On August 28, the 17th-anniversary celebration belonging to JX3 was successfully held at the Guangzhou Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center, with 18,000 players gathering together. It can be said to be the largest celebration in JX3's history.
At the event, JX3 Producer Xianyu (Yu Yuxian) announced major news: On October 29, JX3's new generation "Cangsheng Zhushi" at level 50 will officially enter open beta. The character level cap will return to 50, and the level, stat, and growth systems will undergo systematic reconstruction. Meanwhile, JX3's new maps, storyline, and sect content will gradually unfold.
Now, at its 17th anniversary, JX3 has clearly entered a new phase. In this new stage, the familiar Jianghu will continue to grow, and new stories will unfold. It makes one curious—how will this Tang Dynasty world, which has accompanied players for 17 years, step into the future? And how will the story of Chinese martial arts games continue to evolve?
With these questions in mind, we met with Producer Xianyu after the celebration and, in this conversation, heard the ever-extending story belonging to JX3.
Below is the full transcript of the interview:
Q: How do you understand the "MMO original intention" mentioned by JX3? Over the past 17 years, what has changed, and what has remained the same?
Xianyu:Our understanding of the "MMO original intention" starts with the players. An MMO is not just composed of gameplay, stats, and versions; more importantly, it is about the relationships players build, the emotions they invest, and the memories left from years of shared life. Over the past 17 years, technology, gameplay, and players' time habits have constantly changed—we must also continuously adjust our expression and product experience. What hasn't changed is our emphasis on players and everyone's shared love for this Jianghu. Talking about the "original intention" today is not about going back to the past but hoping to preserve these most important elements in a way that fits the present.
Q: In systematically organizing JX3's core ecosystem, what aspects will be prioritized? What is the biggest challenge?
Xianyu:The most important aspect this time is not to make any single gameplay mode more complex, but to reorganize the connections between growth, combat, social interactions, and player organizations, allowing different ecosystems like PVE, PVP, and PVX to operate more completely. The biggest challenge lies in JX3's 17 years of content accumulation and player habits; many systems carry real investments of time, relationships, and emotions. Therefore, we will proceed more cautiously, fully listening to the opinions of different types of core players, optimizing gradually while respecting existing accumulations, rather than changing for the sake of change.
Q: Compared to the current version, what is the core upgrade in JX3 2.0? Why choose this stage to make significant investments in the underlying infrastructure?
Xianyu:JX3 2.0 is not just a simple graphics upgrade but a systematic evolution from the technical foundation, rendering performance, R&D toolchain, to content production efficiency. Improvements in presentation are what players see most directly, but from an R&D perspective, more important is the upgrade of underlying tools and production processes—only with a more advanced foundation can future gameplay, scenes, and content expression have greater room. We hope to lay a solid foundation in advance for JX3's next long-term phase, ensuring this Jianghu retains the ability to evolve continuously in the future.
Q: Without relying on new sects as the main annual growth driver, where will JX3's future appeal come from?
Xianyu:Practice over the past few years has made it increasingly clear to us that new sects are not the only content capable of driving new acquisitions and returns. Players have deep demands for existing sects, storylines, gameplay quality, social relationships, and world experiences. As the number of sects increases, new sects also bring more long-term maintenance costs regarding balance and settings. Therefore, we prefer to deepen and refine existing content, forming diverse and stable long-term appeal through深耕 existing sects, new storylines, new maps, core ecosystem upgrades, and better technical performance, rather than betting growth on a single type of content.
Q: After restructuring the level and stat systems, how will the team handle the potential impact on the overall ecosystem and balance?
Xianyu:The adjustment of the level and stat systems this time is not aimed solely at a specific type of player or a short-term issue. The core goal is to serve the long-term cycle of the entire game ecosystem. Regarding specific stats and balance, we will continue to adjust based on actual experience and data. Rather than focusing on individual local stats, we are more concerned with whether this system can operate sustainably and healthily in the long run.
Q: Why choose to "return to level 50" after 17 years of operation? Isn't this a risky move?
Xianyu:Returning to level 50 is not a simple nostalgic retreat but a new starting line. After years of version accumulations, the level, equipment, and stat systems naturally become increasingly complex, and the growth gap between players gradually widens. We hope to take this opportunity to systematically reconstruct the entire growth system, allowing both new and old players to continue forward in a clearer and fairer structure. For us, this is more like a necessary and proactive structural upgrade in the process of long-term operations. The goal is not to return to the past but to create healthier growth space for the future.
Q: The emotional intensity of the 17th-anniversary press conference was very high. Does this mean you will place greater emphasis on veteran and returning players in the future?
Xianyu:The anniversary celebration is first and foremost a gathering to celebrate a birthday with old friends. Seventeen years of emotion are hard to summarize in a few words, so this year's press conference and performances emphasize companionship, character bonds, and shared memories. At the same time, we certainly hope more new players will enter this Jianghu. For new players, the true attraction lies in the product quality itself—better graphics, more mature technology, more interesting gameplay, and lower barriers to understanding. We hope to cherish the emotional accumulation of veteran players on one hand, while attracting new players by continuously improving product quality on the other.
Q: From the producer's perspective, what do you most hope to accomplish in JX3 over the next three years?
Xianyu:I have always hoped to make players' characters truly "come alive" within this world. Many players have accompanied their characters for years; they are no longer just units to be controlled but emotional vessels connecting players to the Jianghu. With the continuous development of new technologies, we are also exploring their potential applications in character interaction, NPC performance, and other areas. Of course, these are still in the exploratory stage, and we hope to gradually find application methods truly suitable for JX3 in the future.
Q: Why are you simultaneously adjusting PVE, PVP, PVX, and social systems? What is most important for a healthy MMO ecosystem?
Xianyu:In the past, we made many isolated improvements, but we increasingly realized that making just one gameplay mode stand out is not enough to solve the problems of the entire MMO ecosystem. PVE team relationships, PVP faction histories, and PVX life and expression should all be interconnected within the same world. In the future, we will continue to focus on the ecological foundation, allowing different types of players to find their place. A stable economic and resource cycle is the underlying support. Above this, more important is the continuous accumulation of relationships, identities, honors, and shared memories among players.
Q: User time is becoming increasingly fragmented, yet MMOs rely on long-term relationships and deep experiences. How does JX3 aim to balance casual and hardcore gameplay?
Xianyu:Casual and hardcore gameplay are actually complementary. Casual content is more like players' daily life in this world—socializing, collecting, cosmetics, and self-expression; hardcore content provides growth, challenges, and long-term pursuits. We hope to reduce elements that consume time but offer low experiential value, such as unnecessary waiting and repetitive grinding, leaving time for content players truly want to play.
I once used a metaphor internally: daily life is like a relaxed "Earth," but one must also look up to see the "stars and sea" worth pursuing. If there are only goals, people become exhausted; if there are no goals, the world loses its allure.
We hope both can coexist.
Q: How do you view the relationship between "reducing burden" and long-term engagement?
Xianyu:Online duration is not the only metric we value. Rather than filling players' days with numerous repetitive tasks, we hope limited time can be truly spent on content that is interesting, rewarding, and memorable. In a season, even if a player only concentrates on playing for a period, as long as that experience is good enough and worth reminiscing about, they will be willing to return for the next season. For JX3, healthy long-term operations are not about keeping players "locked in" but ensuring that every time they return, they gain an experience worth staying for.
Q: Aligning with international R&D systems, what changes will this bring to JX3 in the future?
Xianyu:A crucial part of this collaboration involves upgrading our underlying R&D tools and production methods. We have been developing new tools and processes internally, and in the future, we will combine these capabilities with mature external technical systems to improve overall R&D efficiency. Ultimately, we hope to enable the team to produce content more efficiently, allowing them to focus more on visual presentation, gameplay, and world experience. As for the specific technologies adopted and how the collaboration will proceed, we will share more details at a more appropriate time in the future.
Q: Why did you make this year's anniversary celebration the largest in history?
Xianyu:The reason is actually quite simple. In previous years, player enthusiasm was very high after each anniversary event launched, and the venue expanded year by year. If we had continued with the single-sided stage from the past this year, it would have been difficult to accommodate the scale. Therefore, we adopted a four-sided stage for the first time. Ultimately, it is still about hoping to allow more heroes to come to the site and celebrate this birthday together.
Q: How do you view the value of fan culture to JX3's long-term IP? Will the official team and players move towards closer co-creation?
Xianyu:Fan creation holds great significance for JX3. The official team can provide the game's content, but players extend this Jianghu through their own understanding and expression. Often, the influence generated by player works is something the official team cannot easily replace; it helps more people recognize characters, sects, and the IP.
Therefore, we will continue to support the fan ecosystem. For us, players are not just recipients of content; they are actively enriching the Jianghu of JX3, which is an important reason why this IP maintains its vitality over the long term.
Q: Why have you continued to integrate ancient architecture, intangible cultural heritage, and public welfare projects into JX3's IP construction in recent years?
Xianyu:JX3 is a game rooted in Chinese history and martial arts culture. As the world expands, we increasingly realize that authentic ancient architecture, historical materials, and traditional culture can help us build a Jianghu with deeper roots and credibility. Collaborating with professional cultural institutions allows our R&D team to access more accurate and rich materials, enhancing worldview and content expression. On the other hand, the game can serve as an entry point for young people to understand traditional culture, bringing ancient architecture and cultural content that were once distant from the public into a broader视野.
For us, this is a natural process of mutual achievement.
Q: What does JX3 prioritize most when selecting IP collaborations?
Xianyu:The most direct criterion is still whether players like it. When selecting partners, we pay close attention to player feedback and acceptance. If players are not interested in an IP or feel the collaboration is unsuitable, we will not force it just for the sake of having a collaboration. For JX3, collaborations must ultimately serve the players, making them truly feel interested and excited, rather than simply adding to a list of partnerships.
Q: After 17 years of operating JX3, what is the most important lesson in long-term operations?
Xianyu:The core principle is keeping players in mind and being willing to continuously invest in the product. Long-term operations cannot be problem-free forever. What matters is whether the team is willing to face issues and allocate resources to solve them when players genuinely care about certain experiences. At the same time, we must cherish the player relationships, community culture, and content accumulation that have already formed. A product's longevity relies not on a single highlight but on continuous innovation, consistent responses, and the trust built with players over time.
Q: How will you handle low-engagement legacy gameplay modes and barriers to entry in JX3 in the future?
Xianyu:After so many years of operation, JX3 has indeed accumulated a vast number of gameplay modes. In the past, when creating content, we sometimes felt that if something was interesting or popular, we wanted to add it to the game. But as time passed, we increasingly realized that gameplay must ultimately be considered within the entire ecosystem.
Next, we will continue to organize this content. Parts with high repetitiveness and low experiential value will have their burden reduced or even be adjusted; gameplay modes truly loved by players and having long-term value will be retained and optimized. Ultimately, we hope players can live more easily in this Jianghu, rather than being burdened by a large amount of scattered content.
Q: How can technical upgrades avoid visual homogenization?
Xianyu:I believe technical tools themselves do not directly lead to visual homogenization. The same technology and engine can produce completely different visual styles. What truly determines a product's distinctiveness is the team's aesthetic direction, content assets, and investment in resource production. Technology is ultimately a tool; the key lies in what we want to create with it.
Q: Standing at the 17th-anniversary milestone, how do you view the development direction of JX3 for the next ten years?
Xianyu:JX3 has become more than just a game for many players; it is like a companion that has been with them for over a decade. We have been talking about the 30th anniversary. To go further, we must first establish a solid foundation in technology and R&D, ensuring our underlying capabilities keep pace with industry developments. On this basis, we also hope to further explore the possibilities of characters, NPCs, and the entire game ecosystem, making this Jianghu more vibrant and complete. The next ten years are long, but the work we are doing now is the first step toward a more distant future.