Interview with the « Four Heroes of the Dream World » DLC for « Dynasty Warriors ORIGINS. » Dong Zhuo is not just evil, but evil with conviction. The story is so dense that it could be a trilogy. We also hear about the remastered version of « Dynasty Warriors 2. »
Released by Koei Tecmo Games on January 17, 2025.The game is compatible with PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam), and a Nintendo Switch 2 version is scheduled to be released on January 22, 2026.
With the release of the large-scale downloadable content (DLC) « Four Heroes of the Dream World » on January 22, 2026, we bring you an interview with the development team ahead of the release. We asked them for details on how this DLC came to be developed and why they chose these four characters as the main characters. At
the end, they also talked about their plans for a sequel and the upcoming release of « I also got to hear a little about « .
Mr. Tomohiko Sho
Producer of « Dynasty Warriors ORIGINS » (referred to as Sho in the text).
Mr. Takaaki Ogata
« Dynasty Warriors ORIGINS » DLC Director (referred to as Ogata in the text).
Passion of fans and developers
-Please tell us how you feel about the release.
Sho
Personally, I thought, « I want to make it, » but initially there were no plans to create DLC.
I was thinking about making the main game a big hit first. Thanks to you, so many people have played the game, That we were able to connect that to this DLC.
Ogata
I was involved in the development of the main game, both in terms of the storyline RPG.
Game was so well received, I honestly felt a lot of pressure developing the DLC. However, in the end, we were able to create some great content, so I hope all users will enjoy it.
Sho
I would like to say like Zhuge Liang that the success of the film was « just as planned, »
We set ourselves the goal of creating a game that would be loved by fans.
However, after the release, we received a lot of very positive feedback, Finally is grateful for that.
Sho
We were actually conducting technical research behind the scenes to see if it was possible to make it a reality. Also began moving forward in earnest once the main game was fully accepted by everyone. The number of soldiers that appear in the Switch 2 version remains the same.
Sho
Yes, we did not reduce the number of soldiers. The Switch 2 developed with the same number of soldiers as other platforms stable 30 FPS or higher. We considered reducing the number of soldiers and aiming for 60 FPS. We achieved stability without compromising the gaming experience. I may sound arrogant, but it’s all thanks to the hard work of our programmers (laughs).
Ogata
I was really impressed when I saw it in action. The overwhelming number of soldiers in Dynasty Warriors ORIGINS was displayed on the small screen of handheld mode. I’m sure everyone will be amazed.
–I’d love to see it! Ogata-san is the director of the DLC, but is the staff structure continuing to some extent from the main game?
Sho
Not all of them, but most of them are still in charge. However, we have made some changes to the structure. Ogata was a staff member in charge of the scenario and RPG parts.
In addition, we have promoted staff members who were heavily involved in the main story to higher positions. This could be said to be with an eye to the future. If you ask me, « What is the future? » I can’t give you a specific answer (laughs).
Ogata
If you’ve completed Chapter 1 of the main story, you can enjoy the Zhang Jiao Saga first. In addition to clearing the Zhang Jiao Saga, as you progress through the main story chapters. This means that those who have completed the main story can play right away.
to make it accessible to as many people as possible, considering that there are a variety of players. To that end, we’ve made it so that the recommended level for DLC battles changes according to the protagonist’s level. Of course, the difficulty setting of the game itself is also reflected.
–I see. The main story is about four heroes. Was there a reason or goal behind choosing Zhang Jiao, Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, and Lu Bu as the main heroes?
Sho
Even before the release, we often talked about what if we made DLC, and we received a lot of feedback from people who wanted to experience a side story other than the three factions, as is the traditional approach, and the team expressed similar opinions. After the release, we received a lot of feedback from people saying things like, « Why can’t I walk with Zhang Jiao? » and « I wanted to choose Dong Zhuo too! » We felt that if we were to make DLC, that was the one we wanted, so we asked Ogata-kun to take the lead in coming up with the content.
Ogata
The four characters we chose this time were intentionally portrayed differently from previous titles in the series. Zhang Jue and Dong Zhuo are particularly different in their character settings. They were created based on the concept of portraying their lives as heroes with strong convictions.
The settings for Yuan Shao and Lü Bu haven’t changed much either, but we’ve actually made adjustments to make them seem « cool » as heroes. We considered the story to be told, focusing on how to delve deeper into that appeal.
–When it comes to this what-if story, what specific vision did you have in mind when creating it?
Ogata
When I thought about a scenario where the main character was with these four people. I think it would have been possible to portray them as if everything had gone well.
There are variations in the way I portray them, but I tried to stay true to the main story.
Sho
I’m joking when I say it’s for adult convenience, but when I thought about the content we’re aiming for with this game. Personally, I wanted all three of them, including the mysterious martial artist, to be accompanying generals to older men. However, the development team said they absolutely wanted to include Diao Chan and Zhu He. I thought that was reasonable, so we decided on these three (laughs).
Ogata
We were told that we really wanted to include a mysterious martial artist, but given the limit on the number we could produce, we thought that a hero with a unique position would make sense when we considered which hero to choose.
-What exactly do you mean?
Ogata
First of all, Zhu He is a character that cannot be left out when talking about the protagonist. Many fans have expressed a desire to use him, and we wanted to depict scenes in which Zhu He plays a more prominent role in the story of the DLC.
Diao Chan also has something in common with the protagonist, so we thought she was a character that could not be left out. Also, we know that both of them are skilled in martial arts, so we thought it would be appealing to be able to actually control them as actions.
Q: In terms of expanding the story, there are options such as adding more stories about the generals on the three factions of Cao Cao, Sun Jian, and Liu Bei, or introducing new generals. Was that something you hadn’t considered from the beginning?
Sho
One option would have been to have someone from each of the three camps who wasn’t selected as an accompanying general in the main game become an accompanying general.
However, adding one additional general from each of the three camps, Cao Cao, Sun Jian, and Liu Bei, wouldn’t have broadened the scope or made this additional content more interesting, so I decided against it.
However, I also wanted to somehow include characters from previous numbered titles who didn’t appear in the main game.
So, in this DLC, I actually secretly considered things like, « Maybe I should include characters like Da Qiao or Xiao Qiao…? » But considering the overall picture, worldview, and balance of this game, I decided against going in that direction.
–This game also places emphasis on being a « tactical action » game. As a result, did you adopt the « strategy » part as a new DLC element?
Ogata
I think the battle experience is highly polished even just in the main game. While the base is that we want you to experience that excitement once again, we added this part. Various effects are grouped into « secret strategies » that can only be used in military strategy.
By using secret strategies to approach the battlefield yourself, you can make big changes to the battlefield by strengthening yourself. There’s a freshness in how well you use secret strategies to win, so we hope you enjoy it.
–New weapons, the bow and rope dart, will also be added. Please tell us why you decided to include these two weapons.
Sho
Since the number of accompanying generals will increase, I thought it would be good to add new weapons that fit those generals. Of course, I also thought that as an action game, new weapon types should be included. As for the bow, it was my own request that it be added. However, at first, the staff in charge of action were reluctant to add a long-range weapon combat difficult.
However, I persuaded them by saying, « What if we made it a special bow with a blade on the tip? » and they agreed, and in the end, they created a very interesting weapon.
Ogata
That said, bows are weapons that most people can imagine to some extent. On the other hand, I wanted to make the rope dart a weapon that was different from bows, and I wanted to incorporate more Chinese martial arts-like movements, so I designed it as a somewhat technical weapon. It can be used for orthodox movements, but it also has the trickiness to fly around like an assassin, so I thought that would suit Diao Chan.
Sho
By the way, the maximum level for the main character (level) is 101 in the main game alone, but this time it will be raised to 145. The availability of new weapons also means that the main character’s level cap will increase. For example, there are several hidden elements in the main game you might be able to make it a little easier by making full use of the training elements unlocked in this DLC.
–In addition, new martial arts have been added to existing weapons. While new weapons have been added, I imagine there are still people who want to use existing weapons, so perhaps that’s why they expanded on them?
Ogata
Of course, as a developer, we would like you to try out the new weapons when playing the DLC. However, this game has many weapon types, and there are playstyles where you can fight and develop them while using them properly.
While we want to leave the ability to use weapons freely, it’s not enough if you leave it as is. We’ve added martial arts and other items to give existing weapons room to improve.
Ogata
The bow is unlocked after playing Zhang Jiao’s story, and the rope dart is unlocked after progressing to the end of either the Yuan Shao or Lu Bu story. If you unlock a lot of weapons early on, it will affect the battle balance of the main story, so the rope dart is the only weapon unlocked later. However, the bow can be used right away, so the early stages may be a little easier than before.
Ogata
In the main game, you could enjoy heated battles with various warlords. Take the fight against Lu Bu, for example. Lu Bu is involved in the story, but many fans said they wanted to have a challenging battle.
That said, not all of them are difficult, and most of the training grounds are relatively easy to complete. There are several highly difficult battles available in the « trials » that can be challenged from level 101 onwards. Most of them are one-on-one battles with warlords, but there are also battles where you can fight against huge armies, so be sure to give them a try.
–At the time of release, we heard people say things like, « Lu Bu is amazing this time around, » but what was the actual reaction after the release?
Sho
Our goal was to create the strongest Lu Bu in the series, so I’m glad we were able to achieve that, and I have the impression that people enjoyed the game. Of course, we also aimed to make Lu Bu the strongest in previous games in the series, but he was often defeated soon after release. This time, I think we finally made good on our promise.
While the story progresses with the Lu Bu fight, we hardly ever received complaints like, « I can’t progress because of the Lu Bu fight. » Rather, as I mentioned earlier, we often received complaints like, « I can’t beat Lu Bu » in the hidden elements. I think we were able to alleviate that a bit this time with the growth elements and other features.
However, for those who have finally mastered the game, Lu Bu becomes easily defeated. There may be some challenging moments this time that will get those people fired up again.
Sequels and remasters
–With DLC also being released, I imagine there will be a lot of people looking forward to a sequel or a continuation of the story…
Sho
As with this DLC, there are many hurdles that must be overcome when actually creating it. We want to further hone the unique gameplay of the « Dynasty Warriors » series, and there are many new things we want to tackle and should tackle.
Sho
This is the same as what I said in an interview at the time of release, but originally, I was thinking of making this game a two-part series, depicting up to the Battle of Red Cliffs, and if there was a sequel, depicting up to the Battle of Wuzhang Plains. However, when development was finished, the game ended up depicting up to the Battle of Red Cliffs with more density than I had imagined.
So, I thought it would be impossible to maintain this density and depict up to the Battle of Wuzhang Plains in the next game (wry smile). So, partway through development, I began to think that if we were to do it, it would probably be a three-part series. To make that happen, all I can say as a producer is… I really hope that everyone will buy this DLC, and that more people will play the main game (laughs). So, I would appreciate your continued support!
Sho
There is still little information released, but we are working hard on it. We are developing it alongside the DLC team.« What would happen if people played Dynasty Warriors 2? » This is the theme of the work. I’m the producer, but I was also the game designer for the original Dynasty Warriors 2, so I’m excited to see how it will be received by people today.
I’m aiming to create a work that can be enjoyed not only by fans from back then, but also by people who first encountered the series with titles like Dynasty Warriors ORIGINS. However, Dynasty Warriors 2 is more of a pure action game, and it’s a title where you race through the battlefield from the perspective of individual generals, so it’s not the same experience as Dynasty Warriors ORIGINS. I’m both excited and anxious to see how it will be received.
By the way, there may be some parts of Dynasty Warriors ORIGINS that give a sense of it in the trailers that have already been released, right?
Ogata
I think that fans of the game will definitely enjoy it, and we’ve made it carefully so as not to disappoint those who have been looking for the DLC. I hope you enjoy it.
Sho
When we launched « Dynasty Warriors ORIGINS, » we asked Director Sekiguchi (Kazutoshi) to give characters like Zhang Jiao and Dong Zhuo, who had previously been portrayed as mere enemy characters, the appeal of heroes. This was well received by many people, which is why this DLC was born. Furthermore, the tactical action game has become even more enjoyable this time around. We hope you will play it and see it lead to a sequel!
