We asked the Duet Night Abyss team about Warframe, drip marketing, and the removal of the character gacha

One of this year’s biggest gacha game releases is Duet Night Abyss – or it was meant to be, before the teams behind it decided to do the unthinkable and remove the gacha system. Set in a world overrun by demonic beings, the free-to-play game blends Wuthering Waves with Warframe for an enthralling experience.

We sat down with the game’s producer, Deca Bear, to talk about the decisions behind changes to the game after the beta tests, the inspirations that led to its creation, and where we can expect it to go in the future. Now, without further ado, let’s get into it.

Pocket Tactics: Duet Night Abyss was originally revealed two years ago. Players were waiting for it for a while – how was the development?

Deca Bear: Over the past two years, Duet Night Abyss has gone through one technical test, two closed beta tests, and one confidential test. Throughout these tests, we’ve gathered a great deal of player feedback and suggestions.

Based on those insights and current market conditions, we’ve continued to refine every aspect of the game, from combat mechanics and narrative pacing to the monetization system, with the core goal of delivering a more exhilarating, immersive, and player-friendly combat experience.

Where did the inspiration for the world come from?

The story in Duet Night Abyss takes place in the Atlasia Continent, with the Hyperborean Empire serving as the main stage. At the beginning of the story, the central conflict revolves around the Charons and their struggle against the oppressive empire.

The inspiration for the world came from our understanding and aesthetic appreciation of anime culture. With the desire to strike a balance between fantasy and reality, we aim to portray the cruelty of the world while preserving the warmth of humanity. By weaving these elements into a dark, gothic fantasy style, we hope players can feel the light of humanity even amidst suffering and despair, and come to cherish the strength of faith and hope within.

The game draws a lot of comparisons to Warframe – was this intentional?

Warframe is a highly popular title and one we deeply respect. While both games emphasize combat experience, Duet Night Abyss has its own rhythm. We focus more on gameplay diversity, customization, and a character-driven narrative experience.

With high-quality music and dual-protagonist storytelling, we believe players will experience the distinct identity and vision that set Duet Night Abyss apart once they step into its world.

What made you decide on a dual narrative with separate protagonists? How did you go about balancing it?

The story in Duet Night Abyss is complex, and experiencing it from a single perspective can only offer a limited view. By introducing an additional viewpoint, we add another dimension, allowing players to perceive the world in a more nuanced and multidimensional way. This was the very reason we chose the dual narrative in Duet Night Abyss.

In the development process, we worked to balance the two storylines by fine-tuning the pacing, character relationships, and key events. Each protagonist has a distinct identity, perspective, and background. The people they meet and the challenges they face are also very different.

As players progress through the game, it will feel as though they are experiencing two intertwined journeys within the same world. When these two paths intersect at a certain point, we hope that the two independent yet closely connected stories will bring players a sense of surprise and emotional resonance.

A feature setting DNA apart from other, similar games is that dialogue choices matter and that there’s a stat-based chance element. Where did this come from? Were there any particular inspirations for it?

We hope that every choice in the dialogue is truly meaningful, rather than merely decorative. Through this design, we also hope story-focused players can feel our sincerity and dedication to creating a deep narrative experience.

The stat-based chance element makes choices closer to real life – decisions are never purely rational, which will also be affected by emotions, circumstances, and other factors. This concept shares some similarities with dice rolls, as well as the design in tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, several members of our team are devoted D&D players, and blending these elements felt like a natural fit for the world and tone of our game.

What prompted you to take the stamina system out of the game?

In previous tests, we received feedback from players that the stamina system limited their gameplay experience to some extent. Based on the feedback, we revisited our design approach to make players take on commissions and enjoy the gameplay with greater freedom.

With the goal of delivering pure engagement and immersion rather than a sense of passive waiting, we decided to remove the stamina system and hope players can truly take control of their own adventure, enjoying the freedom of exploration and the thrill of combat.

Similarly, what spurred you to remove the character gacha? This is a huge move considering how popular gacha games are.

Our core vision for Duet Night Abyss is to build a high-quality, long-term, and truly player-friendly game ecosystem for users around the world. Therefore, monetization has to serve the gameplay experience, not compromise the fun. The choice to remove character banners was driven by extensive player feedback and our team’s commitment to creating a fairer, more sustainable progression system.

We want players to focus on the game experience itself, enjoying the gameplay with greater freedom rather than being restricted by gacha mechanics.

By removing character banners, players can obtain the characters they want more freely with different combinations. This better reflects our vision of creating a “thrilling hybrid action RPG with high freedom” experience.

How will the lack of a gacha system affect new character releases? Will there be any limited-time characters?

After removing character banners, new characters will primarily be introduced through story updates or in-game events in the near future. Some of them may appear alongside limited-time missions, but all characters can be obtained through regular gameplay, and there will be no cases where players permanently miss out on any character.

How will updates work? Is it similar to other games where patches last a few weeks, or is there a different system? Will there be “drip marketing” for cosmetics?

At present, our update cycle follows a 28-day schedule, with each version adding new characters or gameplay features to keep the experience fresh for players.

Regarding cosmetics, we plan to gradually unveil new outfits and accessories through previews or announcements, building anticipation and curiosity throughout each update. Our goal is to make every version not only about functional improvements, but also something players can genuinely look forward to and actively discuss.

How will you balance the number of accessories and outfits with the characters?

The relationship between characters, accessories, and outfits is one of the key aspects we focus on in our plan. We aim for every character to shine not just through gameplay, but through the individuality players bring to them – expressed in their customized looks and personalities.

In terms of quantity planning, we will try to maintain a balance. While continuously introducing new characters, we also plan to provide existing ones with new accessories and outfits, in order to keep them “alive” in players’ minds and enhance customization options.

Additionally, accessories and certain outfits are compatible across multiple characters. We hope this can enrich visual variety and help balance the relationship between characters and cosmetics, while reducing acquisition costs for players.

Who is your favorite character to use?

That’s a really tough question, as every character comes from the team’s joint effort. Each has its own unique traits and style. Rather than choosing a personal favorite, I’d say I’m more excited to witness the birth of new characters together with our players. I hope that with every experience, players can discover the one that feels like their own “favorite”.

When are we likely to see the game release on Steam, and will it be optimized for Steam Deck?

The release on Steam is currently in development. At this stage, we focus more on optimizing player experience on the platforms where Duet Night Abyss is already available, before gradually expanding to additional platforms.

Once we ensure that players can enjoy a smooth and well-optimized experience on Steam, we will explore technical optimizations and platform adaptations for other platforms as well, including potential support for Steam Deck, so that players across different platforms can enjoy the best possible experience.

That concludes our look into the mind behind the game. If you’re interested in jumping in or need a hand getting some more currency, check our Duet Night Abyss codes guide and Duet Night Abyss tier list for some assistance.