Phantom Blade Zero Has More Than 50 Bosses, and Each One Unlocks a Weapon

Phantom Blade Zero is shaping up to be quite the challenge for action RPG fans, with developer S-GAME confirming that the upcoming game has at least 50 bosses. Even better, defeating these encounters is how players will obtain the weapons they need to expand their arsenal, giving each fight a tangible reward.

The revelation comes from a new interview with S-GAME founder and game director Liang Qiwei, better known as Soulframe. With 30 main weapons and more than 20 secondary weapons available, the studio has designed a boss roster that could grow beyond 50 encounters. There is more to this system than simply collecting new swords, though.

Phantom Blade Zero Has at Least 50 Bosses

The boss count came up during an interview with Japanese outlet 4Gamer, published on October 9. Asked about reports of roughly 30 bosses, Soulframe clarified that the actual number is considerably higher because the game’s weapons are tied directly to boss encounters.

Since there’s a boss associated with each weapon, that means there are at least 50 bosses, and the actual number might be even higher.

That estimate comes from the 30 main weapons and 20+ secondary weapons Soulframe described earlier. The developers have also built considerable variety into these encounters, with enemies ranging from shield-bearing fighters to mounted opponents and much larger adversaries. Their designs, the director explained, share the game’s kungfupunk aesthetic, blending traditional Chinese wuxia with mechanical and fantastical elements.

Players will need to pay attention to how each opponent fights, too. Some enemies have weaknesses that make particular weapons especially effective, while others allow more flexibility. The result should give players plenty of reasons to experiment with their growing collection instead of relying on the same weapon throughout the adventure.

The Devs Want Players to Experiment With Weapons

Your favorite weapon might not cut it every time. | Credits: S-Game/YouTube

The weapon system also ties into the game’s broader RPG structure. Qiwei explained that players can combine weapons with accessories to create different builds, and they can even reset weapon upgrades to move their investments elsewhere. That should prove useful when a boss refuses to cooperate with your current setup.

… But this is still an RPG. You can choose a weapon that’s well suited to a particular boss, or put together a build by combining the right weapon and accessories … Simply switching weapons can sometimes make a fight dramatically easier.

That philosophy extends to exploration and optional encounters. The director also revealed the game contains numerous hidden bosses, each with distinctive characteristics that players must learn to overcome. Some encounters also contain story-related surprises, including potential reactions to weapons associated with characters in the narrative.

With Phantom Blade Zero scheduled to launch on October 28 in the United States and select regions, and October 29 elsewhere (you know, time zones and whatnot), on PlayStation 5 and PC only for now, players will soon find out how well this approach works across the full adventure.

Which weapon type are you hoping to try first, and do you prefer games that reward experimentation over mastering a single build? Let us know in the comments below!