Azur Lane (Chinese: 碧蓝航线) is a side-scrolling shoot'em up video game created by Chinese developers Shanghai Manjuu and Xiamen Yongshi, released in 2017 for the iOS and Android operating systems. Set in an alternate timeline of World War II, players engage in side-scrolling shooter gameplay, using female moe anthropomorphic characters based on warships from the war's major participants. Other gameplay elements, like customizing a home and marrying in-game characters, are also present.
First launched in China in May and in Japan in September 2017, Azur Lane has briefly become very popular, especially in Japan where the player count reached five million within four months after its release. Successive Comiket numbers have yet to confirm a long-term popularity of the game in Japan, with Azur Lane ranking around 10th below franchises and genres like Fate Grand Order, Kantai Collection or Virtual YouTubers. Players have voted the game among the top five on Google Play's Best Game of 2017 list for the region. Critics have attributed the game's popularity to its original and well-designed gameplay system. An English-language version started open beta in August 2018 and was released in May 2019.
The game has been adapted into several manga and novelizations. Azur Lane Crosswave, a 3D adaptation for Playstation 4, was published by Compile Heart on August 29, 2019 with good reception. Crosswave's English localization is set to be published in 2020. An animetelevision series adaptation by Bibury Animation Studio premiered on October 3, 2019.
Release
The game first launched in China in May 2017, published by Bilibili. Shanghai Yostar published the Japanese version in September that year. XD Global published the South Korean version in March 2018. The English language version was announced as being in development in June 2018. Open beta began on August 16, 2018. On May 20, 2019, the English version was formally released along with the rollout of the 2019 UI overhaul.
Li Hengda, president of Yostar Inc., revealed that although he saw Azur Lane's potential, he did not expect the level of popularity the game experienced in Japan. Believing that around 10 people would suffice, Li later admitted his mistake in only having four full-time employees and two interns before the game's release, as they had to work from morning until midnight as the game's popularity grew until the end of 2017. Through Azur Lane, Yostar established contact with distinguished Japanese enterprises and creators, and was met with welcoming responses. Tony Taka, known for his work on the Shining series, was delighted to be invited to provide character design for HMS Centaur (R06), marking his first work in a mobile game. Jin Haganeya, writer for Demonbane, agreed to write the script for the game's anime adaptation.
Artwork for the Korean release was provided by Korean artist Nardack. In March 2018, XD Global asked her to condemn feminism and feminist groups on Twitter after some players filed complaints accusing her of maintaining relations to Korean feminist "antisocial" groups. Nardack refused to comply, and her artwork was then removed.
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