From August 10th to 12nd, Bilibili is hosting 'Bilibili World' at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, a comprehensive festival covering everything from subculture to games and entertainment. Having evolved from a video platform into an indispensable force in China's gaming and subculture scene, Bilibili has also been showcasing its capabilities as a developer by gradually revealing its internal project lineup.

'Lumi Master,' which held a Closed Beta Test (CBT) in Korea last May, is one of those titles. It is a game where players freely explore diverse regions like forests, deserts, and volcanoes to collect and raise various 'Lumis.' The game has drawn attention for its storybook-style illustrations and cute creature designs. Following the CBT, the developers have also announced various systems, including housing that enhances the healing atmosphere and a trading system that allows global users to exchange Lumis.

With a release targeted for later this year, we sat down with Bilibili's Producer 'Toto' and Publishing Director 'Winxiu' to hear about how they are polishing Lumi Master to provide a unique experience following its CBT and its appearance at Bilibili World.

Recent trends in the subculture market and mobile RPGs tend to be quite vast and flashy. I am curious about the specific motivation or background behind planning 'Lumi Master,' a RPG that charmingly combines 'cartoon-style healing' with 'monster taming.'

Toto = As a user who has enjoyed the monster-raising genre for a long time, I have consistently watched the fun and potential it holds. Regardless of how the market environment changes, I believed that the joy of collecting, raising, and spending time with monsters remains a very stable and high-demand experience.

Recently, many people have less time to invest in games due to their busy daily lives. That is why we wanted to create a casual raising RPG that can be enjoyed without pressure, one that you can "start and stop at any time." We designed it so that even if you play for just a few minutes, you can fully feel the fun of collecting, growing, and adventuring.

Additionally, through bright, warm, cartoon-style visuals and lively monster designs, we wanted to create a world where users can feel a sense of comfort and healing. This experience is the starting point of Lumi Master.

The warm-toned, fairy-tale world and illustration-style graphics are impressive. What part did you focus on most while building the visual concept?

Toto = The core is the Lumi—our monsters themselves.

We wanted each Lumi to show its own personality through movements, expressions, and various evolutionary forms, rather than just having a cute appearance. Our team put a lot of effort into the design and detailing of the Lumis. The goal is for users to feel, "I want to collect it, I want to raise it, and I want to stay with it," the moment they see a Lumi.

I heard there are hundreds of Lumis, which are the core of the game. What did you focus on when designing them, and does the development team have a 'signature' Lumi they are most attached to.

Toto = There are three main emotions we want to convey to users through Lumis: cuteness, coolness, and comedy.

Take "Nyangmir," the cute Lumi used as the game icon, for example. It has a chubby body, short limbs, and a design that naturally combines cat and fish elements, and it has a total of eight evolutionary forms. It is also the Lumi that fans create the most fan art of in the community.

As for the "Armor Knight," which many users set as a key goal, we implemented a powerful and cool design with metal armor and a cloak. Behind that, there is a cute twist: it is actually a combination of five cute otters, one in each part of the armor. We aimed to capture these three elements—cuteness, coolness, and comedy—in our Lumis.

The PV shows not only cute Lumis but also battle scenes against other Lumis. How did you balance the 'healing' sentiment with the combat and challenge-seeking nature of a RPG?

Toto = We focused on naturally building the Lumi ecosystem. Various types of Lumis exist on the continent of Lumia; young ones are cute, and they grow into powerful combat types as adults. Cute Lumis live in houses and villages, while strong Lumis handle combat and adventure. We designed it so that healing and combat elements harmonize through a natural ecological structure, much like the real world.

Every Lumi has a 'unique evolutionary form.' Could you explain the evolution methods and whether the system changes more than just stats, such as appearance or exploration elements.

Toto = The evolution system is designed to be relatively simple, proceeding via "evolution fruit" after reaching a certain level. We place greater emphasis on the diversity of forms after evolution. As mentioned earlier, "Nyangmir" evolves into up to eight forms, and "Kapik" has different evolutionary forms depending on whether it is male or female. Evolution provides not only stat increases but also new skills and appearance changes.

The housing system, which allows for free building placement and space design, is also a feature. Does this content go beyond personal satisfaction to affect the growth or interaction of the collected Lumis?

Toto: Yes, it does. In housing, you can produce resources needed for Lumi growth, and interactions with Lumis are also possible. We are also currently developing Lumi-exclusive houses and various other content.

The 'global user Lumi trading system' is quite unique and attractive for a monster-taming genre. However, the nuance of 'trading' brings to mind issues like 'workshops' (gold farming), and I wonder if there are other elements besides simple exchange. Could you explain in more detail.

Toto = The trading system is a real market structure where users from all over the world can trade Lumis, and prices fluctuate based on supply and demand. It includes a structure where prices rise if a specific Lumi becomes rare. Also, an auction function was added in this test, providing the fun of competing until the very last moment.

In the future, we plan to expand the market functions while preparing for potential risks to ensure stable operation. In particular, we are preparing various countermeasures against workshop issues.

You mentioned exploring various regions like forests, deserts, and volcanoes. How does the exploration work, and how deep is it implemented.

Toto = The exploration system is designed with a light structure overall. It is centered on "one-touch exploration," allowing users to experience various regions without pressure. Each region has a different ecosystem, and users will be able to feel the fun of discovering and collecting new Lumis while exploring these areas.

It is impressive that you have prioritized a vertical interface. Is there a special reason for focusing on this?

Winxiu = We believed the vertical screen structure was optimized for the mobile environment. The fact that all controls can be handled with one hand was a major factor. In actual tests, a high proportion of users played in various environments, such as lying in bed or while on the subway or bus.

You held the first CBT last May. How was the user reaction? Are there any pieces of feedback that were particularly memorable?

Winxiu = During the CBT, users provided very active feedback on various areas such as balance, monetization (BM), and content expansion. One piece of feedback that remains memorable was the criticism regarding extreme experiences occurring with certain probability systems. Initially, we intended to provide fun through variable probabilities, but we did not sufficiently consider the unpleasant experiences in extreme cases. We reflected this feedback by quickly modifying the system and applying it to the test version.

As it is a mobile game, users are very interested in the monetization model. What is the core BM?

Winxiu = The BM structure consists of three main parts: a stamina system, Lumi collection/raising, and cosmetic sales. The stamina system is a factor that controls growth speed, while Lumi collection and raising are the core content of the game. Cosmetic sales are decorative elements that do not affect game balance.

Also, reflecting CBT feedback, we significantly increased the amount of free stamina provided and added a 'pity' system to the 'UP' (rate-up) gacha. Overall, we are aiming for a structure that reduces user burden and allows for long-term enjoyment.

You are aiming for a global release in 2026. To satisfy users worldwide simultaneously, what are you paying special attention to in terms of localization or regional operations?

Winxiu = First, regarding language localization, we plan to support over 10 languages in the official release version. We are also continuously improving translation quality by actively reflecting feedback from the Korean CBT. Along with this, we plan to operate community activities and content, including social media, by applying customized strategies for each region.

In addition, for global marketing, we are recruiting influential creators and promotional models, and we are preparing to deliver a special surprise to Korean users during the pre-launch promotion phase.

Could you say a word to the users waiting for the release of 'Lumi Master'.

Winxiu = Our Lumis are already so excited to meet the users, and the official release is not far away! We will continue to actively reflect user opinions and build the game together through transparent and consistent operation.

We hope you meet various Lumis in the world of Lumi Master, go on adventures together, and create your own special memories. We ask for your continued anticipation and interest. Thank you.