Louis Cha's Novels Inspire China's Next AAA Game

A New Era for Chinese Gaming: CreateAI's Ambitious Wuxia RPG

CreateAI, a company that has transitioned from an autonomous vehicle firm to a leading force in artificial intelligence and video gaming, is set to make waves in the global gaming industry. The company is currently developing a wuxia role-playing game (RPG) franchise based on the works of Louis Cha Leung-yung, also known as "Jin Yong." This project, titled Heroes of Jin Yong, aims to become one of the largest-scale triple-A open-world RPGs in the market.

The project marks a significant shift for CreateAI, which was previously known as TuSimple. The company’s CEO, Lu Cheng, emphasized the scale and complexity of the endeavor during an interview at ChinaJoy 2025 in Shanghai. He described the development process as a "huge software engineering project," highlighting the challenges involved in maintaining high standards for both aesthetics and combat features while managing vast amounts of digital content.

Expansive World and Rich Storytelling

Heroes of Jin Yong will feature characters spanning over 300 years and include more than 120 famous scenes from Cha's 15 martial arts novels. The game's world will cover 960 square kilometers, offering players an immersive wuxia experience filled with diverse gameplay elements, side stories, and rich narrative depth. According to Lu, this environment will make the game significantly larger than some of the most popular open-world titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Grand Theft Auto V.

This ambitious project aligns with the growing trend among Chinese developers to replicate the success of action RPGs like Black Myth: Wukong. The latter, developed by Game Science, became a massive hit after its release in August 2024. It marked China's first AAA title, a term used for games with large budgets and long development cycles.

Financial Investment and Development Team

CreateAI expects Heroes of Jin Yong to require hundreds of millions of yuan in initial investment. The project currently involves over 200 in-house developers and around 200 contractors, many of whom come from top studios in Japan and Poland. The company recently cut about 100 employees at its subsidiary in Guangzhou but has since opened a state-of-the-art digital motion-capture center in Beijing’s Huairou district. This facility, equipped with 130 advanced Vicon VK26 optical cameras, is touted as Asia's largest and most advanced.

Strategic Moves and Future Plans

Heroes of Jin Yong represents the largest project for CreateAI, which rebranded and pivoted to video gaming and AI last year. The company initially went public as TuSimple on the Nasdaq in 2021 but voluntarily delisted in January 2024 due to business losses, internal disputes, and heightened US-China tensions.

Lu Cheng mentioned that the game was initially planned for a 2028 launch, but the company is now aiming to release a playable demo by the end of this year. An initial version of the game could be available by the end of 2026. The project's co-founder, Chen Mo, played a crucial role in securing the rights to create Heroes of Jin Yong, following an earlier deal to acquire the copyright for Xiao Ao Jiang Hu four years ago.

Diversifying Revenue Streams

Before the commercial launch of Heroes of Jin Yong, Lu and Chen are focusing on other revenue-generating ventures to offset the company's losses. In December, CreateAI launched AI tools, including Animon.AI, the world's first AI video-generation platform for anime. Lu expressed confidence in the future of AI tools in video game production, predicting that they could assist with a significant portion of game development in the next two to three years.

At ChinaJoy, the company also announced the upcoming release of an AI-powered mobile game called Breath of You and an online community called "ACG Fans" for anime, comics, and game enthusiasts. Lu expects Animon.AI and mobile games to become viable businesses by early 2026, with other products maturing by 2027.

Financial Challenges and Outlook

Despite its ambitious projects, CreateAI reported a net loss of $354 million in 2024, compared to $281 million in 2023. However, the company remains optimistic about its future, leveraging its expertise in AI and gaming to drive innovation and growth. As it continues to develop Heroes of Jin Yong, CreateAI is positioning itself as a key player in the evolving landscape of Chinese gaming and artificial intelligence.