Dynasty Warriors: Origins Sets a New Standard for Series Debuts

Dynasty Warriors: Origins is a game I can’t help but gush about—if only my editor had let me go on more in my review! It’s hands down my top pick from the series. Set during the legendary Chinese Three Kingdoms period, it’s a hack-and-slash RPG where you become a mysterious soldier with a mission to change China’s destiny. I love it, but don’t just take my word for it.

Last weekend, nearly 70,000 players were logging in at the same time, hitting a peak with 69,483 users. To put that in perspective, the last four installments combined barely reached 3,900 concurrent players. That’s a massive increase—over 17 times more!

In fact, Dynasty Warriors: Origins isn’t just doing well compared to its predecessors; it’s the second-best launch within Koei Tecmo’s entire lineup. Alejandro from Game Discover Co even sketched out a compelling chart to show this leap.

The action is exhilarating with hordes of enemies storming the screen in Dynasty Warriors: Origins.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins vs. Wo Long

While Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty still holds the record as the most successful launch in the company’s history, Dynasty Warriors: Origins is turning more heads, and for a good reason. Wo Long’s current standing on Steam is a mixed 47% rating. Compare that to Origins’ impressive 94%, and it seems origins stand a good chance of driving steady sales.

Even though Dynasty Warriors has around 6,000 fewer concurrent players than Wo Long, it’s hard to see Wo Long having better financial success on Steam, especially considering Steam’s user-friendly return policy. Wo Long undoubtedly had its share of returns, though it did succeed in hitting over 3.8 million players within two months. My point is not to downplay Wo Long but to emphasize how remarkable Origins’ achievement is, given its niche backdrop.

Now, let’s see what players are saying about Dynasty Warriors: Origins.

“It’s been quite a long while since I actually enjoyed Dynasty Warriors. This is an excellent step forward for the series and feels like a fresh start without abandoning everything that made the previous titles fun. Very interested to see how they build on this one.”
— Lothair Mantelar

“I’m not entirely sure how they made the officer fights feel like Ghost of Tsushima while the crowds feel like a Warriors game, but they pulled it off. Best Warriors game in years, as a fan of the genre.”
— Ackman

“They could’ve easily crapped out another Dynasty Warriors game, and I still would’ve liked it, but instead, they opted to make a really, really good one. Definitely one of my favorite trends in gaming. From gameplay to voice acting, everything is just better. I do miss the days of Cow Cow, though. RIP Cow Cow, you were a real one.”
— Enhasa

I’ve spoken about my admiration for this game before, but I’ll indulge in a bit more enthusiasm here. Dynasty Warriors: Origins is precisely the revitalization this series needed. Whether you’re diving into its deep narrative or marveling at the technical wizardry of fighting countless foes on screen, there’s something truly exhilarating to discover. If you fancy the Warriors-style games, don’t miss out on what’s now my go-to game in 2025.