Crunchyroll Games and Perfect World have been hard at work with their latest game, One Punch Man: World with a closed beta earlier this month and an opportunity for fans to get a hands on back at this year's Gamescom. The title is based on the anime series sharing the same name and is a big game promoting the importance of cross-platform gaming.

We spoke with the producer of One Punch Man: World at Perfect World, FeiHua “Shifu” Huang to discuss the development process behind the title, working with an established IP and what to expect after the launch of the game.

Pocketgamer.biz: Tell us about the development of One Punch Man: World. When did the team start working on the game?

FeiHua “Shifu” Huang: One Punch Man: World has been in development since 2019, which is almost five years now - a typical time frame for a AAA title. There are reasons why our game took so long. The first reason is because of Covid-19, which delayed development a bit. The second reason is that we wanted to make a game that would amaze everyone. We wanted to create a detailed, dynamic world based on the One-Punch Man anime for players to experience, and that's what took the most time.

What has it been like for the team to work on a game based on a much-loved anime series? How does that impact creative choices?

One consistent thread throughout development was how the team had increased its sense of IP immersion to design and create. We got the copyright to the anime, but we still had to keep thinking about the content of the anime, manga, and audio broadcasts throughout the entire development process to look for all kinds of details to bring One Punch Man: World to life.

You recently showed the game off at Gamescom. How did the team feel about the feedback from this?

We were very excited and nervous at the same time - excited that the players were finally going to play a game that we had been working on for so long but nervous that the combination of action and open-world design would not live up to the expectations of anime fans, particularly those that love the One-Punch Man anime.

From all the feedback we got so far, the players who tried One Punch Man: World were very excited; their enthusiasm greatly exceeded our expectations. It was great to see people repeatedly challenge the same boss with different characters to see how each one changed the experience. The playstyles for the various characters are dynamic, and some players got quite good at the game despite the deeper mechanics! Likewise, they gave an equal amount of attention to exploring the open world areas. We were very happy to see this first-hand at Gamescom and hope players have a similar experience in the Closed Beta.

One Punch Man: World is releasing as a cross-platform title featuring cross-progression. Can you tell us about the decisions behind this and the importance of crossplay?

This was a crucial decision. In the beginning, we decided to prioritise PC development. However, we also know that there are many players who have a strong desire to game on their phones. After all, it's a much more convenient way to play, and advancements in mobile hardware have made AAA mobile gaming feasible. Now, people can play One Punch Man: World while away from their PC. We were glad to fulfil that need.

The game is still set for a late 2023 release date? Are there any updates on a date as of yet?

Regarding the release date, please allow me to keep you in suspense just a bit longer. However, I can say the news is coming soon!

How does the team intend to support the game after launch, and is there anything else we should be aware of or on the lookout for?

Currently, our team is divided into two groups to develop One Punch Man: World. Most of the members are developing all the content that will be available at launch and are currently addressing bug fixes and performance optimisation. Another group is working on post-launch content so that it arrives in a timely manner for players to enjoy.