Giant Network's Supernatural Action Team reinterprets horror by blending Chinese folklore with contemporary gameplay.
From July 31 to August 3, 2026, ChinaJoy transformed the Shanghai New International Expo Center into a meeting place for games, technology, and pop culture. As one of the largest gaming events in China, the exhibition featured major developers, publishers, and highly anticipated industry titles.
Among the exhibitors, Giant Network stood out with a diverse lineup that included Supernatural Action Team, the Zhengtu franchise, Battle of Balls, Night of the Full Moon, Super Sus, and Heroes of Might, demonstrating the company’s ongoing exploration of game innovation, cultural narratives, and AI-driven experiences.
At ChinaJoy 2026, Giant Network featured its emerging hit Supernatural Action Team prominently in its booth experience. Attendees were invited to experience an immersive area designed to illustrate the game’s distinctive world.
Launched in January 2025, the Chinese-style adventure multiplayer game quickly gained recognition for its unique combination of light horror themes, traditional Chinese motifs, and cooperative gameplay. The company reported that by the end of the first quarter of 2026, Supernatural Action Team had attracted over 200 million registered users and exceeded 10 million daily active users (DAU), establishing it as a key growth driver for Giant Network in the casual competitive gaming sector.
Differing from conventional horror games, Supernatural Action Team integrates exploration, resource gathering, cooperative gameplay, and light horror elements into a multiplayer adventure. Players team up to explore enigmatic locations, seek valuable resources, face supernatural beings, and continuously assess risk versus reward.
By emphasizing social gameplay, the title makes the horror genre more accessible while delivering a unique supernatural adventure inspired by Chinese culture. The booth design at ChinaJoy 2026 further highlighted this cultural aspect, featuring Nuo masks from Nuo Opera, a recognized form of China’s intangible cultural heritage, alongside a traditional opera stage and classical sculptural elements.
Giant Network stated that Supernatural Action Team continues to discover innovative ways to merge traditional Chinese culture with interactive entertainment. The game previously collaborated with Yang Yunxia, the seventh-generation inheritor of Nuo mask carving from Yanhe Tujia Autonomous County, to incorporate traditional craftsmanship from Nuo Opera into costume designs within the game. It has also partnered with various cultural IPs, such as mythical creatures from the Forbidden City, Kunlun Mountain Geopark, Dunhuang Art Museum, Huaxian shadow puppetry, Jingzhou Museum, Jingdezhen blue-and-white porcelain, and Weifang kites.
In addition to cultural integration, AI was a major focus of Giant Network’s presentation at ChinaJoy. As AI transforms game development, gameplay design, and live operations, the company is investigating how AI can enhance player experiences. In January, Supernatural Action Team launched an AI large language model (LLM) challenge mode featuring AI characters capable of making dynamic decisions. Within the first week, the AI characters participated in over 25 million matches, according to the company.
Unlike traditional scripted NPCs, these AI-powered companions are capable of natural communication with players and can adjust their strategies based on the game environment, resource distribution, and risk assessment.
In Supernatural Action Team, AI goes beyond mere companionship or scripted interactions. AI characters have the ability to hide their identities, engage in spontaneous conversations with players, build trust over time, and even betray teammates if circumstances warrant it.
By merging social interaction with dynamic decision-making, Giant Network is evolving AI into an active participant that can influence gameplay, introducing an unpredictability absent in traditional NPCs. In its social deduction game Super Sus, the company previously launched features such as AI Mystery Theater, which produced tens of millions of AI-driven matches. These extensive implementations have yielded valuable real-world data and operational insight for incorporating large language models into live-service games.
At ChinaJoy 2026, Giant Network portrayed AI not simply as a game development tool but as a gameplay technology capable of transforming player interactions while continuing its experimentation with integrating traditional Chinese culture into contemporary game design. As the industry increasingly focuses on AI, cultural storytelling, and live-service experiences, Giant Network is utilizing ChinaJoy to present its vision for the future of interactive entertainment.
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Giant Network's Supernatural Action Team reinterprets horror by blending Chinese folklore with contemporary gameplay.
From July 31 to August 3, ChinaJoy 2026 turned the Shanghai New International Expo Center into a center for gaming, technology, and pop culture.