Kingdom Heroes: Arena Exhibited at EVO Japan 2026; Pro Gamers Daigo Umehara and ET Playtest, 2nd DEMO Test Results Revealed

Kingdom Heroes: Arena Successfully Concludes at EVO Japan! Daigo Umehara and ET Try the Game; Development Team Releases Test Data and Commits to Optimization

"Kingdom Heroes: Arena", a cross-platform sword fighting game (Windows / Steam / PlayStation / App Store / Google Play) developed in Unreal Engine 5 by USERJOY as a remake of the classic IP, recently exhibited at the fighting game festival "EVO Japan 2026" and conducted its second global online DEMO test.

Not only did numerous players line up to try the game at the venue, but fighting game legend Daigo "The Beast" Umehara and EVO world champion ET also visited the booth, providing valuable opportunities for interaction while actually playing the game.

Today, USERJOY released its analysis of the test data and the atmosphere at the venue, thanking fighting game fans worldwide for their participation. Based on key feedback received during the test period, primarily concerning "control feel" and "system guides," the company also announced its future development and improvement direction.

Legends Descend! Daigo Umehara and ET Experience the Appeal of Three Kingdoms Fighting

During EVO Japan, the "Kingdom Heroes: Arena" booth garnered significant attention. Daigo Umehara, an iconic figure in the fighting game community, actually played the game and noted its unique visual expression of "Three Kingdoms Heroes x Sword Fighting."
Furthermore, ET, Taiwan's first EVO champion, stopped by the booth to exchange opinions with the development team on aspects like control feel from a professional gamer's perspective. The appearance of both top players brought the venue's excitement to a climax and strongly bolstered the game's presence in the fighting game community.

EVO Japan Enthusiasm: A New Frontier for the Three Kingdoms IP as a Fighting Game

At EVO Japan, the pinnacle stage for fighting games, "Kingdom Heroes: Arena" attracted the attention of many fighting game fans and creators with its unique worldview. Demo stations were constantly full, and many experienced fighting game players highly praised the weapon-based battles of famous generals depicted in high-quality 3D graphics, leaving a strong visual impression and making a striking debut on the international stage.

2nd DEMO Data Release: High Potential and the Pursuit of Better Gameplay Feel

In the global survey following the second DEMO test, over half of the players responded that the game has "very great potential." The visuals and art direction also received extremely high marks, with many praising the successful expression of the "Kingdom Heroes" IP's charm as a fighting game.

Meanwhile, the development team is earnestly addressing the issues and opinions raised by players. While the survey emphasized simplified command inputs and ease of play, it also revealed requests for improved, intuitive guide designs for core mechanics like "weapon switching." Furthermore, there were many voices asking for short, easy-to-understand tutorials for highly strategic elements such as "guard breaking" and "positioning." Additionally, improvements regarding "control feel" and "online match quality" received particularly high expectations and requests in this test.

Evolution Centered on Tutorials and Control Feel

Based on the survey results, the team has set the following optimization priorities for the next milestone:

- Comprehensive enhancement of tutorial guides: 34.1% of players expressed a strong desire for "tutorial and practice features." The team will redesign the guide flow to make deep systems like "weapon switching" more intuitively understandable.
- Pursuit of realistic action and fluid controls: Acknowledging feedback that the "foundation is good but the feel has room for improvement," a specialized team will work on strengthening the weight of actions and realistic feedback, aiming to reduce stiffness in controls.
- Stable online experience: Continuous optimization of the network code to achieve a stress-free competitive environment in future tests and official service.
- Update cycle matching market expectations: The highly supported "3-month season" update frequency will be incorporated into the long-term operational plan.

A New Fighting Game Created with the Players

The "Kingdom Heroes: Arena" development team commented:
"The valuable feedback obtained from EVO Japan and the DEMO test is the most important nourishment for the game's evolution. Because we deeply understand that the essence of fighting games lies in the ultimate control experience, we promise to deliver a richer tutorial mode and performance optimization by the next test, guided by the spirit of 'learning humbly and improving swiftly.'"

Latest information on the development progress and future test plans for "Kingdom Heroes: Arena" will be regularly updated on the official website and community channels.

Steam Store: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3077060/_/
Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@userjoy-KHA
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583167520862
Official X: https://x.com/kingdom_H_arena

About USERJOY Technology CO.,LTD.

Founded in 1995, USERJOY Technology CO.,LTD. started with PC game development and has released timeless works such as "The Legend of Super Dimension Heroes" and the "Kingdom Heroes" series. Focusing on game research, development, and innovation is the core of USERJOY's growth.

From the era of standalone games to the development of MMORPGs, and current browser and mobile games, the company has continuously honed its development capabilities to provide diverse entertainment experiences. With the long-standing support of players, USERJOY has created numerous hit titles and built strong brand recognition.