Giant Network Unveils Supernatural AI Mode and Heritage Tie-Ins at ChinaJoy 2026

ChinaJoy 2026 was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from July 31 to August 3, 2026. Multiple game developers and publishers exhibited during the event. Giant Network presented titles including Supernatural, the Zhengtu series, Ball Battle, Night of the Full Moon, Space Kill and Original Zhengtu, showcasing its strategy in game innovation, cultural storytelling and artificial intelligence applications.

At the show floor, Giant Network made Supernatural the centerpiece of its booth, setting up an immersive experience zone. The game launched in January 2025 and is a Chinese-style multiplayer adventure game blending light horror aesthetics, traditional cultural elements and cooperative gameplay. According to company data, as of the end of the first quarter of 2026, the game had exceeded 200 million registered users and surpassed 10 million daily active users.

The game combines exploration, resource gathering, cooperative play and light horror elements. Players team up to enter mysterious scenarios, search for resources and confront supernatural creatures, making choices between risk and reward. The game emphasizes social gameplay, lowering the entry barrier to the horror genre.

The booth design for Supernatural drew on Nuo opera culture, incorporating Nuo masks, traditional stage elements and classical sculptures. Nuo opera is a form of China's intangible cultural heritage. The game previously collaborated with Yang Yunxia, the seventh-generation inheritor of Nuo mask carving craftsmanship, integrating traditional Nuo opera techniques into in-game costume design. The game has also partnered with cultural IPs including Forbidden City mythical beasts, Kunlun Mountain Geopark, Dunhuang Art Gallery, Huaxian shadow puppetry, Jingzhou Museum, Jingdezhen blue-and-white porcelain and Weifang kites.

In artificial intelligence, in January 2026, Supernatural launched a challenge mode based on large language models, in which AI characters possess dynamic decision-making capabilities. According to the company, AI characters participated in more than 25 million matches in the first week after launch. Unlike conventional scripted NPCs, these AI teammates can converse naturally with players and adjust their strategies based on game state, resource distribution and risk assessment.

AI characters can also conceal their identities, build trust with players, and engage in behaviors such as betrayal when the situation shifts. In another social deduction game, Space Kill, the company previously launched AI-powered script murder mystery features, which have cumulatively generated tens of millions of AI matches. These large-scale deployments have provided data accumulation and operational experience for integrating large language models into long-running live games. At ChinaJoy 2026, Giant Network showcased AI applications beyond game development, positioning the technology as a means to transform player interaction, while continuing to explore integrating Chinese traditional culture into modern game design.