Arknights

Overview

Arknights (Chinese: 明日方舟; Pinyin: Míngrì Fāngzhōu; lit. "Ark of Tomorrow") was developed by Shanghai-based studio Hypergryph, by Hai Mao and several members of Mica Team (now known as Sunborn). While working on Girls' Frontline, Hai Mao created concept art that was not used in that game, but would be the prototypes of characters later in Arknights. In 2017, Hai Mao and some of his friends officially left Mica Team and decided to start their own company, and used their previous experience in game development and art to create Arknights.

Setting

The main setting of Arknights is on a world known as Terra. It has some similarities to Earth and Earth cultures, with various nation-states forming parallels to those of our own (i.e. the Ursus Empire as pre-revolution Russia, Yan as China, Lungmen as Hong Kong, Bolivar as a mix of Colonial Era and contemporary South America) and technology levels that are similar to our modern era (some places have internet and wireless communications). However, there are some big differences:

All people on Terra (collectively referred to as "Ancients") have animal traits. For some, this might just appear as animal ears and/or tails on an otherwise human body. For others, they might be full-on bipedal furries. And everything in-between.

Terra is covered in a unique mineral known as Originium, which is considered both a blessing and a curse. On the positive side, Originium has been used as a power source to jumpstart the technological progress of civilizations all across Terra, to the point where entire cities have been built atop mobile platforms (officially known as "Mobile Cities"). Originium can be used to power a functional sort of magic known collectively as Originium Arts (or just "Arts"), which can be used for anything from healing wounds to throwing fireballs. On the other hand, if raw Originium particles enter someone's blood, it can lead to a terminal disease known as Oripathy for which there is no known cure, and dying while infected with Oripathy can turn the corpse into a spreader of even more Originium. While Arts users who are infected with Oripathy can produce more powerful Arts than before, they shorten their own lifespan by doing so. In addition, supercharged storms known as Catastrophes can shatter entire cities and leave raw Originium in their wake.

Those infected with Oripathy, collectively known as the Infected, are subject to a wide range of bigotry and discrimination all across Terra. Some cultures simply shun them, others treat them as an underclass to be used as hard laborers, and others even outright imprison or execute anyone who turns out to be Infected. This leads to the conflict in the main story arc of Arknights as we know it: The Doctor, a high-level member of a pharmaceutical organization known as Rhodes Island, seeks to find a cure for Oripathy. On the other end, Reunion, a group of Infected that has decided to violently resist their oppressors.

Games

Arknights

The main title. A tower defense game where a wide variety of Operators act as the "towers."

Arknights: Endfield

A spinoff title that appears to take place on another world, where the player takes on the role of "Endministrator." Not much else is known at this time.

Other media

Manga

Multiple manga spinoffs, some following the main story, others following individual characters or comedic skits.

• A1 Operations Preparation Detachment
• Rhodes Kitchen - Tidbits
• Rhodes Island's Record of Originium - Rhine Labs
• Arknights: Stories of Infected - Blacksteel
• Arknights: OPERATORS!
• Arknights Comic Anthology

Anime

Arknights: Prelude to Dawn, an 8-episode series that aired October 29, 2022 – December 17, 2022, follows the first main story arc of the game. A second season, titled Perish in Frost, was announced for future release.

Lee's Detective Agency, a series of short animations with a comedic story, was released online through Youtube and Crunchyroll, starting on December 22. 2022.