Hangzhou, China — Sept. 26, 2025. NetEase’s Onmyoji entered its ninth year with surprising momentum and a slate of community-driven updates. According to Qimai, the title climbed to #9 on the iOS games grossing chart on Sept. 10, its anniversary server day. The celebratory CG “Snow Yuki-Onna” also reached #9 on Bilibili’s site-wide chart, while anniversary hashtags trended across Weibo—an elegant cluster of “nines” underscoring the IP’s staying power.
As part of the anniversary program, media and community members attended a themed player roundtable (“Covenant of the Present World”) and an offline interactive art exhibition that translated iconic Heian-kyo scenes into physical spaces—cherry-blossom courtyards, corridor galleries, mirrored illustration halls, and a life-size Summoning Housewhere popular shikigami greeted visitors. Player co-creation was placed center stage with a wall of community-made skins from the annual “Awakening of Masters,” hands-on “guka” crafting with limited collaboration cards, and meet-ups with guest artists.
At the roundtable, Producer Zheng Tao thanked long-time players and detailed a roadmap of quality-of-life (QoL) improvements aimed at reducing repetition without diluting depth:
Super Oni King rework: removes lottery/auction elements and restores gift boxes, delivering clearer, fairer rewards.
“Oboro Car” system (Oct.): trims routine time sinks in dungeons like Souls and Awakening, easing daily grind.
Content “subtraction,” not content “reduction”: structural optimizations free time for more elective, enjoyable play.
Balancing that subtraction, the team is also adding content that fans have requested:
“Hundred-Demon Chessboard” becomes permanent (from Nov.), elevating a strategy-forward limited mode to core status.
Legacy feature updates: LBS refresh, Six Paths Gate improvements, and new Onmyoji-house activities.
Narrative: after the Genpei War arc, the main story advances into a new “Dream Chapter,” introducing fresh characters and conflicts.
Art Direction: Onmyoji’s signature style remains, while the team experiments with Chinese traditional aesthetics—including “Constellation” and “Four Great Inventions” skin lines. The upcoming “Year of the Horse” series adopts a classic snow-mountain manor whodunit structure, blending zhiguai flavor with Western detective tropes.
The anniversary CG “Snow Yuki-Onna | Ember of Ice and Fire”—polished “frame by frame,” according to the team—has drawn strong reception on Bilibili, with fans praising the craft and asking for a longer cut. The broader message from the events: listen, iterate, and invest in community. After nine years, Onmyoji’s live-ops philosophy continues to evolve—subtracting grind to rebuild trust, while adding modes and stories that extend the world for veterans and newcomers alike.
Bottom line: In a market where many titles fade within cycles, Onmyoji’s ninth anniversary showcases a mature IP’s dynamic vitality—anchored in responsive operations, cultural craftsmanship, and an ever-closer bond with its players.