Tsai Ming-Hong, who launched Taiwan’s long-running RPG series Xuan-Yuan Sword, has left Softstar Entertainment after many years there to work on a brand-new title. Tianji: Shadow of the Ancients is a Taiwan-developed turn-based RPG set during the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty.

The game is being made by Taipei-based Justdan International Co., Ltd., which unveiled the title on September 8, 2026. It’s coming to four platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

Screenshot of gameplay

Players take control of Shangguan Shuo, an amnesiac swordsman tracking the masked Xuanxin Order to learn who he once was. In the field, enemies are visible from the start, and battles begin only against foes the player approaches. Players can climb cliffs and throw a hook across gaps to reach distant platforms. Time shifts between day and night, changing which residents can be spoken to and what events occur.

Combat is turn-based and built around combo chains. Exploiting enemy weaknesses leaves foes vulnerable, and attacks landed while they are in that state deal extra damage. Timing a block correctly lets players deflect enemy attacks. Ally attacks can randomly trigger Pursuit Skills. Skills draw from a resource that stands in for MP or SP; it depletes when abilities are used and regenerates while the player waits without moving.

Screenshot of gameplay

Players choose three characters from a roster of up to six main characters to take into battle. Revealed so far, alongside Shangguan Shuo, are Li Ling, who wields a bow, and Su Jin, who serves as a healer.

At a hands-on event, Tsai said he wants players to be able to connect emotionally with the characters as the story unfolds.

The estimated playtime is around 20 to 30 hours. The game is set to launch in 2027, with no specific date announced yet.

PlatformsRelease dateDemo
Steam (PC)TBANo

Language: English
As of September 8, 2026