Dynasty Warriors: Origins: How Koei Tecmo Restarted Its Biggest Series With 10,000 Soldiers
Omega Force paused a numbered sequel, cut the cast down to one amnesiac hero and aimed to fill the screen with an army. Now on Switch 2 with a new expansion, here is why Origins became the series' best-reviewed game in years.
After the PS5 launched in 2020, Koei Tecmo's Omega Force stopped work on Dynasty Warriors 10. Producer Tomohiko Sho was blunt about why: fans were "starting to get a bit bored" of the series' style. Instead of a tenth numbered game, the team started over.
The result, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, launched on January 17, 2025 for PS5, PC and Xbox Series X|S, the first non-mobile Dynasty Warriors in seven years. It sold 1 million copies within a month, and on January 22, 2026 it arrived on Nintendo Switch 2.
One hero instead of ninety
Earlier Dynasty Warriors games let you play as dozens of famous generals from China's Three Kingdoms era. Origins takes the opposite approach. You play a single original hero, Ziluan, a wanderer who has lost his memory, helped by a young healer named Yuanhua. Along the way you fight beside, and sometimes against, the period's legends.
The story covers only the first half of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the classic historical novel behind the series, and branches as it goes. You can side with Liu Bei, Cao Cao or the Sun family of Sun Jian, Sun Ce and Sun Quan, with each route showing a different side of the war.
The army is the point
The series' trademark is one warrior cutting through hundreds of soldiers. Origins turns that up dramatically. Omega Force set a goal of showing 10,000 soldiers on screen at once, using the power of the PS5 and its in-house Katana Engine, so battles feel like genuine clashes of armies instead of a hero surrounded by a few dozen clones.
Omega Force built the game to take advantage of the PS5's hardware, and there is no PS4 version at all. That focus on scale explains the long gap between games: rather than make another entry in the old style for older machines, the team chose to build around newer hardware and much bigger battles.
It is also why the Switch 2 version matters. Bringing a game built around thousands of on-screen soldiers to a handheld was a technical test in itself, and it gives Nintendo players their first taste of the new direction.
The best reviews in years
Critics rewarded the reboot. Origins scored 84 on Metacritic for PC and 79 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with 85% of critics recommending it on OpenCritic. Destructoid gave it 9.5/10 and IGN 9/10, while Famitsu awarded 38 out of 40. It also won an Award for Excellence at the Japan Game Awards 2025.
Koei Tecmo announced 1 million copies sold worldwide on February 14, 2025, less than a month after launch.
An expansion and a new home
For the series' 25th anniversary, Koei Tecmo announced a major expansion in August 2025, now available as Visions of Four Heroes. And with the Switch 2 version in January 2026, Origins reached Nintendo players for the first time.
Why it matters
Long-running series often struggle to change without losing their fans. Origins shows a way through: slow down, focus on one story, and make the core fantasy, one warrior against an army, more spectacular than ever. It also gives Koei Tecmo a strong foundation for the future, whether that is a sequel or the long-delayed tenth numbered game.
For another Koei Tecmo revival, from its Team Ninja studio, read our story on Ninja Gaiden 4.