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Phantom Blade Zero 9 Oct 2026, 17:45

Phantom Blade Zero comes from 15-year-old Rainblood franchise

Phantom Blade Zero comes from 15-year-old Rainblood franchise

Phantom Blade Zero appears to stem from S-Game’s 15-year-old Rainblood franchise, which began with releases in 2010, 2011, and Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage.

  • The franchise began with two Rainblood games in 2010 and 2011, then continued with Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage in 2013.
  • According to the same report, the Xbox and PlayStation versions of Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage now appear to have been delisted.

What happened

Kotaku frames Phantom Blade Zero not as a standalone new project, but as the latest step in S-Game’s Rainblood line. According to the publication, that history goes back to two earlier Rainblood games from 2010 and 2011, followed by Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage in 2013. That gives the action game a development lineage spanning more than 15 years.

The first two entries released in 2010 and 2011. Kotaku says only the first game reached the West through a fan translation, which may have been approved by S-Game CEO Qiwei "Soulframe" Liang. The wording is cautious, but it does suggest Liang played a central role in the series’ early history. In the provided context, Liang is also described as the founder and CEO of S-Game, and as the creative lead behind Phantom Blade Zero.

Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage launched in 2013 and differed technically from the earlier games. It ran on Unity and was described as a 2D hack-and-slash brawler. Kotaku also reports that the Xbox and PlayStation versions of the game now appear to have been delisted, without giving an exact date. The supplied context also mentions a Steam page for Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage, confirming that the game was at least released on PC via Steam.

The broader context around Phantom Blade Zero includes one more concrete detail: according to the fact report and the supplied source context, the game is expected on October 29, 2026. At the same time, it remains unclear whether that date is a final confirmation from the developer or publisher, or a date circulating in secondary sources. Information about a physical release is also limited: the current sources only support that there will be no disc version at launch, not that a physical release could never happen later.

Timeline

  • 2010 — The first Rainblood game releases; external context lists Rainblood1: Town of Mystery as a possible title variant.

  • 2011 — The second Rainblood game releases; external context lists Rainblood2: City of Flame as a possible title variant.

  • 2013 — Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage releases on Unity as a 2D hack-and-slash brawler.

  • 2013 — According to Kotaku, only the first Rainblood entry reaches the West via a fan translation, possibly approved by Qiwei "Soulframe" Liang.

  • 2013 — The available context also says Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage was available on Steam.

  • 2026-10-09 — The supplied source context says the Xbox and PlayStation versions of Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage now appear to have been delisted.

  • 2026-10-29 — The source context lists October 29, 2026 as the launch date for Phantom Blade Zero.

  • 2026-10-29 — The fact report also says Phantom Blade Zero would not have a physical disc version at launch.

Background

The naming around the older Rainblood titles varies by source, with variants such as Rainblood1: Town of Mystery, Rainblood2: City of Flame, and Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage. That makes the English title history less consistent than the chronology itself, but the 2010, 2011, and 2013 timeline appears across multiple sources. The available context also links that line to S-Game and to Qiwei "Soulframe" Liang, who is described in the source context as the founder, CEO, and creative lead behind Phantom Blade Zero.

The available context describes Rainblood as a Chinese indie game series that later moved toward action. That makes Phantom Blade Zero part of a longer development line within S-Game, rather than a completely fresh start with no history behind it. The Steam context for Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage also shows that the series was not just a niche project, but at least received a PC release through a major digital storefront.

The source context also says Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage ran on Unity and was positioned as a 2D hack-and-slash brawler. That matters because it shows the series was already moving toward action in earlier entries, while Phantom Blade Zero is now being presented as a fast-paced action game. The fact report adds that Phantom Blade Zero would not have a physical disc version at launch, although it remains unclear whether that applies only to the initial release.

The October 29, 2026 date also remains an important but not fully settled detail in the available information. The fact report lists it as the planned release date, while the open questions explicitly note that it is not confirmed whether that date was stated directly by the developer or publisher in the supplied sources. So the core story is clear, but some practical details about release format and platforms are still open.

Sources

  • Kotaku: Phantom Blade Zero’s fast-paced action took 15 years, two RPG Maker games, and a whole lot of money to bring to life
  • Baidu Wiki context on Rainblood
  • GamesIndustry.biz context on Rainblood: Town of Death