If you ask me what the biggest change in the gaming industry in 2025 is, I'd have to say: I never expected that "Extract-and-Shoot," originally a niche gameplay style, has now become the hottest traffic magnet.
If we look back with hindsight, this phenomenon isn't hard to understand—in "Extract-and-Shoot" gameplay, when you use your gear as a "stake" to "gamble" upon entering the match, the thrill and satisfaction of either doubling your value after a successful haul or losing Everythinggj due to a single misjudgment are unmatched by other games.
Of course, this thrill and satisfaction come at a price—in an FPS where victory is decided in the blink of an eye and threats can come from all directions, players can easily end up dying for nothing.
But then again, who said "Extract-and-Shoot" has to be a modern-themed shooter? What if we flipped it on its head—an ancient-themed wuxia "Extract-and-Shoot" game? Imagine martial artists from different sects, each with unique moves, fighting to the death in the dusty deserts of the Western Regions for treasures buried beneath the sand, much like scenes from "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" or "Ashes of Time"... Given that current "Extract-and-Shoot" games are fiercely competing within the FPS genre, whoever brings this concept to life would undoubtedly claim the title of the industry's first "Wuxia Treasure-Hunting Game."
Wait a minute, isn't this the new "Desert Gold Rush" mode in Naraka: Bladepoint Mobile?
At first glance, the core gameplay of the "Desert Gold Rush" mode doesn't seem much different from the popular "Extract-and-Shoot" games on the market. It still involves piecing together equipment, scavenging for supplies while keeping an eye out, engaging in psychological warfare at extraction points, and occasionally risking your skills (and the treasures in your backpack) in life-or-death duels with other players.
But as a wuxia-themed action competitive game, unlike traditional "Extract-and-Shoot" games, the "Desert Gold Rush" mode places special emphasis on the final "skill-based combat" aspect.
Thanks to the foundation of action competition built up by Naraka: Bladepoint over the years, you can still see familiar elements in the "Desert Gold Rush" mode, such as charged attacks, parries, and uppercuts. These richer interactions and strategic gambles, compared to traditional "Extract-and-Shoot" games, extend the duration of player confrontations, maximizing the dilution of luck factors in "Extract-and-Shoot" battles.
Additionally, the "Desert Gold Rush" mode inherits Naraka: Bladepoint's map design, which primarily features open-air environments. The situation nearby is clear at a glance, allowing for straightforward combat or strategic retreats. Although accidental situations like "third-party interventions" may still occur, it's certainly better than dying inexplicably to a sneak attack.
It can be said that the source of the distinction between the "Desert Gold Rush" mode and traditional "Extract-and-Shoot" games lies in the most fundamental aspect of gameplay: shifting the combat logic from ranged to melee. Whether it's the open-air duels where information is immediately visible to both sides, or the action-based gambles that minimize randomness, the "Desert Gold Rush" mode highlights the "aggressive assault" playstyle that is often overlooked in traditional "Extract-and-Shoot" games.
This change naturally allows the "Desert Gold Rush" mode to reinterpret many classic elements of "Extract-and-Shoot" gameplay in its own style. For instance, in the "Desert Gold Rush" mode, players do not enter a dedicated "Appraisal" interface when opening resource piles.
This might seem to significantly reduce the difficulty of searching for supplies, but for Naraka: Bladepoint, an action competitive game where initiating combos is crucial, "standing still" is inherently a high-risk behavior. Removing the "Appraisal" interface is actually a balance adjustment made by the "Desert Gold Rush" mode based on its own game characteristics.
There are many such examples. Take the classic high-resource point in "Extract-and-Shoot" gameplay—the "Safe Box." Generally, traditional "Extract-and-Shoot" games place "Safe Boxes" in complex indoor environments, encouraging players to engage in offensive and defensive battles around these fixed locations.
However, in the "Desert Gold Rush" mode, the "Gold-Devouring Beast," which serves as a high-resource point, adopts a mechanism completely different from the instantly accessible "Safe Boxes."
At the start of the match, the specific location of the "Gold-Devouring Beast" is not marked on the map. To spawn the "Gold-Devouring Beast," players must first activate seal statues located at four different points. The progress of unsealing and the final spawn location of the "Gold-Devouring Beast" are instantly broadcast to all players in the match.
In other words, to successfully loot high-resource points in the "Desert Gold Rush" mode, players should not rely on the traditional tactic of "ambushing reinforcements at a besieged point," but rather adopt the opposite approach of "proactive offense." Ultimately, the one who succeeds in looting may not necessarily be the person who first discovers the location of the "Gold-Devouring Beast."
Regarding the crucial "extraction mechanism" in "Extract-and-Shoot" modes, the "Desert Gold Rush" mode also offers many unique features. In addition to various basic extraction points called "Earth Vein Instruments" that require a countdown timer, players can choose to enter the "Gate of Supreme Yang" at the end of the match, which operates similarly to the ranked match mechanism, allowing them to extract by defeating other players in the arena.
Meanwhile, for those "rats" who just want to quietly save up for equipment, the "Desert Gold Rush" mode offers a special extraction method—the "Eight Treasures Earth Vein Instrument." This instrument allows players to extract with a maximum of eight relics, making it ideal for "rats" to quickly loot and exit the match.
By providing a safer extraction environment for new players who want to experience the thrill of "treasure hunting," the significance of the "Eight Treasures Earth Vein Instrument" speaks for itself.
Players familiar with Naraka: Bladepoint Mobile know that every so often, the planning team at 24 Entertainment finds creative ways to give players some benefits. The "Desert Gold Rush" mode naturally inherits this "fine tradition." Beyond the "thrill of combat" and the satisfaction of "successful looting," the "Desert Gold Rush" mode genuinely provides players with numerous out-of-game benefits.
During the upcoming "May Day" holiday, Naraka: Bladepoint Mobile will launch the "Naraka Gold Rush Week" event, offering real gold. Opening loot piles in Survival Mode or scavenging supplies in the "Desert Gold Rush" mode has a chance to yield the special item "Dark Gold Coin." Once obtained, the "Dark Gold Coin" is secured and will not drop if you are killed by other players. Players who successfully pick up a "Dark Gold Coin" will subsequently receive a physical reward: a "999 Pure Gold Naraka Custom Gold Banknote" sent by 24 Entertainment.
From April 29 to May 8, a total of 1,000 "Dark Gold Coins" will be produced daily across both the PC and mobile versions of Naraka: Bladepoint. This means that over the 10-day event period, 24 Entertainment will give away a total of 10,000 grams of gold. With the protection mechanism that secures the "Dark Gold Coin" upon acquisition, the probability of players receiving gold is quite high—finding real gold while playing a "treasure hunting" game is not only unprecedented among similar products but also quite explosive across the entire gaming industry.
In addition, within the game, after each "Desert Gold Rush" match ends, the system will rate players based on the value of the items they extracted and their performance in the match, awarding corresponding "Golden Scale Tokens." Combined with the weekend bonus that increases acquisition by 50%, players can consistently earn up to 1,200 "Golden Scale Tokens" per week. Along with fixed outputs from the Battle Pass and limited-time tasks, players can quickly "freeload" a large number of premium cosmetics from the "Golden Scale Pavilion" shop.
Moreover, the "Ruomu Stake" map mechanic that refreshes mid-match in the "Desert Gold Rush" mode will produce the "Ruolu" item, limited to one per match. If you hold onto the "Ruolu" for a certain period and successfully extract with it, you have a chance to receive "Hualu" upon settlement, which can be used to redeem Divine-tier hairstyles.
If you were to exchange Ingots for them, each "Hualu" would cost 125 Ingots. Now, by simply playing the "Desert Gold Rush" mode, you can accumulate the "Hualu" needed to redeem Divine-tier hairstyles, with no upper limit. By continuing to accumulate, the "Ruolu" in the "Desert Gold Rush" mode can save you a total of 120 "Hualu" for two Divine-tier hairstyles, worth up to 15,000 Ingots—that's a direct savings of 1,500 yuan.
In fact, with its gameplay, creativity, rewards, and months of iterative refinement, the "Desert Gold Rush" mode has indeed established a unique strength in the highly competitive "Extract-and-Shoot" landscape.
A few years ago, Naraka: Bladepoint redefined the entire "Battle Royale" genre. Now, with the rising popularity of "Extract-and-Shoot" gameplay, it is once again bringing a new wave of "Action Competitive" shock to the industry.
How should I put it? This really feels somewhat familiar.