Hello, XENO players!
This is Hozumi, the producer of PROJECT XENO.
As of Monday, November 10, PROJECT XENO has officially reached its 2.5-year anniversary.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the players who have supported XENO up to this point.
It’s been two and a half years since we released PROJECT XENO in May 2023.
For this 2.5th anniversary, we’ve implemented the long-awaited Tag Battle mode—first mentioned in the 1st Anniversary Letter—as well as the new class “Amazoness,” which was briefly introduced in the 2nd Anniversary Letter.
In this letter, I’d like to talk about these updates and share a bit about what’s coming next.
▼PROJECT XENO 2.5th Anniversary New Class: “Amazoness”
To commemorate PROJECT XENO’s 2.5th anniversary, we’ve added the 14th new class: Amazoness.
This class was first conceived over a year ago as a female-based warrior-type XENO, which I mentioned briefly in last year’s anniversary letter.
Initially, we aimed to release Amazoness during the 2nd anniversary. However, in the class selection competition held at that time, it lost to Dragoon and its release was postponed.
Now, at last, we’re excited to introduce Amazoness for the 2.5th anniversary!
■ Amazoness Features
Amazoness brings a brand-new playstyle to XENO.
Some of its skills reference the “gender” of units, allowing for combo-like wave attacks when paired with multiple female units.
Decks that include two or three Amazonesses can create powerful synergies, and the class also pairs well with other female-based XENOs such as Psychic, Necromancer, and Druid.
※ XENO genders generally follow their visual design.
Example: SAMURAI, GRAPPLER → treated as male / PSYCHIC, NECROMANCER, DRUID → treated as female
Example: Female Ninja, female collaboration characters → treated as female
※ Some special or collaboration XENOs may have alternate gender versions.
■ Release Structure
For the first time in XENO’s history, Amazoness will be released in three phases:
– Basic + Marking type (6 skill cards, 1 special card)
– Support/Debuff type (2 skill cards, 1 special card)
– Summon type (2 skill cards, 1 special card)
■ About the Marking Type
Here’s a quick introduction to the first release: the “Marking Type.”
Some of Amazoness’s skills can inflict a unique status called “Marking” on enemies.
While Marking itself doesn’t have a direct effect, Amazoness has abilities that increase her attack power against marked enemies.
【Basic Skill: Hunter’s Mark】
The core tactic for the Marking Type is to apply as many Marks as possible using “Hunter’s Mark.”
Example Skill Effects:
・Increased damage to marked enemies
・Attack all marked enemies simultaneously
・Summoned units deal extra attacks to marked targets
【Marking Type Skill Cards】
There are multiple skill cards related to the Marking mechanic, allowing for various strategies depending on your deck composition.
By strategically marking enemies early in the match, players can set up powerful mid-to-late-game attacks.
In addition to Marking skills, Amazoness features new mechanics such as gender-based support/debuff effects and unique summon abilities with the “Quick” trait.
We hope you’ll enjoy the new class Amazoness!
▼New 2on2 Mode: “Tag Battle”
*Screenshots are from the development build.
We first introduced the idea of Tag Battles in the 1st Anniversary Producer Letter.
After nearly two years of planning and development, we’re finally able to bring this long-awaited feature to life.
Traditionally, XENO has been a one-on-one battle game between two players.
The new Tag Battle mode, however, allows four players—two per team—to battle simultaneously in 2v2 matches.
■ Deck Rules
You can use your existing Arena decks in Tag Battles.
We decided against requiring new, dedicated decks so that more players could easily enjoy this mode without the hassle of reconfiguring.
■ Battle Rules
Each player can have two XENOs on the field, for a total of four at once.
When your first unit is defeated, your third unit joins the battle.
We made this adjustment to maintain balance—if six XENOs (three per player) were on the field at once, AoE attacks would become too strong, and summoning space would be too limited.
In Tag Battles, certain skill cards and passives that were previously underutilized in Arena now have new opportunities to shine, creating unique strategies and teamwork possibilities.
■ Team Formation
There are two ways to play Tag Battles:
1. Random matchmaking with players worldwide
2. Teaming up with friends
In random matchmaking, you’ll enjoy collaborating with different partners every match.
When teaming up with friends, you can build decks that complement each other’s strategies.
Trophies can also be earned in Tag Battles, and anyone can join regardless of skill level.
You can team up with top players or help out friends who have fewer trophies—it’s up to you!
Invite your friends and experience this exciting new battle format: Tag Battle!
▼The Future of PROJECT XENO and “XENO2” (Tentative Title)
On October 17, in Hikaru’s YouTube video “I Spent 200 Million Yen on Something Crazy”,
our CEO, Mr. Furuse, was interviewed, and I also made a brief appearance.
During that discussion, we touched upon the future direction of PROJECT XENO, which I’d like to share here.
■ Current Situation and Challenges
PROJECT XENO was originally developed under the concept of “Web 2.5,” blending the best aspects of traditional social games (Web2) and blockchain-based gaming (Web3).
Our ideal vision was:
・To attract the massive Web2 gaming audience and expand XENO’s recognition as an e-sport
・To incorporate NFT elements, allowing players to trade and transfer their in-game assets
However, in reality, we found ourselves stuck in a “halfway” position that didn’t fully satisfy either side:
・Web3 features were too complex—less than half of our players used the NFT functions
・To maintain NFT exclusivity, we had to limit supply, reducing overall playability
・Permanent asset-based NFTs made collaborations and crossovers difficult
*(Most licensors prefer time-limited collabs, but NFTs appear “permanent” in nature, which causes hesitation.)*
After evaluating these issues, we concluded that it would be better to operate Web2 and Web3 versions of XENO separately.
■ Future Direction
＜PROJECT XENO＞
– Continued operation of the current game
– Gradual transition toward a full Web3 experience
– Phasing out Web2-style gacha systems
– Expanding NFT-based asset trading and economy
＜XENO2 (Tentative Title)＞
– A new Web2-based title with no NFT elements
– Designed for global audiences with a slightly more casual tone
– Aiming to attract a broader range of players
– Active collaborations and tie-ins with other franchises
Please note that XENO2 (tentative) is still in the planning phase and not scheduled for release anytime soon.
This is simply an early preview of our direction: PROJECT XENO will evolve further into Web3, while XENO2 will represent our Web2 side.
As a side note, our CEO Mr. Furuse has expressed interest in returning to the Tokyo Game Show.
If all goes well, XENO2 (tentative) might make its debut there.
That’s all we can share for now—but we’ll continue to update you as more details are finalized.
▼Looking Back on the Past Six Months
At the StudioZ GAME FES held in May 2025, we hosted the Legend Cup, featuring past champions from the “Strongest Player Tournaments” of PROJECT XENO.
Over the past six months, we’ve implemented various updates, including:
・A collaboration event with StudioZ’s flagship title “Elemental Story”
・A collaboration event with Hikaru’s team
・A Three Kingdoms-themed event
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, we’ve been developing the new class “Amazoness” and the 2on2 “Tag Battle” mode.
From the 2nd anniversary onward, managing XENO’s operations has been a complex challenge.
As with any long-running title, the player base naturally declines over time—and XENO has been no exception.
Since the 1st anniversary, we saw a significant number of players step away.
Because XENO is a competitive game, this decline directly affects the overall player experience.
Thus, restoring the player base became our top priority during the 2nd anniversary period.
After exploring options like new classes, skill expansions, and high-difficulty content,
we ultimately decided—after discussions with CEO Furuse and Director Tsukiasu—to focus on delivering a new large-scale gameplay experience rather than simply updating existing content.
That decision led to the creation of Tag Battle, a new feature designed not only to re-engage veteran players but also to welcome back those who had once left XENO.
Since Tag Battles allow friends to play together, new players can also enjoy XENO more easily.
While ideally such major content would have been added earlier, we’re thrilled to bring it to you as part of this 2.5th Anniversary milestone.
We hope this update encourages many players to return and rediscover PROJECT XENO.
Once again, thank you to all XENO players for your incredible support over the past three years.
Our entire team will continue to work hard to make PROJECT XENO a game you can enjoy for years to come.
We deeply appreciate your continued support of PROJECT XENO.