In December last year, TuSimple – a Chinese company that was once known for its autonomous technology – made a bold entry into the gaming industry. After facing business challenges, it announced that it was transforming into a generative AI firm called CreateAI. CreateAI, based on the Jin Yong IP is currently developing a wuxia open-world role-playing video game called Heroes of Jin Yong. Jin Yong, a Chinese writer famous for his influential wuxia novels (martial arts), has shaped this genre for decades.
This game is set to be released in the second half 2027 on consoles and PC. This is a major creative project for a company that has just undergone a strategic pivot. It’s also a high-stakes bet that could define the future of the company.
We had the chance to interview Cheng Lu last week at ChinaJoy. He shared his insights about the development of Heroes of Jin Yong.
When Cheng was asked about the use Unreal Engine 5 for the game, he explained that UE5’s powerful features and plug-ins allow the team recreate iconic landscapes from Jin Yong’s novels. He said that this technology is designed to provide a visually stunning, immersive experience for the players. Cheng said that the author, Jin Yong, continues to gain young readers from his more than 300,000,000 fans worldwide. “This was confirmed by recent campus and off-campus events, proving the spirit of martial art still strikes a cord with today’s young people. The game aims to balance cultural heritage and innovation by retaining classic characters and storylines while also introducing interactive elements and new quests to engage modern gamers,” Cheng said.
Cheng describes the development of AAA games as being extremely complex with workflows that are aided by AI. This includes enhancing NPC (Non Player Character) behavior and interaction, which enhances the immersive and dynamic feeling of the game. He explained that AI will not replace human creativity but it will make the game world lively and responsive.
Cheng revealed that the project is still in its early stages. It integrates more than a dyad of Jin Yong’s works. Cheng stated that the team is working hard to get the game out as soon as possible. Cheng emphasized the uniqueness of the Heroes of Jin Yong IP License when discussing CreateAI’s strengths and strategic goals. Cheng stated that this is the first authorization in 20 years to cover all 15 novels. This allows us to create exciting storylines, quests and pull elements from the entire Jin Yong Universe.
Cheng noted the team’s investments in a large movement capture studio in Beijing’s Huairou District. The company claims that the 2,000-square meter facility uses 130 Vicon VK26 camera to support high-quality video games, films, or animation.
No other major Chinese AAA game has taken the mantle since Black Myth: Wukong. Fans are eager to see a demo and offline events as soon as they can.
If CreateAI is able to successfully blend Jin Yong’s literary universe with cutting edge game technology and AI driven innovation, then Heroes of Jin Yong will not only become a milestone for CreateAI, but a benchmark for Chinese AAA gaming development.
Jessie Wu, a Shanghai-based tech reporter, is a member of the
team. She covers the gaming, semiconductor and consumer electronics industries for TechNode. Connect with her via e-mail: jessie.wu@technode.com. More by Jessie Wu
