Nearly five years after its impressive debut trailer, the promising Chinese fantasy action RPG Faith of Danschant: Hereafter has likely been canceled, leaving fans of the original game and newcomers disappointed. The game, which was positioned as a AAA sequel to the 2017 title Faith of Danschant, showed massive potential with its stunning visuals and martial arts-focused combat system built on Unreal Engine.
What Happened Behind the Scenes
According to recent reports from gaming insiders, publisher Wangyuan Shengtang faced significant financial challenges around 2022-2023 that forced the company to make difficult decisions. Multiple projects, both announced and unannounced, were scrapped during this period as the company struggled with budget constraints. Faith of Danschant: Hereafter appears to have been among the casualties of this financial crisis.
The evidence supporting the cancellation is substantial. The game’s official website has gone dark, mirroring a similar situation with another recently canceled title, Mudang: Two Hearts. Additionally, developer Beijing Joyfun currently employs fewer than 20 people, a dramatic reduction from what would be needed for a AAA production. LinkedIn data shows the studio hasn’t hired new employees in over 18 months, suggesting a major shift in operations.
Tencent’s Influence and Strategic Pivot
The plot thickened in February 2024 when Tencent acquired a controlling 94% stake in Wangyuan Shengtang. The tech giant’s primary interest lay in the Swords of Legends franchise, also known as the Gujian series, which has been tremendously successful in China. Following this acquisition, Wangyuan Shengtang dramatically shifted its focus toward developing Gujian 4 (now revealed as simply Swords of Legends), which the company hopes will become a blockbuster hit.
This strategic realignment meant that resources and personnel from Beijing Joyfun, the studio behind Faith of Danschant: Hereafter, were likely redirected to support the higher-priority Swords of Legends project. The studio itself reportedly relocated from Beijing to Taiwan during this transition, further disrupting development of ongoing projects.
What Made Faith of Danschant: Hereafter Special
Before its apparent cancellation, Faith of Danschant: Hereafter generated considerable excitement in the gaming community. The game was an action RPG inspired by Chinese mythology, featuring real-time combat that blended traditional martial arts with sword fighting. Developed using Unreal Engine with support for NVIDIA RTX ray tracing and DLSS technology, it promised to be a visual showcase.
The 12-minute gameplay trailer released in August 2021 demonstrated fluid combat mechanics, breathtaking environments drawn from Chinese folklore, and production values that rivaled Western AAA titles. The game was planned for release on both PC and consoles, though specific platforms were never confirmed. At one point, there were reports that development had migrated to Unreal Engine 5, suggesting the team had ambitions to leverage the latest technology.
The Broader Context of Chinese Game Development
The cancellation of Faith of Danschant: Hereafter reflects broader challenges within China’s gaming industry during the 2022-2023 period. Many developers faced regulatory pressures, economic slowdowns, and shifting market dynamics that forced difficult business decisions. However, the industry has shown resilience, with successes like Black Myth: Wukong and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers demonstrating global appetite for high-quality games rooted in Chinese mythology.
Interestingly, while Faith of Danschant: Hereafter appears dead, the Swords of Legends project that replaced it has generated significant buzz. Revealed at Gamescom 2025, this will be the first game in the Gujian franchise designed for a global audience from day one, complete with simultaneous worldwide release plans.
Lingering Questions and Contradictions
Adding to the confusion, producer Rex Chao still lists Faith of Danschant: Hereafter on his LinkedIn profile as a current project. However, industry observers believe this hasn’t been updated to reflect the project’s actual status. Multiple attempts by gaming journalists to contact studio representatives have gone unanswered, which is typically a telltale sign of a canceled project that hasn’t received an official announcement.
The lack of formal cancellation notice is unusual but not unprecedented in the gaming industry. Companies sometimes prefer to let projects fade away quietly rather than make public statements that could affect investor confidence or employee morale. For fans who have been waiting years for updates, however, this radio silence has been frustrating.
FAQs About Faith of Danschant: Hereafter
Is Faith of Danschant: Hereafter officially canceled?
While there has been no official announcement from Wangyuan Shengtang or Beijing Joyfun, multiple sources indicate the project was quietly canceled around 2022-2023 due to financial difficulties at the publisher. The game’s website being taken offline and the dramatic reduction in studio staff strongly suggest cancellation.
What was Faith of Danschant: Hereafter supposed to be?
Faith of Danschant: Hereafter was planned as an action RPG sequel to the 2017 game Faith of Danschant. It featured real-time combat inspired by Chinese martial arts and mythology, with support for ray tracing and DLSS. The game was being developed for PC and consoles using Unreal Engine.
Why did Wangyuan Shengtang cancel the game?
The publisher faced significant budget constraints and financial problems during 2022-2023, forcing them to cancel multiple projects. After Tencent’s acquisition in 2024, resources were redirected to focus on the more commercially promising Swords of Legends franchise.
Will the game ever be released in some form?
It appears highly unlikely. With Beijing Joyfun reduced to fewer than 20 employees and no hiring activity in over 18 months, the studio lacks the capacity to complete such an ambitious project. The team has reportedly been reassigned to work on Swords of Legends instead.
What is Tencent’s role in this cancellation?
Tencent acquired a 94% controlling stake in Wangyuan Shengtang in February 2024, primarily interested in the Swords of Legends intellectual property. This acquisition led to a strategic refocus away from Faith of Danschant: Hereafter toward projects with greater commercial potential.
Are there similar games fans can look forward to instead?
Yes, the newly revealed Swords of Legends (formerly Gujian 4) is being developed by the same publisher and shares similar themes of Chinese mythology and martial arts combat. Additionally, games like Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and the successful Black Myth: Wukong offer similar experiences rooted in Chinese folklore.
When was the last official update about Faith of Danschant: Hereafter?
The last significant information came in August 2021 when a 12-minute gameplay trailer was released. After that, the project went silent, with only unconfirmed reports in early 2025 suggesting it had moved to Unreal Engine 5 before apparently being canceled.
Moving Forward
While the apparent cancellation of Faith of Danschant: Hereafter is disappointing for fans who were eagerly anticipating the game, it represents a business decision driven by challenging economic circumstances and strategic priorities. The silver lining is that the talent and resources from Beijing Joyfun are now contributing to Swords of Legends, which has the backing and budget to potentially become the blockbuster Chinese mythology game that fans have been craving. Sometimes in the gaming industry, one project’s end allows another’s beginning, and only time will tell if this redirection ultimately benefits players who love this genre.