Arknights Endfield Is Not Open World Says Dev Team

Hypergryph Explains Why Fans Mistook It for an Open Map Game

Hypergryph has clarified new details about Arknights Endfield after many fans believed the upcoming 3D real time strategy RPG was designed as an open world game. The team revealed that this is not the case even though players may assume otherwise based on its early trailers. The developers explained that Endfield uses a sandbox like structure rather than true open world design and shared the reasoning behind this choice.

Many players assumed Endfield was open world due to its wide seamless environments. However the development team shared that the project was never built with an open world concept in mind. RUA, a core team member, said that while the official answer is no, the team is not bothered if players casually call it open world since large interconnected maps often lead to that assumption in modern games. The misunderstanding came naturally from the scale and presentation rather than the system itself.

RUA explained that the goal was to create a world filled with dense activity rather than an open world with wide empty spaces. Test players consistently reported that almost every step in Endfield leads to an encounter or point of interest. This intentional density is what makes the team describe the design as sandbox like. The world is spacious yet structured with clear routes and a guided flow so players never feel lost while exploring Talos II.

During the first beta test the team experimented with an extremely large free roam map. This version allowed players to wander anywhere with little direction and the result was unexpected. Many testers found themselves lost and withdrew from the beta earlier than expected. Hypergryph then shifted direction for the second beta by tightening the structure, adding clear routes, placing enemies with stronger purpose and using natural progression to guide players toward objectives through combat and exploration.

Despite the wide open look of the environments Endfield is not designed around the open world concept that players commonly expect. Instead the focus is on delivering consistent content density, clear progression paths and structured exploration that reduces confusion while maintaining freedom. The game continues development for PC, PS5 and mobile and fans are eager to see the final direction when the project launches in the future.

Arknights Endfield continues the broader universe established by the original Arknights series but tells a new story on the hostile planet Talos II. The setting introduces unexplored colonies located within the dangerous Habitable Band and players will work with Endfield Industries to uncover the mysteries hidden within the region. The mix of tactical combat, real time movement and narrative exploration creates its own identity while still carrying the signature world building the franchise is known for across global audiences.

THIS IS OUR SAY

Arknights Endfield may not be a true open world title, but its sandbox density and guided exploration could deliver a more focused and rewarding experience for Southeast Asia fans who want structure without losing the thrill of discovery.

Source: automaton