Unidentified entities appearing in urban legends instill a vague sense of fear in people while simultaneously sparking a strange curiosity. As peculiar settings are added to stories that feel like they could actually exist, they make us wonder at some point, "Could this really be real?" This is likely why urban fantasy based on urban legends enjoys enduring popularity.
Games themed around these unknown entities generally split in two directions: either depicting horror where players must survive against mysterious beings, or taking an action-oriented approach where players face them head-on.
5minlab's upcoming title 'WPCA: World Phasebound Control Authority' (hereafter 'WPCA') takes the latter path. In the game's world, supernatural entities that threaten reality—known as 'Phasebounds'—exist, and players take on the role of a 'Containment Agent' belonging to the Seoul Branch of the World Phasebound Control Authority, tasked with hunting down and defeating Phasebounds that have escaped containment.
From its genre to its tone, the game differs in many ways from 5minlab's previous works. How is 5minlab bringing these mysterious entities from urban legends into a game? We met with 5minlab Producer Seung-chan Lee and Creative Director Sung-in Ji to hear about 'WPCA.'
Please give us a brief introduction first.
Seung-chan Lee: I'm serving as the Producer and Art Director for 'WPCA.'
Sung-in Ji: I've handled combat design at 5minlab for a long time, and I'm currently the Creative Director for 'WPCA.'
Before diving into details, could you briefly introduce the game's concept and setting?
Seung-chan Lee: The game is set in a world where supernatural entities that threaten reality, known as Phasebounds, exist. The stage is set in Korea within this world, where players become 'Containment Agents' attached to the Seoul Branch of the World Phasebound Control Authority, responsible for tracking down and defeating Phasebounds. Alongside investigating various incidents related to Phasebounds, the game will offer a diverse narrative that extends into combat content where you face off against them.
Hunting and containing supernatural entities in reality brings to mind things like SCP. It seems almost natural to draw inspiration from it. Where did you draw inspiration from, and what led to the development of 'WPCA'?
Seung-chan Lee: Given how influential it is, I think it's actually harder not to be influenced by 'containment fiction' like SCP (laughs). In that sense, it was only natural for us to be inspired by it. We have quite a few fans within the team, and Creative Director Sung-in Ji here is a huge fan himself.
Personally, I wasn't as familiar with it at first. You could say I only knew of its existence, thinking, "Ah, so containment fiction is a genre." But as we began developing 'WPCA' and researching materials, I naturally fell in love with the appeal of containment fiction.
As for what led us to develop 'WPCA,' I'd say there were two main reasons. First, this is the fourth project attempt I've worked on together with CD Ji. Hearing that, people might wonder, "That many?" But 5minlab is a company that inherently tries out many projects and cancels them, so in that sense, we experienced several failures.
Anyway, after running through various projects and observing the developers, I felt we needed something where developers could channel all their energy into. How should I put it? Casual games are great, but there was a need to create a larger-scale title. With that in mind, we started developing 'WPCA' wanting to build a high-quality game of a scale that artists and developers could pour their energy into.
I had developed 'Smash Legends' together with CD Ji, and working with him back then, I learned how passionate he was about action games. Not just playing them, but creating them as well. Naturally, when developing 'WPCA,' I recruited CD Ji. That's how the team named Iron Canary was formed and development officially began.
Although Iron Canary started like that, the initial prototype did not receive good feedback. It was a Musou-style hack-and-slash game, but the reaction during internal presentations was lukewarm. Seeing that, I thought we needed to pivot quickly, because satisfying gamers would be next to impossible if we couldn't even satisfy our own colleagues.
After pivoting the direction once, we changed the team name to Bronze Canary, and once it became an official project, we renamed the team to Canary. With that, development of 'WPCA' got fully on track.
You describe it as a stylish hunting action game. Could you detail the structure you're planning in terms of game content and play loop?
Sung-in Ji: Fundamentally, it stays faithful to the play loop of the hunting action genre. There is a hub serving as a town where you manage builds or accept quests before deploying to hunt Phasebounds. After battling a Phasebound, you return to town to resupply, research new builds, or craft gear. If you lack materials during this process, you deploy again to hunt the Phasebound that drops those materials.
One key feature is that we are trying to minimize field exploration while heading out to hunt Phasebounds. This relates partly to my personal preference—I personally don't really enjoy roaming around and exploring when going out to hunt monsters. So 'WPCA' features various bosses in a boss rush concept, focusing heavily on combat with them.
Of course, we recognize that for titles featuring supernatural entities like 'WPCA,' the fun of delving into lore is also important. We plan to resolve lore-related exploration elements within the hub, which is the Federation building. Simply put, you can think of it as separated: players wander around the vertically tall Federation building to dig into the lore, while combat stays focused on the Phasebounds.
You mentioned a boss rush style. Are there no regular mob enemies?
Sung-in Ji: It's not a format where you defeat regular mobs to reach the boss. I think this is similar to most other containment fiction genres. Just like focusing on a target and carrying out containment procedures, 'WPCA' aims to deliver high-density combat content by focusing more on each individual Phasebound boss.
However, that doesn't mean regular mobs are completely absent. Even in those cases, it would be structured like a boss with a puppeteer concept controlling multiple minion puppets. It's ultimately implemented as one of the boss's attack patterns.
Were there any difficulties during the transition from a Musou genre to a hunting action genre?
Sung-in Ji: Honestly, there wasn't much difficulty to speak of. Aside from both being action games, everything from genre characteristics to core appeal was completely different, so we practically rebuilt everything from scratch (laughs). But on the other hand, I felt relieved that we made the pivot. To be honest, I had many doubts when making a Musou game. As a developer, I need to find it fun first, but I was asking myself, "Do I really like this genre and enjoy making it?"
Then I felt a hunting action game would be better, which led to the pivot and brought us to where we are now. Personally, I find it a very satisfying change and am thoroughly enjoying development.
We'd also like to hear why you chose urban fantasy containment fiction for the world's setting.
Seung-chan Lee: In my personal view, modern content often isn't easily accepted unless it can be understood almost immediately.
In that sense, whether 'WPCA' had an easily accessible setting was crucial. The first thing I checked back then was whether there were fans within the development team. I believed we could only make a good game if the team understood and loved this universe, and fortunately, as mentioned earlier, CD Ji and quite a few internal devs reacted with genuine interest and enthusiasm.
Of course, that alone wasn't enough. The most important factor was whether it would resonate with gamers—the general public. While pondering that, I gained confidence through a specific moment. It was content introducing elementary school bestsellers, and I saw a containment fiction comic aimed at elementary students.
Looking further, I found quite a few secondary creation games and YouTube videos aimed at elementary school students. Seeing that, I felt confident that this setting would gain even more popularity and mainstream appeal in the future, which gave us the conviction to build the world of 'WPCA.'
With a boss rush style, there might be concerns about it becoming too repetitive or content being consumed too quickly.
Sung-in Ji: As a hunting action game, boss rush is our core content, but we don't plan on featuring only that. While boss rush is the main content, we are preparing sub-quests dubbed Federation Content that focus on exploring and uncovering lore, balancing the pacing between combat and exploration.
Of course, repeatedly hunting Phasebounds is an inevitable aspect of the genre. Even iconic titles in the hunting action genre require hunting the same target repeatedly to get desired rare materials or gear. In 'WPCA,' we plan to naturally encourage repeated play so that players can complete their desired builds—whether to farm required materials or to grind until random weapon stat rolls hit their target stats.
In truth, whether repetitive play feels tedious hinges on how diverse the builds can be and how satisfying it feels to complete a build. Boss fights—the core fun of combat—are equally important. Ultimately, if combat is fun, diverse builds are possible, and the outcomes feel varied, players won't feel the drawback of repeating boss rushes as strongly.
Since content consumption in a boss rush is naturally very fast, we are fully aware of this aspect. To address it, we plan to offer diverse builds and incorporate plenty of grinding to reach those milestones.
The biggest point of differentiation from existing hunting games seems to be stylish action. However, stylish action might feel somewhat different in tone from traditional hunting action. Could you explain why you incorporated stylish action and what other differentiating factors exist?
Sung-in Ji: Honestly, we didn't overthink differentiation when designing the action (laughs). Looking back at all the projects we ran and canceled, it felt like the projects where we obsessed over differentiation were actually the ones that got canceled more often.
So when Bronze Canary was canceled, I thought, "I shouldn't overthink differentiation." Instead, I concluded that it's more important to integrate what I love and feel confident in to make a great game. That's how we naturally brought in stylish action.
In that regard, I personally love stylish action, and I believe any combat designer wanting to create such action must play the 'Devil May Cry' series—it's essentially the bible of stylish action.
Meanwhile, being a stylish hunting action game, I think the play style will differ from existing hunting action games. Taking Monster Hunter as an example, reading boss patterns is more important than pure reflexes. It's like the boss presenting a problem—a pattern—and the player providing the answer to that problem, such as, "If the front leg attacks, dodging to the right is safe."
Since 'WPCA' champions stylish action, we plan to let players respond more proactively in those situations. As a result, the focus of the action is centered on the player. Through cinematic cameras and presentation techniques, we want players to feel a sense of accomplishment, thinking, "Wow, that action just now was awesome."
Of course, because it's still a hunting action game, we realize that solving every problem purely through reflexes wouldn't fit the game's direction. Ignoring boss patterns to dodge every single attack touches the core identity of the hunting action genre, so we are developing the game to maintain its identity as a hunting action title while allowing players to experience stylish combat.
While gameplay fun is crucial, lore settings and story are also key for containment fiction games. It can determine whether it becomes a simple hunting game or one with a solid world. How are you preparing the game's story?
Seung-chan Lee: I fully agree, so internally we are striving to build a solid lore foundation and story.
From a development roadmap perspective, until recently we focused more on building the overall tone and world setting rather than narrative. Now that those are established, we are in the phase of designing and testing how to overlay the story onto that framework.
In my personal opinion, seeing users dig deeply into the lore of certain works is proof of how well-crafted that world is. Because the standards and settings are well-established and consistent, users can let their imaginations run wild and analyze details. Since this builds attachment to the game, we are working hard to maintain that standard.
As a side note, the dev team is already playing around with internal memes. Most commonly, whenever an unknown bug or issue crops up during development, everyone uses custom emotes saying, "A Phasebound did this."
You mentioned focusing on the story. Do you have dedicated scenario writers?
Seung-chan Lee: 5minlab has an internal IP team handling story-based work. Currently, one member of the IP team is dedicated to narrative, and we are considering expanding the team in the future.
Meanwhile, since the world itself can accommodate a wide variety of elements, team members outside of the scenario writer also suggest diverse ideas for Phasebounds, including many strange ones. We gather these ideas to create Phasebounds and flesh out the narrative.
Sung-in Ji: We are also considering setting standards and rules so that users can freely create secondary content within them, just like other containment fiction works. And if possible, we think hosting a Phasebound design contest could be great.
It might be far off in the future, but something like bringing the winning user's fan-made Phasebound into the game as an actual boss. I hope that comes true someday.
In the trailer, we saw a Phasebound inspired by Kuchisake-onna (Red Mask). What other monsters will appear, and what criteria did you use to select them from countless urban legends? Also, since it's the Seoul Branch, will only Asian Phasebounds appear?
Seung-chan Lee: We have plenty of ideas for monsters to convert into Phasebounds—ranging from the Jangsanbum (Jangsan Tiger), a familiar Korean urban legend, to Phasebounds related to King Midas.
As for the criteria for selecting Phasebounds, functional aspects played a larger role until recently. Since the team was formed not long ago, we repurposed existing monster assets by overhauling their designs and replacing animations.
As a side note, featuring Kuchisake-onna (Red Mask) in the trailer was heavily intentional. You could say it set the benchmark—letting viewers instantly understand, "Ah, so this is the game's concept." I recall we made quick decisions on everything from modeling Kuchisake-onna to including her in the trailer.
Even though it's set in Korea, not all Phasebounds are based solely on Korean or Asian urban legends. We are considering invasive-style Phasebounds that evoke a reaction like, "Wait, this legend made it all the way here?"
Still, given the Korean setting, we are prioritizing creating Phasebounds from familiar Asian urban legends. Fortunately, Korean cultural elements are connecting globally nowadays, and overseas audiences seem to find them interesting rather than alienating. So concerns about "Will this resonate overseas?" have lessened.
Sung-in Ji: Personally, I think relying exclusively on Korean themes just because of the setting would feel too plain, so we plan to introduce a wide variety of Phasebounds.
It seems you're aiming for a fairly large-scale game. When did development begin, and what is the team size? Also, are you targeting a live-service model?
Seung-chan Lee: Initially, since this was an unchartered genre for us, the risks were high and there was a lot to learn, so we started as a small project. As team size grows, risk naturally increases.
We started like that, but watching the reaction after revealing the trailer, I realized expectations differed from what I thought. The team started with 9 members last September and grew to around 30 after exactly one year, but players seem to perceive it as a massive title. So we have a lot to think about in many ways (laughs).
As for the business model, it's still premature to give a definitive answer. Since it involves business strategy, we will share details once the direction is finalized.
You mentioned it's not a structure of clearing regular mobs to reach a boss. Does deploying on a mission launch straight into a boss fight?
Sung-in Ji: Internally, there's certainly a desire to make exploration and movement feel smooth yet deep. However, at this stage, we are focusing more on boss combat—expanding the number of Phasebound bosses and diversifying their attack patterns. Please understand that as a team formed just a year ago, we are still contemplating many aspects.
How many Phasebound bosses are you targeting?
Seung-chan Lee: By full launch, we feel we need at least around 20 types. We know the more the better, but considering our remaining time and development bandwidth, this seems realistic.
Simply increasing numbers is possible, but what matters more is the quality of each individual Phasebound. In that sense, we are realizing once again how challenging it is to reach quality levels that satisfy our internal standards. Of course, we plan to continue adding more post-launch.
Sung-in Ji: Quantity is important, but the motivation to hunt them is equally crucial. Rather than repeatedly hunting the same target, crafting specific gear will require materials from multiple Phasebounds, including major ones. We are designing the play loop so players naturally hunt various Phasebounds.
In the trailer, three types of weapons were shown: swords, guns, and gauntlets. Are these all of them, and how do their play styles and mechanics differ?
Sung-in Ji: In hunting games, weapon differences come down to resource consumption, range, and overall damage potential. We designed each weapon based on these factors.
Among various candidate weapons, the sword was decided first without a moment's hesitation. The sword featured in 'WPCA' is called the Trigger Blade. Equipped with a trigger and cartridge inside the scabbard, pulling the trigger while drawing propels the blade with explosive gunpowder propulsion for a quick-draw strike. Those in the know might recognize it—it drew heavy inspiration from Jetstream Sam's weapon in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
The gauntlet is actually a stake driver—a Pile Driver. While offering extensive combos, it consumes weapon resources very quickly and has the shortest range. But executed well, you can dodge enemy attacks by a hair's breadth while driving in a devastating stake, letting you revel in your own stylish play.
Guns consist of three types: gatling guns, shotguns, and sniper rifles. Essentially, you carry all three and swap weapons depending on the situation—using shotguns at close range, sniper rifles at long range, and unleashing full gatling firepower during burst-damage windows.
Meanwhile, the sniper rifle takes inspiration from Operation Yashima in 'Evangelion.' In the show, all of Japan's electrical power is funneled into a positron rifle fire; similarly, I requested the dev team to make a weapon capable of delivering such a massive single strike.
Carrying three weapon types opens up diverse build options. You can build an all-rounder setup, a shotgun-focused close-quarters build, or a sniper-focused single-hit burst build.
Our target is 5 weapon types for full launch, with "coolness" as our primary design criterion. As a side note, a shield is among candidate weapons, and we are working to give it a distinct appeal different from traditional shields.
If Early Access represents roughly 70% completion and full launch 100%, where does 'WPCA' currently stand?
Seung-chan Lee: By my standard, we are around 20%. 'WPCA' doesn't even have a fully staffed development team yet. When formed, we started with 9, grew to 15 early this year, and just recruited up to 30. While staffing has stabilized, we still have a long way to go, so it's hard to call the completion rate high.
While we focused on validating mechanics and establishing the visual tone until recently, we now have a 1-to-2-hour playable loop where players follow the story, battle Phasebounds, and craft gear. Internally, the response to this loop has been positive and fun, so we plan to expand content while raising quality.
Stylish action games often design playable characters close to realistic 8-head proportions, but 'WPCA' looked somewhat cute. Was that intentional?
Seung-chan Lee: Having done casual art for a long time, I personally prefer cute proportions. However, that was just my preference, and similar feedback came up within the team—saying we need to go further and increase character proportions. So we've increased proportions now. The previous trailer used pre-improvement models, so it might not have shown, but future trailers will reflect what you expect.
On the other hand, monster designs were somewhat intentional. Given supernatural Phasebounds and containment fiction, one might expect grotesque designs, but I felt pure grotesque imagery would divide opinions too much. We design to retain the nuance without going to extremes, though more grotesque Phasebounds could appear if context fits.
Sung-in Ji: Of course, making them grotesque isn't impossible. But we must evaluate whether that fits our game's genre. Since it's an action game where you confront monsters rather than a horror game where you flee, we tuned the tone accordingly.
Compared to recent games, the graphics inevitably feel somewhat unrefined, almost as if incomplete.
Seung-chan Lee: Honestly, it is still incomplete. We got the opportunity to showcase at State of Play shortly after forming the team, which brought many concerns. We deliberated whether it was right to participate when even we knew much was lacking, worried about leaving a bad first impression. But ultimately, we concluded that even worrying about that was a luxury—it was too massive an opportunity to pass up.
So we poured maximum effort into producing the trailer, and naturally, reactions were mixed. While there were positive responses finding the theme fresh, there were also negative opinions regarding graphics. Rather than viewing it negatively, we take it as expectations for the game, reinforcing our determination to deliver a game that meets those expectations.
Finally, any last words for players looking forward to 'WPCA'?
Sung-in Ji: We are pouring all our efforts into development, so please look forward to it. As someone who personally loves action games, I will work hard to create a game that satisfies myself and earns the love of players.
Seung-chan Lee: 'WPCA' aims for launch in Q3 or Q4 of 2028. With roughly two years remaining, we will communicate with players through Discord and other channels during this time to shape the game into what players desire.
Meanwhile, despite rushing to reveal at State of Play, player interest confirmed once again that a strong fan base exists for containment fiction. We are developing meticulously to satisfy those fans. In October, we plan to conduct a closed alpha test to evaluate whether our game delivers genuine fun and appeal to players. Details will be announced via Discord in October, so please stay tuned.
