AButton brought its new roguelite FPS, 'Guns and Dragons,' to ChinaJoy 2026. The team aims to gauge the game's market potential by actively identifying the needs of Asian users through on-site demos. Curious about the local reception, we sat down with Park Jun-woo, the director overseeing the game's development, to hear his thoughts.

Could you please introduce yourself and your company.

"I am Park Jun-woo, a director at AButton. We are currently developing three titles: 'Zeus: The God of Insolence,' 'Guns and Dragons,' and 'Project ES.' I am in charge of the development of 'Guns and Dragons.'

How do you feel about participating in ChinaJoy 2026? What has the general reaction been like at the booth?

"We’ve had a great turnout. I was particularly happy to see players enjoying the game exactly as our team intended, following the movement and playstyles we designed. One visitor, who played enthusiastically despite having one arm in a cast, left a lasting impression. We’ve also had players give us a 'thumbs up' after finishing a session; overall, the response has been very positive.

You participated as part of the Korean pavilion with support from the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA). Programs like this must be a big help to developers.

"Absolutely. We are very grateful for the support that made our participation possible. As a startup, it’s difficult to promote a game at a major show on our own, but this program made the process seamless. They provided great support, from booth setup to handling unexpected on-site issues. Furthermore, there’s a positive synergy in exhibiting alongside other Korean games. Activities like the stamp tour encourage users to visit our booth and discover our game, even if they aren't typically fans of the genre.

You mentioned being a startup and a small development team. What is the secret to producing a game like 'Guns and Dragons' despite those constraints.

" Our team operates on a 'small but elite' philosophy. The most important factor is the motivation of each individual member. I believe our greatest strength is that every developer is driven by a shared ambition to create a fun, high-quality game, and everyone is working hard toward that single goal.

Turning to in-game elements, Asian users generally aren't as interested in art styles that use cel-shading. What is the studio's perspective on this.

" It’s true that cel-shading is generally less preferred in Asia compared to the West. However, we developed the game with a global audience in mind, and since the Chinese-speaking market is too significant to ignore, we wanted to use ChinaJoy to gauge the reaction. Given the large sample size here, we’ve actually found many people who enjoy our art style. For the domestic market, we are considering an approach that emphasizes the feel of the gameplay and the core fun of the experience rather than just the art.

The concept is quite unique, so I imagine there were some challenges during development.

" Every day is a challenge and a source of contemplation (laughs). The biggest hurdles were defining the art style and the game concept. For the art, we went through several changes in art directors, which led to a lot of trial and error before arriving at our current style. As for the concept, we initially planned an 'isekai' FPS where only the enemies used magic while the player used modern firearms. But when we actually played it, it was difficult to make the conflict between those two civilizations feel fun. We then experimented with dark fantasy before finally settling on our current 'magitech' concept.

If you had to pick one element of the game you want to emphasize most, what would it be.

" I would say the weapon crafting system. We currently have 23 base weapons, but the number of possible combinations is staggering. Once we add the system to customize the 'core'—the heart of the weapon's functionality—we expect over a million possible combinations. Creating and enjoying your own unique weapon is the core fun of this game.

After gathering feedback from the Asian market at ChinaJoy, what is your next step.

" Our next major event is Gamescom. We plan to introduce the game in Europe and collaborate with overseas partners for marketing and interviews. We are also running an open playtest in line with the ChinaJoy schedule, and we are grateful to see so many players participating.

Do you have a word for the domestic players looking forward to the game.

" I highly recommend 'Guns and Dragons' to anyone who enjoys roguelites and shooters and wants to play them in a more casual, accessible way. It’s a game that’s more about chaotic, fast-paced clearing than precise aiming, so I hope you’ll enjoy it lightly with your friends. Please continue to show your interest in the game.