PARIS (March 2, 2022) – Hailed as an early GOTY contender and applauded by international critics in the east and west, the Kung Fu action game Sifu from independent developer and publisher Sloclap (Absolver) achieved one million units sold in its first three weeks of general availability. Sifu is available on PlayStation and on PC through the Epic Games Store for $39.99 (www.sifugame.com).
A trailer released today showcases a selection of the high praise the game achieved from critics around the world: https://youtu.be/_wJUhfFy-Xo
To date there have been more than 10 million hours played. Of the 1mm+ players, more than 45 percent have completed the challenging second level of the game, and are now on their way to completing their vengeance. Over 150,000 players have already mastered Kung Fu enough to beat Yang, the game’s main antagonist. Special congratulations to those who have managed to grow beyond their vengeance, and have now achieved Wude, i.e. - the game’s true ending.
“We are thrilled by the reception of Sifu from both fans and press alike,” said Pierre Tarno, executive producer at Sloclap. “We set out to create an authentic, Kung Fu action game that paid homage to our favorite Kung Fu films. We’re thankful for our fans around the world but we are especially humbled by the incredible reception the game has had in China. Our internal metric of success was how well the game was received there and knowing that fans in China are the largest segment of our sales outside of North America and the positive reviews from Chinese critics means a lot to us.”
Sifu is set against a detailed backdrop of a fictional Chinese city where players uncover an ancient mystery via a series of difficult confrontations that test their skills to the limit. To overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, fighters need to rely on a mastery of Kung Fu and a magical pendant that revives them after death. The cost of magic is dear, however, and drastically ages a fighter with each revival: time is the price paid for revenge.
Sifu’s main inspiration comes from classic Kung Fu fighting movies, with some of the developers at Sloclap having practiced Pak Mei Kung Fu and various other martial arts. Since the early stages of development, Sloclap worked in close partnership with Kowloon Nights to create an experience that feels authentic and respectful of Chinese Kung Fu culture. Kowloon Nights, through its network in the Chinese Games industry, identified key talents to collaborate on the game and provide feedback resulting in changes ranging from the look of the main character to details of the environment.
Alexis Garavaryan, CEO of Kepler Interactive, said, “The team at Sloclap crafted something truly exceptional that resonated with audiences across the world. Sifu is an overnight success years in the making that started with Absolver and the team’s aspiration to redefine the standard for martial arts games. We also thank our friends at PlayStation and Epic who gave us absolute world-class support and visibility.”
Find out today as Sifu is now playable around the world for $39.99 USD for the standard edition and $49.99 USD for the Deluxe Edition. Full Mandarin Chinese voice over is coming soon for both versions of the game, details on that to follow.
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About Sloclap:
Sloclap is an independent game development studio founded in 2015. Comprising more than 50 team members, the studio’s core focus revolves around martial arts combat games for PC and consoles. The studio's debut project, Absolver, released in August 2017 on PC and PlayStation 4, followed by a release on Xbox One in January 2019 and achieved a player base of more than 3 million people around the world. The studio’s sophomore title, Sifu launched on PC and PlayStation platforms in February 2022.