'Backrooms Cleaners,' developed by Hypercent, made an appearance at ChinaJoy 2026. CEO Kim Ju-wan, whom we met on-site, explained the background of their participation: "Our previous title, Backrooms Company, received a positive response in the Greater China region. Naturally, this led us to introduce its successor, Backrooms Cleaners, through a demo here."

The Backrooms Cleaners is a game that starts by subverting the cliché of the Backrooms, turning a place once feared into a target for cleanup. We spoke with CEO Kim Ju-wan about his experience at ChinaJoy and the reactions from local users.

Could you please provide a brief introduction of yourself and your company.

"Hypercent was founded in 2023, and we are currently creating various games based on the Backrooms. Our previous title, Backrooms Company, finished its early access period and was officially released last year. With the idea of turning the Backrooms into a universe, we are currently preparing Backrooms Cleaners.

How do you feel about participating in ChinaJoy 2026? How has the reaction been to the on-site demo.

"Since this is China, the scale is massive, and because Backrooms Company was a hit in the region, we are seeing quite a long queue. As it is the successor to a successful title, many Chinese users are showing interest, and personally, I am optimistic because the game's style is something that resonates well with Chinese users.

Could you also mention the expectations for the game in global markets, including Korea, outside of China.

" Since we released the trailer last month, we have recruited 8k playtesters in one week and 15k in two weeks, even without any separate marketing or promotion. We are seeing a lot of interest from global markets like North America, South America, and Europe, and in Korea, we realized its popularity when we saw the queues at PlayX4.

It is common to avoid the Backrooms, but is there a reason you decided to twist the theme to focus on extermination instead.

" We started considering that idea during the Backrooms Company demo at PlayX4. Backrooms Company is a 8-player escape game where users can carry a single-barrel shotgun that only holds one round of ammunition. It wasn't designed to kill creatures, but rather for deterrence; however, we witnessed users actually trying to fight back against creatures with those shotguns. That made me realize, 'Oh, users prefer engaging in combat rather than just running away from creatures.' At the time, I told our users, "I'll let you defeat creatures to your heart's content in the sequel, so for now, please focus on running and hiding." Backrooms Cleaners is the realization of that promise.

What are the key strengths you want to highlight for Backrooms Cleaners?

" I would say it's the thrill of characters with different traits cooperating to hunt down creatures. Players can have fun by utilizing a Tank, damage dealer, assassin, and Healer to cooperate and break through incoming threats. I also want to emphasize our aggressive update cycle. We plan to release updates on a weekly basis after the launch of Backrooms Cleaners. I know there is anxiety that early access titles might receive investment but suffer from slow updates, but we want to put that distrust to rest with our update frequency.

While not as much as in PVP shooters, other PvE shooters sometimes have their atmosphere ruined by cheaters. Have you thought about how to respond to this.

" Because the game itself supports infinite ammo and a system where you can respawn even after death, there is absolutely no reason to use cheats. We have designed the core of the game to be enjoyed cooperatively and lightheartedly.

You are planning for a Q4 2026 release. How is the development progressing? Are you considering releasing it on platforms other than PC.

"We are at about 60% to 70% completion in the early access stage. We plan to push toward the official release through the periodic and rapid updates I mentioned earlier. Additionally, we are planning releases for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and the Nintendo Switch 2.

Could you say a word to the users looking forward to Backrooms Cleaners? And could you also mention your plans for the future.

" We are currently planning a management simulation game called 'Backrooms City' as our next project. We intend to continue expanding the Backrooms universe in this way. I am aware that after the first trailer for The Backrooms Cleaners was released, some users were disappointed, saying, 'This isn't the Backrooms,' because of its combat-focused concept. However, I want to emphasize that the Backrooms is always evolving, and various genres are being born within its lore. I hope people will look at these new attempts positively, and I ask for your continued interest and support for the game.