To prepare players’ martial arts and magical skills, Morefun Studios has announced that The Hidden Ones will launch its pre-alpha playtest on Feb. 27, 2025, on PC and Android.
Based on Hitori No Shita: The Outcast, Morefun Studios is kicking off The Hidden Ones pre-alpha playtest for PC and Android on Feb. 27, 2025. From exploring the subways to the tea houses, players can experience the story mode in Chapter 3: Same River Twice, The Trial: Abyss of Tao mode and duel modes for 1v1 and 3v3 matches.
Leading up to The Hidden Ones playtest, the development team has released two Dev Talk episodes about the narrative and gameplay. In the first Dev Talk episode, narrative designer Ding Zi explained that the game is based on the Hitori No Shita: The Outcast comics and that the goal is to stay true to the source material.
Set in a world blending Chinese traditional elements with modern urban myth, it is filled with people wielding unique powers and supernatural abilities. Those with supernatural skills are labelled Outcasts and must conceal their powers to fit in with other humans. As the story unfolds, eight powerful abilities emerge, sparking competition among the Outcasts, while the protagonist gradually acquires all eight throughout the story.
Speaking of protagonists, Ding Zi highlighted a couple of playable characters from the game during the Dev Talk. The characters highlighted are:
- Zhang Chulan – An intelligent fighter that can manipulate lighting.
- Zhuge Qing – Utilize a martial art style based on Bajiquan with the ability to use fire and wind.
- Ling Jiu – Incorporate elements from The Eastern Opera to add elegance to her combat techniques.
- Baron – A special force soldier who utilizes military combat techniques.
- Wang Ye – A mastered Tai Chi fighter.
- Ru Hau – A mechanical puppet that can use close and long-range attacks.
It is important to note that during The Hidden Ones playtest, the players will start with Zhang Chulan, Feng Baobao, and Wang Ye, with the ability to unlock more characters through in-game progression.
Near the end of the first Dev Talk episode, Ding Zi highlighted many iconic areas players can explore from the comics. These include Hutong, Subways, the Opera Stage, Tea Houses, the Eastern Modern Residental complexes, and Longhu Mountain, a sacred Taoist site.
Shifting the focus to the second Dev Talk episode, it primarily focuses on the game designer Stan Fan explaining the modes available in The Hidden Ones playtest. The modes included are:
- Story Mode Chapter 3: Same River Twice – Experience eight chronicles to learn about the story and characters.
- The Trial: Abyss of Tao Mode – Fight against four distinct legendary bosses, each with four difficulty levels to push the players to their limits.
- Duel Modes (1v1 & 3v3) – With a roster of 14 characters, engage in battles with multiple match tiers, maps, and team fights.
Alongside the modes available during the playtest, Stan Fan explained the combat system to help players grasp the stamina mechanics, playstyle and basic attack and defence strategies.
Before wrapping up, Fan also provided a brief look at the final chapter, The Unruly Monkey, highlighting how players will dive into an Outcast’s mind and fight a powerful enemy using the skills they have learned throughout the game.
Originally planned to be released in January 2025, Morefun Studios had delayed The Hidden Ones pre-alpha playtest to improve the overall quality following the feedback from the community. With the playtest launching soon, the development team has used the time to enhance the localization, revamp the tutorial to help players better understand the game from the start, and improve the content quality to elevate the gaming experience.
Although the official release date is unknown, The Hidden Ones pre-alpha playtest will launch on Feb. 27, 2025, for PC via Steam and Android. Players interested in participating can sign up on The Hidden Ones website.
