| Arknights | |
 App icon showing one of the game's protagonists, Amiya | |
| 明日方舟 | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Hypergryph |
| Video game | |
| Developer |
|
| Publisher | |
| Genre | Tactical role-playing,tower defense |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform | |
| Released | |
 Anime and manga portal | |
| Arknights | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 明日方舟 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 明日方舟 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | Ark of Tomorrow | ||||||
| |||||||
Arknights[a] is afree-to-playtactical RPG/tower defensemobile game developed by Hypergryph. It was released in China on 1 May 2019, in other countries on 16 January 2020, and in Taiwan on 29 June 2020.[1]Arknights is available onAndroid andiOS platforms and featuresgacha game mechanics.
Aspin-off game,Arknights: Endfield, was released in January 2026.[2] Three seasons of ananime adaptation ofArknights have aired from late 2022 to 2025.[3][4]
The core gameplay is that of atower defense game, with a number of characters ("operators") acting as towers. Melee operators can be placed on ground tiles and ranged operators on elevated tiles. Melee operators physically block enemies from advancing, and ranged operators deal ranged damage, heal or otherwise support melee operators. Players must place operators on the correct tiles to prevent the enemy from infiltrating the player's base. Once in place, an operator's skills can be activated after a time for special effects, or they can be withdrawn for redeployment after a delay.
Because there is often a limited number of viable solutions, especially at high difficulties,Arknights has also been described as apuzzle game.[5] The gameplay normally does not require quick reaction times (the game is pauseable, and time slows down while commands are issued), but rather on-the-spot tactical analysis and foresight.[6]
As the player progresses through the game, they unlock more stages, operators and resources, and are also introduced to new types of enemies and gameplay mechanics. Levels that have been cleared with a three-star rating without using a borrowed support unit can then be auto-completed without player input, as the game records the player's actions and replicates them.
The game also has a base-building aspect, which allows players to construct facilities and assign operators to them. This allows players to increase their resources in the manner of anincremental game.[7] It features the usual array offree-to-play,gacha game mechanics, such as daily login rewards and randomized character acquisition through virtual currency which can be obtained by playing the game, through limited-time events, or optional in-app purchases using real currency. Because of the limited resources available (even if real money is spent), another layer of challenge lies in "internalizing multiple complex economic systems"[6] and in prioritizing the right operators to recruit and develop in order to build a capable roster.Arknights players have created a number of internet resources and tools to assist in this effort.[6]
Seasonal gameplay events introduce more complex but optional difficulties and handicaps, such as the game's semi-quarterly Contingency Contract. Players are awarded with resources and medals exclusive to these events. Aroguelike game mode, "Integrated Strategies", was added in 2022.[8]
The game is set in thedystopian,apocalyptic future setting of the planet Terra, where people exhibitkemonomimi features – characteristics of animals or mythological races. Natural disasters leave behind a valuable mineral, Originium, which infects people with aprogressive disease, Oripathy, but can also enhance the ability to use "Arts" (magic). Because Oripathy is infectious under certain conditions and invariably fatal, the infected are shunned and persecuted. In response, some of them form the Reunion movement, a militant group waging war on the despotic governments of Terra.
The main story and some event storylines ofArknights revolve around the estrangement of people infected with Originium and the conflicts that ensue between the infected and the non-infected. The conflicts among the countries of Terra, the struggles of various communities and divisions among various races, and the battles between humans and non-human creatures are important components of the worldview and plot of the game.
The player takes the role of the masked and amnesiac "Doctor", who commands a team of "operators" of Rhodes Island, a pharmaceutical, medical, and self-defense organization. As Oripathy spreads, Rhodes Island searches for a cure while defending itself against Reunion and several of the governments of Terra.[7]
Arknights has an eclectic soundtrack drawing on a range of Western and Asian musical genres. Hypergryph has partnered with musical groups across the world to releaseArknights-related songs and music videos. These includeSteve Aoki ("Last of Me"),Yellow Claw ("End Like This"),[9]Starset ("Infected"),[10] andLow Roar ("Feels", later re-released as "Fade Away").[11] Contributing composers includeGo Shiina,[12]Kevin Penkin[13] andAdam Gubman.[14]
TheArknights-related song "Renegade" written by Jason Walsh and performed bySubstantial and X.ARI was nominated for "Best Original Song – Video Game" at the 2020Hollywood Music in Media Awards.[15]
The game's characters are voiced in Japanese.Standard Chinese, Korean, and Englishvoice acting is being incrementally added.[16][17] Individual characters are also voiced in other languages such as Italian, German, Russian, andregional Sinitic languages, to reflect their origin from the analogous region of the game's world.[18][19]
Pocket Gamer highlighted the game's extensive lore and high production values.[20] Julia Lee ofPolygon said that thegacha system is better than in Nintendo'sDragalia Lost, and wrote that "Arknights is the only gacha game I recommend to people" because of its art design, lack of purchase pressure and competition, and limitedgrind,[5] and Sisi Jiang ofKotaku noted thatArknights is rare among gacha games in that its easily obtainable characters are better in some circumstances than the game's rare, high-powered operators.[21]
The game was nominated forGoogle Play "Users' Choice Game" at the Best of 2020 awards and for "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game" at the 2020Dragon Awards.[22] It won an award as one of the Best Innovative Games of 2020.[23]
Yostar Pictures'anime adaptation ofArknights has been airing since late 2022.[3][4] As of July 2025, the anime has three seasons.[24]
