Summary

• The 10th mainline installment in the Dynasty Warriors franchise was canceled due to technological advancements.
• The canceled Dynasty Warriors 10 led to the incorporation of elements into Origins, resulting in more modern and strategic gameplay.
• Dynasty Warriors: Origins is set to release on January 17, 2025, featuring hack-and-slash combat in the Three Kingdoms Era.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins emerged from a bittersweet beginning, as its developers had been working on what was meant to be the 10th mainline installment in the series before its cancellation. Deluxe Edition players have already experienced the fast-paced combat of Dynasty Warriors: Origins, but the game's creation was spurred by a significant technological advancement from four years ago.

For those who did not opt for early access, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is scheduled for release on January 17, 2025. The game retains the series' signature free-roaming hack-and-slash combat style, introduced in its second mainline installment in 2000. Players take on the role of a mysterious, amnesiac character, engaging with some of the most renowned officers from China's Three Kingdoms Era.

While some fans have already stepped into the shoes of Dynasty Warriors: Origins' nameless protagonist, the development team at Omega Force recently disclosed that another game in the series was canceled before Origins' development began. In an interview with the Japanese site 4Gamer, translated to English by SiliconEra, development producer Masamichi Oba revealed that the studio had been working on a "phantom number title" under the Dynasty Warriors brand. This canceled title would have resembled 2011's Dynasty Warriors 7 in its stage-clearing format, differing significantly from the final product that early access players are currently enjoying.

Dynasty Warriors 10 Was Canceled to Make the Best Dynasty Warriors Possible

The primary reason for canceling the 10th named game in the series, as explained by producer Tomohiko Sho in the same interview, was the team's exposure to the capabilities of the PlayStation 5 and other current-generation consoles. Witnessing the potential of these modern systems led the developers to rethink their strategy for the next game, while still incorporating some of the best elements from previous Dynasty Warriors titles.

According to Oba, although leaving the other project behind was challenging, the team managed to integrate some of its features into Dynasty Warriors: Origins. This includes the concept of free-roaming travel, which Oba had wanted to implement in the canceled title, along with a deeper exploration of the Three Kingdoms Era's narrative.