Two legendary swordsmen cross into Morus Isle as NARAKA begins its The Legend of Qin collaboration

Two masters shaped by the same school are about to resume one of Chinese animation’s most famous martial rivalries inside a game built almost entirely around clashes of blades. NARAKA: BLADEPOINT × The Legend of Qin begins alongside the new Devourer season on October 8 PT , and 24 Entertainment has

Two masters shaped by the same school are about to resume one of Chinese animation’s most famous martial rivalries inside a game built almost entirely around clashes of blades. NARAKA: BLADEPOINT × The Legend of Qin begins alongside the new Devourer season on October 8 PT, and 24 Entertainment has released the first Collaboration Showcase to reveal how Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang are being recreated through new wuxia-inspired appearances for Lyam Liu and Temulch.

The crossover goes considerably further than two costumes. NetEase and 24 Entertainment have already confirmed a dedicated scenario inspired by Blood Battle at Qin Camp, a limited Souljade based on Gai Nie’s Hundred-Step Flying Sword technique and additional content connected with five martial artists and three famous swords from the long-running Chinese animated franchise. Showcase I nevertheless starts with the most logical pair possible: two disciples of Ghost Valley whose opposing philosophies and legendary duel sit at the heart of The Legend of Qin’s swordsmanship.

Lyam Liu becomes Gai Nie

The first major transformation belongs to Lyam Liu, who takes on the appearance of Gai Nie, one of the central swordsmen in The Legend of Qin and a character repeatedly described within the series as one of the greatest sword masters of his age. The pairing is particularly natural because Lyam already occupies a disciplined martial role inside NARAKA, using his control over metal to manipulate weapons, restrict opponents and create opportunities for carefully timed counterattacks.

Gai Nie’s design brings the swordsman’s restrained white-and-grey appearance into Morus Isle rather than radically redesigning him around NARAKA’s normal fantasy aesthetic. That restraint is important. The Legend of Qin has a highly recognisable visual identity rooted in wuxia swordsmanship, historical Chinese influences and increasingly elaborate supernatural elements, so the collaboration works best when its characters still immediately read as themselves rather than merely becoming thematic costumes for NARAKA heroes.

The crossover material also goes beyond the basic appearance. Chinese promotional information for the collaboration shows Gai Nie’s outfit accompanied by a more elaborate Sword Saint-style upgraded version, while his iconic sword Yuanhong is represented through a dedicated Longsword cosmetic. The exact naming used in English localisation may differ from the Chinese terminology, but the intention is clear: Lyam is not simply wearing Gai Nie’s clothing; the collaboration is recreating the complete swordsman fantasy around him.

Temulch takes the role of Wei Zhuang

Standing opposite him is Temulch as Wei Zhuang, recreating the character whose rivalry with Gai Nie has defined some of The Legend of Qin’s most important confrontations. Wei Zhuang is not merely another powerful swordsman sent to hunt the heroes. He trained under the same Ghost Valley tradition as Gai Nie, and the philosophical divide between them eventually becomes as important as their technical skill with a blade.

Temulch is an effective choice because his visual silhouette and aggressive battlefield presence can support Wei Zhuang’s much harsher personality. Gai Nie is traditionally presented as calm, disciplined and protective, while Wei Zhuang projects intimidation and ruthless decisiveness. Placing the characters on Lyam and Temulch preserves that contrast even before the two players actually begin fighting.

The collaboration also recreates Shark Teeth, Wei Zhuang’s distinctive weapon, alongside his outfit. Chinese promotional material identifies an upgraded appearance themed around his role as the Lord of Quicksand, with another variation removing the cloak. Those layers suggest that 24 Entertainment is approaching the collaboration similarly to some of NARAKA’s recent premium cosmetics, where a recognisable licensed outfit can be enhanced with additional forms rather than remaining one static model.

Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang were rivals long before they entered NARAKA

For players unfamiliar with The Legend of Qin, the decision to reveal these two characters together is not arbitrary. Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang were both trained by the Ghost Valley School, a tradition that produces only a tiny number of disciples and places enormous importance on conflicting strategic philosophies. Their relationship develops into a rivalry in which martial skill, ideology and personal history become inseparable.

Gai Nie ultimately leaves the Qin Empire and becomes protector to the young Jing Tianming, placing himself directly against forces attempting to secure Emperor Qin’s rule. Wei Zhuang follows a considerably more ruthless route, eventually leading the Quicksand organisation and pursuing his former fellow student. Their confrontations are therefore not simply hero-versus-villain fights; they repeatedly return to the question of which disciple actually understood their master’s teachings and which philosophy deserves to survive.

One of their most famous battles involves Gai Nie using Hundred-Step Flying Sword, his signature technique, against Wei Zhuang. The encounter also brings their famous weapons into direct conflict, with Wei Zhuang’s Shark Teeth breaking Gai Nie’s Yuanhong. Those details explain why NARAKA is incorporating both the technique and the swords themselves into the wider collaboration instead of limiting the crossover to character models.

Hundred-Step Flying Sword becomes an actual gameplay mechanic

The strongest sign that this collaboration is more ambitious than a store promotion is the inclusion of a limited Souljade based on Hundred-Step Flying Sword. NetEase has confirmed that it will feature in a dedicated crossover scenario inspired by Blood Battle at Qin Camp, where players must fight their way out of hostile territory rather than simply queue into a normal Survival match wearing the new skins.

That makes the technique part of gameplay rather than only a visual effect attached to an emote or Ultimate cosmetic. NARAKA’s Souljade system is particularly well suited to collaborations like this because it allows 24 Entertainment to temporarily introduce combat mechanics that would be too disruptive to become permanent baseline abilities. A legendary sword technique can therefore feel genuinely powerful without requiring the developers to rebalance the entire competitive game around it.

It also gives The Legend of Qin a structural advantage compared with many licensed crossovers. The source material is already built around martial schools, named techniques, legendary swords and highly stylised duels. Those ideas translate directly into NARAKA’s combat vocabulary, where counters, Focus attacks, weapon matchups and mobility already form the core of each encounter.

Five martial artists and three famous swords are planned

Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang are only the beginning. NetEase has confirmed that the complete collaboration will feature content connected with five martial artists and three famous swords from The Legend of Qin, making the “Showcase I” label especially significant. The first trailer is clearly presenting one wave of a larger reveal rather than showing everything that will be available.

The remaining characters have not all been officially detailed in the English material yet, so it would be premature to treat community speculation as confirmation. The Legend of Qin has no shortage of candidates, however, and the franchise’s cast includes several fighters whose weapons and combat philosophies would translate naturally into NARAKA. Additional showcases are therefore likely to clarify which heroes will represent the rest of the collaboration and whether all of them receive the same level of customisation as Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang.

The three-sword structure is equally interesting. Yuanhong and Shark Teeth account for two obvious weapons, leaving at least one further famous blade still to be fully presented. Because NARAKA maps licensed weapons onto its existing weapon classes rather than introducing entirely separate combat systems for every crossover, the eventual assignment will matter both visually and mechanically.

The crossover is unusually compatible with NARAKA’s combat

NARAKA has spent years collaborating with games, anime, animation projects and cultural institutions, but The Legend of Qin is one of the rare partnerships that almost feels designed for its combat system. Both properties place enormous emphasis on movement, martial technique, individual weapon mastery and fights where timing can matter more than raw power.

That compatibility is especially visible in the new showcase. Lyam and Temulch do not need to be completely rebuilt for the characters they represent because NARAKA already expects them to sprint across rooftops, grapple through the environment, clash weapons at close range and punish badly timed attacks with counters. A confrontation between Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang can therefore be staged using the game’s normal systems without immediately feeling disconnected from the original animation.

The same principle applies to Hundred-Step Flying Sword. NARAKA already contains Souljades that modify weapon attacks, add specialised techniques or radically change how a familiar weapon behaves. Translating an iconic move from The Legend of Qin into that framework is considerably more coherent than simply attaching the technique to a victory animation that players never actually use in combat.

The Legend of Qin brings almost two decades of Chinese animation history with it

Known internationally as The Legend of Qin or Qin’s Moon, the franchise began as a Chinese CG animated production based on the work of Taiwanese writer Wen Shiren and has grown through multiple seasons, specials and adaptations. Its story mixes the historical turmoil surrounding the Qin era with wuxia martial arts, political intrigue, philosophical schools, mechanical inventions and supernatural mythology.

Gai Nie occupies an important position at the beginning of that story. After turning against Qin, he protects Jing Tianming while being pursued by imperial forces and the assassins operating under Wei Zhuang. Their conflict gives the early series a direct martial rivalry while the wider story expands into the Mohists, the Yin-Yang School, political struggles and the competing philosophies surrounding the unification of China.

That history makes the collaboration particularly significant for NARAKA’s domestic audience. The Legend of Qin is not a recent series being promoted for one seasonal release; it is a long-running Chinese animation property with characters and techniques that have been familiar to viewers for years. Pairing it with a Chinese-developed martial battle royale creates a different cultural relationship from importing another overseas IP into the game.

Blood Battle at Qin Camp takes the crossover beyond cosmetics

The dedicated crossover scenario is based around Blood Battle at Qin Camp, with players challenged to escape enemy territory while using the limited Hundred-Step Flying Sword Souljade. NetEase has not yet released every mechanical detail, but the description establishes that this will be playable crossover content rather than a decorative map change.

That continues a broader pattern in NARAKA’s recent development. 24 Entertainment increasingly uses seasonal events to create temporary variants of its combat rather than relying solely on the original Battle Royale structure. Martial Artist Duel has explored formal one-on-one competition, Rift Traversal has moved toward extraction-style progression, Showdown continues expanding PvE, and collaboration events increasingly introduce bespoke rules or abilities.

The Legend of Qin therefore arrives at a point when NARAKA has enough supporting systems to represent a franchise through more than outfits. For a property built around famous techniques and dramatic set-piece confrontations, that additional mechanical space is particularly valuable.

Devourer launches at the same time with major combat changes

The collaboration forms part of the launch of Devourer, NARAKA’s new season beginning October 8 PT, corresponding to October 9 across much of Asia. The seasonal update is itself substantial, with 24 Entertainment revisiting both movement and combat while preparing the next additions to the roster.

Holoroth’s underwater systems are receiving particular attention. Swimming speed during Ultimates is being improved, while characters including Shen Miao, Tianhai and Shayla receive adjustments intended to make aerial approaches and underwater grabs more practical. A new ranged weapon called the Harpoon is scheduled for the middle of the season, further extending combat below the surface instead of treating water primarily as a traversal space.

Longsword combat is also being modified with a counter opportunity when taking damage during a charge, while the Homologous Weapon system is being reworked. A new Souljade allows related weapons to be switched during attacks or charge sequences, adding silence effects capable of preventing normal and Focus attacks and creating another layer of weapon-transition pressure.

Those systems matter to the collaboration because The Legend of Qin content enters a game whose melee mechanics are themselves changing at exactly the same time. Players returning specifically for Gai Nie or Wei Zhuang will therefore be entering a new seasonal combat environment rather than simply finding licensed cosmetics inside the previous patch.

Kael will arrive later in the season

Devourer’s new playable hero is Kael, although he is not launching immediately with the season. 24 Entertainment plans to introduce him around the midpoint of the update, with an ability kit based around consumption and growth.

His Skill can summon a beast head that charges forward and becomes stronger by absorbing resources, while his Ultimate allows Kael to ride the creature and repeatedly rush across the battlefield, literally swallowing targets in his path. Even transformed heroes can become victims of the ability, giving the newcomer an unusually disruptive interaction with some of NARAKA’s largest transformation-based Ultimates.

One alternate ability shown during the season preview produces a black-hole-like effect capable of pulling enemies inward and absorbing incoming attacks before releasing stored power. The result appears intended to make Kael particularly effective at disrupting groups rather than simply functioning as another conventional melee duelist.

His arrival later in the season also means The Legend of Qin receives the launch spotlight without having to compete immediately against a brand-new hero.

A second collaboration showcase should reveal the rest of the encounter

Calling the video Collaboration Showcase I leaves little ambiguity about 24 Entertainment’s plans. Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang are the opening act, not the complete crossover. The first reveal establishes the central sword rivalry, shows how Lyam Liu and Temulch have been chosen to embody it and gives players an early look at the visual quality of the collaboration before the broader lineup is detailed.

That is probably the correct way to present a crossover with this much material. Showing five fighters, three swords, the Blood Battle at Qin Camp activity and every associated cosmetic in one trailer would reduce each element to a few seconds. Starting with Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang allows the collaboration to begin with a relationship that already carries its own history.

It also creates an obvious visual promise for players who know The Legend of Qin. Seeing Yuanhong and Shark Teeth facing one another inside NARAKA immediately communicates what kind of collaboration this is trying to be: not a random costume exchange, but an attempt to transplant some of the series’ most recognisable swordsmanship into Morus Isle.

A thousand-year Jianghu encounter is a particularly good fit for NARAKA

The marketing describes the crossover as a “Jianghu encounter a thousand years in the making,” and while that is suitably dramatic promotional language, the underlying comparison works. Jianghu fiction revolves around wandering martial artists, rival schools, personal codes, extraordinary techniques and conflicts that exist alongside conventional political authority. NARAKA has been drawing from many of those same traditions since its creation.

The Legend of Qin approaches them through a historical-fantasy epic built around the Qin era. NARAKA approaches them through a multiplayer battle royale where dozens of fighters descend on the same map in pursuit of immortality. Their narrative structures are completely different, but their martial language is close enough that Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang do not look like visitors from another genre once swords are drawn.

That is likely to be the strongest selling point of the collaboration. NARAKA has hosted plenty of memorable crossover cosmetics, but few properties fit the fundamental act of playing the game as naturally as one whose most famous characters settle ideological conflicts through technically elaborate sword duels.

NARAKA: BLADEPOINT × The Legend of Qin begins with the Devourer season update on October 8 PT, with Lyam Liu receiving the Gai Nie crossover appearance and Temulch becoming Wei Zhuang. Further showcases are expected to reveal the remaining martial artists, famous weapons and additional collaboration content.