Is Devil May Cry still hot? Why Chinese players love ACT games

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On August 16, 2026, Gamersky sparked debate with a post asking: do Chinese players really love action games more than anyone else? The argument hinges on early exposure to classics like Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden. It claims pure ACT games have gone niche in the West and Japan—even fighting game esports draw bigger crowds—yet Chinese players remain oddly devoted to the genre.

Many Chinese gamers first played Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden as pirated PC copies on creaky machines in internet cafes or arcades. These weren’t just games—they shaped how a generation thinks about action: combo flow, tight dodge timing, the snap of a clean hit. That legacy lingers, though rarely in pure form.

Commenters quickly pointed out a crucial mix-up: what people call “ACT” today is usually just the flashy combat in ARPGs. As one user put it, “Pure ACT is long dead—the real hits in China are ARPGs like Souls-likes and Black Myth: Wukong.” It’s harsh—but accurate. Today’s hits fold combat into RPG stats, open worlds, and upgrade trees—nothing like the straight-line, high-score grind of old-school ACTs.

But the influence lives on—especially in mobile and gacha games. Honkai Impact 3rd, Zenless Zone Zero, and Wuthering Waves all double down on “action feel”—selling themselves on slick, responsive combat. None are pure ACTs, but they’ve borrowed the genre’s speed and precision—refitted for phones and live-service economies.

Others shrug off flashy combos as pointless showboating—if enemies don’t push back or levels don’t challenge you, it’s just style with no stakes. Fair point: flashy moves only matter if failing hurts.

The real story isn’t about loving “ACT” as a label—it’s that Chinese players care more about how combat feels. Slapping “action” on a trailer won’t cut it. If dodges, parries, and finishers don’t feel sharp and satisfying, players bail fast.

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