parity with CN as with their previous release Azur Lane, as the official Arknights Discord server claims that Global is trying to achieve content parity with CN; the aforementioned accelerated content releases can be surmised to be done to reach this. However, this would no longer be feasible as CN releases new content more frequently to the same pace they follow today since CN's first anniversary, hence Yostar prefers to maintain the status quo for stable and consistent updates.
The Global server's English localization are considered to be good, if not great, by the community, especially due to the addition of accents and "improvisations", although earlier on the localization are known to be of lackluster quality, possibly due to the accelerated schedule as mentioned above, and some enemy and skill descriptions are also translated wrongly (for example, Saria's 
Calcification actually heals once every second, which is mentioned in the original CN text but not in EN). In fact, the JP server had rewritten much of the story content in the Hour of an Awakening story arc of the Main Theme on the Invitation to Wine update.
TW[edit]
The TW server is released by Longcheng, a subsidiary of Chinese company XD Inc., on June 29, 2020; over a year after the original CN release.
As the latest Arknights server, TW attempted to speed up their content updates by releasing two events simultaneously (even merging contents released in two different events into one) with almost no downtime in between, which initially stops when TW is ~9 months behind CN and ~3 months behind Global by Near Light. As a consequence of the accelerated schedule, some events in TW are released earlier than CN and Global; for instance, when Operation Originium Dust is live at Global, TW was in the midst of Maria Nearl and OD is live a few weeks after MN.
The TW server is known for suffering more issues that CN and Global does:
- Despite supposedly using Traditional Chinese instead of Simplified Chinese, some contents in TW remains using Simp. Chinese while few even uses Japanese. This is because the TW client is likely based on the JP client yet not fully adjusted to use Trad. Chinese.
- At one point TW made a client update while an event is live. The update causes the event to end abruptly, resulting in backlash from players.
- Because Purestream was not release before A Light Spark in Darkness in TW, a game-breaking issue occurs in TB-9 where running the operation will result in an error. A hotfix adressed this by changing Purestream into Ceylon.
In February 20, 2024, Gryphline (Hypergryph's international subsidiary) becomes the new publisher of Arknights TW, although Longcheng remains as a partner. Months after this, TW underwent a rushed content update scheduling in an effort to at least achieve content parity with Global.
Notable events[edit]
- A collaboration event with Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, Operation Originium Dust, is held on March 2021. A sequel, Operation Lucent Arrowhead, is held in March 2023.
- A live Arknights-themed concert titled Ambience Synesthesia was held in May 2021, which has since become a yearly event.
- A spin-off of Arknights, titled Arknights: Endfield, is confirmed to be in development.[7]
- A collaboration event with Monster Hunter, A Flurry to the Flame, is held in March 2023.
- Originally a collaboration event with Destiny 2 was planned, but possibly due to a crisis faced by its developer Bungie since 2022, it was likely cancelled and instead replaced by a crossover with Ryoko Kui's Delicious in Dungeon, Delicious On Terra, that is held in September 2024.
Media[edit]
An anthology manga adaptation of Arknights, Arknights Comic Anthology, was announced on June 18, 2020 and released on June 25, 2020.
An anime adaptation of Arknights, titled Arknights: Prelude to Dawn, was announced on October 24, 2021.
Reception[edit]
Arknights quickly became popular when first released in mainland China. The Global release was also met with mostly positive reviews.[8][9][10][11][12]
Trivia[edit]
- Arknights was originally planned to be named Archknights, but this was changed so the name would be a combination of "Ark" (as in Noah's Ark of the Bible) and "Knights."[13] The "knight" part is also meant to be synonymous with "Night." Its symbolism is to denote the game's overall serious tone by depicting the characters as "Knights of the Ark" who guard the lives aboard in the long "night."[14]
- The English name "Arknights" was the first one to be confirmed during the game's development, but the Chinese name "明日方舟" was determined later when a member in the development team proposed it during a rather typical barbecue party.[15]
- The Chinese title has a rather hilarious meaning. According to that person, he got this idea from this Chinese proverb, 择日不如撞日 (to do it right now instead of choosing other days), as they were running out of time to meet the publication deadline.
- Because Arknights takes a lot of elements ranging from religion, real-life culture and history, philosophy, to science fiction, along with the fact that the game has been setting up ARG campaigns among other easter eggs, there is a special community in the CN server calling themselves the "Arknightologists (舟学家)" that is dedicated to search for these hidden contexts and details in the game and other media.
- The Japanese title logo of Arknights was initially similar to that of Chinese and Korean title logos, it was later changed in August 6th, 2019. [16]