The term "Genshin killer" gets thrown around a lot, but it’s a tough bar—Genshin Impact’s success comes from its polished open world, elemental combat, and massive cultural footprint. Still, Ananta, Arknights: Endfield, Azur Promilia, and Neverness to Everness (NTE) are generating buzz for good reasons. Here’s a breakdown of their potential to challenge Genshin’s dominance, based on what’s known so far:

Ananta (formerly Project Mugen)

An open-world action RPG from NetEase, set in a vibrant urban metropolis with anime aesthetics. Think GTA meets Genshin, with parkour, grappling hooks, and supernatural combat.

Strengths

Urban setting stands out against Genshin’s fantasy landscapes. Cities like Nova Inception Urbs feel alive with side activities (minigames, races, chases) that could rival Genshin’s exploration.

Combat looks flashy, with characters wielding supernatural powers and environmental interactions (e.g., throwing objects like tires). Recent offline tests in China suggest depth beyond initial trailers.

NetEase’s publishing muscle could ensure global reach and polish.

Challenges

• Combat quality is still unproven—some reports call it "lackluster" without gameplay footage to judge. Genshin’s elemental synergy is a high benchmark.
• No confirmed release date for 2025, raising skepticism about readiness. Overpromising risks a "too good to be true" vibe.

Potential: High if it nails combat and delivers a dense, replayable world. Urban anime vibes could pull players craving something fresh, but it needs to match Genshin’s technical finesse.

Arknights: Endfield

A 3D real-time RPG spin-off from Arknights, set on the unexplored planet Talos-II. It swaps tower defense for Genshin-style team-based combat and survival-like base-building.

Strengths

Unique blend of action RPG and factory-building (think Palworld automation meets Xenoblade). The AIC system lets you craft gear and reshape environments, adding depth beyond Genshin’s exploration.

Combat emphasizes tactics over character-switching, with a 15-character beta roster showing combo potential. It feels distinct, not just a Genshin clone.

Hypergryph’s track record with Arknights suggests a generous gacha system, potentially more F2P-friendly than Genshin’s. Beta feedback praises accessibility.

Challenges

• Not fully open-world—more instanced like Honkai: Star Rail—which might disappoint players expecting seamless exploration.
• Animations felt stiff in early betas, and the elemental system lacks punch compared to Genshin’s. Polish is critical.
• Niche aesthetic may limit mass appeal versus Genshin’s universal fantasy vibe.

Potential: Strong for strategy fans and Arknights loyalists. Its survival and base-building could hook players bored of Genshin’s endgame, but it’s more likely to coexist than dethrone. Mid-2025 release expected.

Azur Promilia

An open-world action RPG from Manjuu (Azur Lane devs), blending Genshin’s combat with creature-collecting and Palworld-esque mechanics. You fight alongside companions and ride dragons.

Strengths

Visuals and combat echo Genshin but add mounts, flight, and elemental pets, offering freedom Teyvat lacks. Switching between four characters with companion synergy looks dynamic.

Creature-collecting and farming add casual appeal, potentially broadening its audience beyond hardcore gacha players.
Azur Lane’s F2P-friendly model bodes well for accessibility, a sore spot for Genshin’s resin system.

Challenges

• Risks being seen as “Genshin with pets.” It needs to carve a distinct identity to avoid clone accusations.
• Early designs lean safe (some say tame due to Chinese censorship), which might alienate fans expecting bolder characters.
• No firm release date—likely 2026—delaying its chance to compete head-on.

Potential: Could steal casual players with its cozy monster-taming twist, but matching Genshin’s storytelling and world depth is a tall order. Manjuu’s rep gives it a shot if polish holds up.

Neverness to Everness (NTE)

An open-world gacha RPG from Perfect World, set in a supernatural city with Unreal Engine 5 visuals. It mixes urban exploration, car chases, and yokai-inspired enemies.

Strengths

Seamless world with no loading screens (per beta reports) feels next-gen compared to Genshin’s zoned regions. Driving and apartment-buying add GTA-like immersion.

Combat blends elemental heroes with Dandadan-esque spooky flair, potentially rivaling Genshin’s spectacle. Boss raids and farming hint at robust endgame.

Social features (collectibles, community events) could foster a sticky player base, unlike Genshin’s solo focus.

Challenges

• Trailers show ambition, but sparse gameplay footage fuels doubts about execution. Recent CN tests are promising but light on combat details.
• Perfect World’s mixed track record (Tower of Fantasy underdelivered) raises optimization concerns, especially for mobile.
• Urban fantasy might not resonate as universally as Genshin’s high fantasy.

Potential: A dark horse with mainstream appeal if it nails performance and story. Its modern vibe could draw new players, but it needs to outshine Ananta in the same niche. 2025 release unconfirmed.

Why None Are True "Killers" (Yet)

Genshin’s edge lies in its refined systems, constant updates, and cultural staying power—$5 billion in revenue isn’t just gameplay; it’s a lifestyle for millions. These four games aim to differentiate (urban chaos, survival crafting, pet-collecting, yokai vibes) rather than copy, which is smart—they’re not trying to be Genshin 2.0. But differentiation alone doesn’t topple a titan. Each needs:

• Polish: Genshin’s buttery-smooth combat and visuals set a brutal standard.
• Endgame: Genshin’s weak endgame (artifact grind, Spiral Abyss) is a gap they could exploit with richer systems.
• Identity: They must feel essential, not just “another gacha.”
• Timing: Delayed releases or buggy launches could kill momentum.

Verdict

Most Likely to Rival Genshin: Ananta, if it delivers on its urban playground and combat evolves past “flashy” to “deep.” Its vibe screams mass appeal.

Dark Horse: Arknights: Endfield, for carving a niche with base-building and tactical depth. It won’t outgross Genshin but could outlast competitors in engagement.

Needs More Time: Azur Promilia feels iterative, not revolutionary—2026 might be too late to shift tides.

Wild Card: NTE could surprise if Perfect World sticks the landing, but it’s the riskiest bet given their history.

Azur Lane is a bullet hell, side-scrolling style mobile game, with a character roster being the warships from World War 2 personified. You would control up to 6 characters advancing on a map to shoot at the enemies that appear while dodging their attacks. Yostar has been releasing a lot more gear since 2020, and in this article, we are going to showcase a complete guide for Azur Lane Equipment Tier List 2022.

While the game is fairly light weight, players would need quite a bit of storage space on their phone. For the smoothest gameplay, it is best to play Azur Lane on PC using an emulator.

1. Azur Lane Destroyer Gun Tier List

Outside of this tier list, certain ships might favor one weapon over others. For example, Kitakaze can only use the Twin 100mm (Type 98) - Sakura DD main gun, while Tashkent needs the Twin 130mm (B-2LM).

S Tier

A Tier

B Tier

C Tier

D Tier

2. Azur Lane Surface Torpedoes Tier List

The principle behind torpedoes is that homing torps are good for auto while normal (non-homing) torps are good for manual.

S Tier

A Tier

B Tier

C tier

D Tier

3. Azur Lane Submarine Torpedoes Tier List

Overall, the homing Mark 20 Bidder is the best, but it is fairly hard to craft in research. If you can't get it, just stick with the G7e, which blueprints can be found in either research or daily. The other torps are usable but not optimal and resource-intensive to craft, especially the tier B and C ones.

Players can use the purple versions of these torps as transitional weapons.

S Tier

A Tier

B Tier

C Tier

>>> Men’s Michigan Wolverines Gold Edition Jersey for only $80!

4. Azur Lane Light Cruiser Guns Tier List

For CL who can pick between CL guns and DD guns, always go for the DD guns as they yield higher DPS. Always use CL guns for BB aux slots, if possible.

S Tier

A Tier

B Tier

C Tier

D Tier

5. Azur Lane Heavy Cruiser Gun Tier List

S Tier

A Tier

B Tier

C Tier

D tier

6. Azur Lane Battleship/Battlecruiser Guns Tier List

Overall, there are 2 types of BB/BC in the game. If your ship has a powerful Barrage, you might want to use a fast gun. The rule of thumb is that AP guns are most useful against heavy/medium armor while HE is great against everything in general.

S Tier

A Tier

B Tier

C Tier

D Tier

Special

7 - Aircraft Carrier Fighter Tier List

• Tier-EX: F7F, Sea Hornet
• Tier-1: F4U, Sea Fury, F6F, Seafang, Kawanishi, A7M, BF-109G
• Tier-2: F8F, Seafire, Type 0
• Tier-3: Me155-A, F2A

The Tier EX has the highest damage, with 2x 1000lbs bombs. Tier 1 has about the same level of damage, with the F4U and BF-109G being the strongest. New players should stick with the F6F or Seafang. Tier 2 and 3 are not worth using outside of airstrike speed adjustment. Stock up on the F4U once you have gathered enough core data - they are the cheapest fighter for budget players.

8 - Aircraft Carrier Dive Bomber Tier List

• Tier-1: SB2C Helldiver, XSB3C-1
• Tier-2: BTD-1
• Tier-3: SBD, Barracuda 831, Firefly, Suisei, Suisei 12A
• Special: Suisei Model 21 (for BBV)

Overall, just stick with the SB2C Helldiver, the best DB in the game. It is also super easy to get, from both map drops and chests. The XSB3C-1 is just a slight improvement at the highest tier, which is pretty resource-intensive.

While tier 2, the BTD-1 is worth using sometimes, the tier 3 planes are not worth using outside of airstrike speed adjustment. The Suisei Model 21 is the best in slot for Aviation battleships.

9 - Aircraft Carrier Torpedo Bomber Tier List

There are 2 types of Torpedo Bombers, Normal (for mobs) and Converging (for bosses).

• Tier-EX: Wyvern
• Tier-1: Ju-87, Aichi B7A (Converging), XTB2D (Normal), Swordfish (Slow)
• Tier-2: Barracuda, TBM Avenger, Firecrest, Blackburn
• Tier-3: Saiun Kai, TBD Devastator.

Overall, new players should just stick with the Barracuda and the Aichi B7A. While the other options are marginally better, these two planes are much easier to get. The Siren ops planes are extremely resource-intensive, especially the Wyvern.

10 - Azur Lane Equipment Tier List For Auxiliaries + AA guns

Auxiliaries

• Tier-1: High Performance Hydraulic Steering Gear, High Standard Fire Control Radar, Beaver Squad Tag
• Tier-2: Steam Catapult, Super Heavy Shell, Type 1 AP Shell, Type 93 Pure Oxygen Torpedo, SG Radar, Homing Beacon
• Tier-3: High Performance Air Radar, Repair Toolkit

Overall, there are so many Aux in AL that listing them out would cost us all day. The Rule of thumb is to get Evasion on tanking frontline ships like Heavy and Light Cruisers, HP on Destroyer, White and Black Shell + Radar for Battleships and Steam Catapult for Carriers.

For submarines, you can use any combination of the Improved Snorkel, Type 93 Improved Oxygen Torpedo, and Pressure Resistant Hull Design.

The same rules apply for Aux gear - if you are using the purple version of the gold gears, only upgrade them to level 6 (except for the toolbox).

PVP Auxiliaries

There are quite a few Auxiliaries that only work in Exercise or PVP mode in Azur Lane. They can be unlocked in the Memento Section. Overall, these equipment provide good stats and should be unlocked as soon as possible.

Anti Sub Gears

While all light cruisers and destroyers can fire depth charges now, having the Improved Depth Charge Projector would still be useful (even its blue version is passable). You can get blueprints for crafting them from SOS missions and weekly submarine missions. The sonars are completely optional - you only need the depth charges.

AA guns

Most AA guns in Azur Lane are interchangeable so it is not worth listing them all out. The best are the Sextuple 40mm BOFOR from PR3 and the Twin 113mm. The Twin 134mm is useful for gun-based destroyers like Z23 - they provide an extra 15FP, which those units sorely need.

The Twin 40mm bofor and the Twin 40mm hazemayer are best used on battleships - they provide an extra 15 and 5 Hit, the stat that battleships sorely need.

If you are a new player, just use any gold AA gun you managed to get your hand on. Anti air only becomes a problem once you reach world 13, which is filled with enemy planes.

You need the best gears to defeat the strongest bosses in AL. Check this video below to find out more.

This is the end of our Azur Lane Equipment Tier List. Interested in more of our articles related to android games? Please check out this post to find out more about the Top 6 Best Strategy Games For Android (Offline).

Azur Lane is a bullet hell style mobile game, with a character roster being the warships from World War 2 personified. If you are familiar with the two franchise Touhou and Kancolle from Japan, this is pretty much a fusion of the two. In this Azur Lane Beginners Guide, we would list out everything you need to know when starting AL and how to progress fast.

1 - How to get EXP for your ships?

Overall, Azur Lane is a rather grindy game - you would need to clear a map over and over to get enough level on your two fleets. The overall rule is that you clear the fourth map of every world until you are strong enough to do the next world. Power level up in 1-4, 2-4 and 3-4 until you are level 80 or so.

EXP can also be acquired in PVP or "Practice" mode: As a new player, you probably would not be able to beat anyone, but just field your fleets and battle - even if you lose, you would get exp and Merit (shop currency).

The best method of getting exp is probably the Dorm - as long as you provided it with food, the ships stationed there would get exp constantly even if you are not playing.

Lecture Hall is also a good method of getting exp - it stores a percent of the exp level 100 ships receive and distributed to all shipgirls stationed there.

2 - How to strengthen your shipgirls?

Equipment

Overall, try to fill up all the equipment slots of your units when you field them out to battle. The specifics can be found in our Azur Lane Equipment Guide. Overall, the rule is to try to equip your shipgirls with as much purple and gold equipment as possible.

From chapter 3 onward, you would need to upgrade them - the materials dropped from world 1 - 5 can only upgrade the gears to + 6 max - you would need to grind quite a bit at world 6 to get enough purple materials to upgrade your equipment to +10

Equipment can be acquired through open boxes, blueprint drops and events. Check your Craft menu in the item section frequently to see if anything is ready to be crafted yet.

Limit break

Shipgirls can be limit broken with another copy of the same ship or a bulin of the same color. You should limit break the ships you are using at least one or twice to clear out the early chapters easier.

Skill

Constantly level up the ones you use the most using books.

Retrofit

Some shipgirls can be retrofitted - this upgrade would increase their stat and add 1 extra skill. The blueprints needed for retrofits can be acquired in Hard Mode and various other places.

3 - How to get resources?

You need to clear out the daily raids every day - they give gold, plates, book, and boxes. Afterward, you would need to clear Hard Mode. It is recommended to clear the hardest map possible every day, preferably world 3 or higher, as those maps would drop golden BPs.

Upgrade your canteen and merchant in the academy to get a steady stream of gold and oil.

4 - What to buy with your free Gems?

Azur Lane does give a decent amount of premium currency for F2p players - they are best used for Dock Slots (you would need more very soon) and dorm slots (1 or 2 more slots is recommended to speed up your leveling speed).

Gems can be acquired by filling up collections and 3 stars the main story.

5 - What to do in Events?

Usually, Azur Lane's events would have two levels of difficulty, one for new players and one for veterans. Those two levels give about the same amount of rewards, except for the final trophy. Priority the points for new ships and gear in events.

6 - Gameplay tips

There are 5 main classes in Azur Lane: Battleship/Battlecruiser (BB), Aircraft Carrier (CV), Heavy Cruiser (CA), Light Cruiser (CL) and Destroyer (DD). The general rule is to field one of each class in your fleets, with the BB in the middle to shoot down suicide boats and trigger their barrage skills.

About the Frontline, CA should be in the frontmost position as a tank. The others can be placed wherever you like.

If you have problems 3-starring a map, get more levels on your shipgirls and clear it over and over until the threat level becomes green. Each level that your shipgirls has over the enemies would give them 2% damage and defense.

If you have submarines, you can also field them to get some extra damage in as well.

Interested in mor of our articles related to Azur Lane? Please check out this post for a complete equipment guide.

Azur Lane is a bullet hell, side-scrolling style mobile game, with a character roster being the warships from World War 2 personified. In this game, you would control up to 6 characters, advancing in the map to shoot at the enemies appeared while dodge the bullets fired by them. Accompanied with that is the RPG elements with enhancements, skills, and gears, providing extensive depth for the game.

In this Azur Lane Equipment Guide for June 2020, we would list out the general recommended equipment for your ship rosters and where to get them.

1 - Destroyers Guns Guide:

Equipment priority: 138.6 > 130 > 127 = 100

Amongst these 4 guns, the Twin 130mm has the highest damage potential theoretically but is held back by its ammo type being normal. This makes the 138.6mm remains the best DD gun in the game. These two weapons are locked behind events - you probably would not have too many of them to equip.

The twin 100 has the highest attack speed for a gold DD gun. You can either use that or the 76mm AA gun for ships with a procs skill. The twin 127 is the vanilla choice for DD if you don't have the best 2 guns. There are some special rules about Tashkent having to use the twin 130 and Kitakaze having to use the Twin 100.

When equipping destroyer guns on Battleships, the rules pretty much stay the same.

2 - Torpedoes Guide

Equipment Priority: Rainbow Quint 533 mag > Quint 533> Quad 610 > Quint 533 Mag > Quad 533 Mag

This is pretty much based on stats. The Magnetic line of torps exchange their stats for the ability to home in on targets - except for the rainbow versions, everything else is not worth using. Due to the rainbow Quint 533 mag being Event exclusive, the gold Quintuple 533 is still the staple torp for auto and the Quad 610 is best for manual.

3 - Submarine Torpedoes Guide

Equipment Priority: G7e > Type95 = Mark 16

Currently, there are only 3 sub torps in the game. Overall, the G7e with the lowest cooldown and homing ability is the best of them all - it is recommended to equip all subs with that torp. The Mark 16 and the Type 95 are geared toward different usage - the Mark 16 would increase the damage of the initial barrage of the sub while the Type 95 would increase the general damage of normal attacks.

4 - Light Cruiser Guns Guide

Equipment Priority: Triple 152 B-38 > Prototype Triple 152 (DP MK17) = Prototype Triple 152 > Triple 155

The twin 150 can be used if you don't have the Prototype Triple 152. The single 150 is best for ships with procs barrage. Overall, the Triple 152 B-38 has the highest damage, however, due to it being event exclusive, you would probably have to stick with the Prototype Triple 152 MK17 and Prototype Triple 152, both are research guns.

The same equipment priority can be applied when equipping CL guns on Battleships.

Read more:

• Top 8 Best Gacha Game For Android In 2020

5 - Heavy Cruiser Gun Guide

Equipment Priority: Twin 203mm (Mle 1924) > Prototype Triple 203mm AA = Prototype Triple 203mm Main Gun >Prototype 203mm (type3) = Twin 203mm (M1927) > Twin 203mm (SKC)

The best Azur Lane best weapons on the list, the Twin 203 MLE 1924, is event exclusive, so you might not have more than one of it. For the rest of the slots, a mix and match between the Triple 203 AA and the Triple 203 Main is preferable - change between AP and HE depends on whichever enemy you are facing. If you don't have these two guns on researches yet, buying the 203mm Type 3 on Core shop is not a bad idea. Finally, the Twin 203 SKC can be get from boxes, which is somewhat useful until you get better weapons. The twin 203 M1927 is pretty rare - best equipped on Zara only.

6 - Battleship/Battlecruiser Guns Guide

In this category, we have to divide into two sections: Barrage Gun and Damage Gun

Equipment Priority for Barrage ships: Twin 381 = Twin 380 = Twin 406 > 410 Mounted

Overall, if your ship is focused on Barrage, the Twin 406 is probably the most powerful, with about 10% higher damage. The 380 and 381 are faster - choose between AP and HE to equip on your ships based on the situation. The 410 is the poor man's choice - pick it if you don't have Azur Lane best equipment.

Equipment Priority for Salvo ships: Triple 406 mk6 = Triple 410 Mounted > Triple 381 AA = Triple 381 (1934)

Overall, the Triple 406 MK6 is the best choice for HE while the Triple 410 Mounted is best for AP. The rests are ship specific guns - The Quad 356 is for KGV, The Triple 381 is for Littorio, the Quad 380 is for Jean Bart, and the Triple 406 is for Gascogne Muse and Massachusetts.

The Twin 457 rainbow gun is ultra-rare and is the strongest gun in the game. However, due to its extreme rarity, we won't mention it here. You need about 8-10 months to get one.

7 - Aircraft Carrier Planes Guide

Equipment Priority for Fighters: F4U > Reppuu = Sea fury = Hellcat = Seafang > the rest

The F4U is the best without any contest - just grab a few of them in the core data shop. The rest can either be found in boxes or farm on maps.

Equipment Priority for Dive Bombers: Helldiver > BTD-1 Destroyer > The rest

SB2C Helldiver is the best in the slot and is super easy to get - just stick with it. The Ju 87C is great on Graf Zeppelin, and the BTD 1 is great on ships with low Aviation stat. The rest are not worth using.

Equipment Priority for Torpedo Bombers: TBM Avenger = Barracuda = Ryusei = Swordfish = Devastator = Firebrand > Fairey Albacore

Torpedo planes are about the same, with each serves a separate function. Ryusei has homing torps while Barracuda is fastest, Swordfish has slow while Firebrand has AA. The VT18 has a damage amp skill while the VT8 has great damage from 2nd airstrike onward. The Fairey Albacore is unique for Formidable.

8 - Azur Lane Equipment Guide 2020: AA and Aux

AA guns are pretty much the same, except for the STAAG being the strongest and the Hazemayer being the 2nd due to their bonus Hit Stats. Aux equips are pretty easy: Oxy torps and toolbox on DDs, Gold Rudder on Cruisers, Black/White Shells + Radars on BBs and Steam Catapult on CVs.

>>> Check the updated Azur Lane Equipment Tier List Complete Guide 2021

Azur Lane has caused a huge wave in the mobile gaming scene, especially for anime mecha-shooter fans with its initial launch in 2017. It's best known for the fast-paced battles, stunning visuals, and anime-like girls that was designed very carefully. It's still available for both iOS and Android if you want to have a look.

And realizing the potentials of the franchise, the China-based developer Shanghai Manjuu and Xiamen Yongshi have decided to make a new game with the same concept for PC and PS4. Its name is Azur Lane: Crosswave and it marks the big upgrade of its gameplay from 2D side-scrolling to 3D fast-paced action!

You can look at Azur Lane: Crosswave early footage through the trailer below to compare with its mobile version:

The story of Azur Lane: Crosswave

Azur Lane: Crosswave takes the settings of futuristic settings, where battleships now have their own personalities and can turn into the girl forms while still being able to function perfectly. The game tells the story of the relationship between four countries: Sakura Empire, Iron Blood, Royal Navy and Eagle Union.

The four countries have joined hands to hold military training on a regular basis, as the troops from each nation march to the lands of the others to exercise. However, this time is a different, as suddenly, they've enacted a special program called Joint Military Exercise to cope with the dangerous battles waiting ahead.

This program will choose the most powerful battleships of each nation to pack in an even harder training program to pre-emptively prepare for the future threat. But why does this suddenly happen? Is there any plots behind this special event?

Gameplay features

As I've mentioned earlier, Azure Lane: Crosswave is a huge step from the Chinese developers from making simple 2D side-scrolling games to unleash its talent in fast-paced 3D combats. Basically, Azure Lane: Crosswave is a third-person shooter, where you'll take control of the personified battleships to train your skills and take part in real vigorous battles.

They've called this a "retrofitted" version with the power of Unreal Engine. It will still keep the 25+ titular beautiful armadas - from the flat-chested ones to the BB ones with insane firepowers, alongside over 30 supporting characters to the battles. But new games need new characters, so they've added two brand new ones into the roster, Shimakaze, and Suruga.

With your favorite vessels on the screen, you'll have to control them dodging gunfires while aiming at your enemies and unleash your fire powers. The enemies vary from the naval ones like huge battleships to the aerial ones like heavy carriers, as well as other troops.

Together, they will create a dense bullets field that you will not likely to dodge all of them, since they fly decently fast. As a result, the game gives each character a different way to deal with those situations. Some girls might have the ability to quickly dash to dodge the bullets, while some can active a decaying shield to tank them. Aside from that, the firepower that one is wielding is also different among the characters, and you'll have a good time learning about all of them.

Last but not least, Azure Lane: Crosswave brings 4 play modes as well as sets of distinctive items to equip your armadas before getting into the training course. Overall, it's both a great game for the Azur Lane fans as well as for newcomers that are seeking satisfying 3D combats.

Release date and supported platforms

Azur Lane: Crosswave will come out for PC and PS4 in February 2020, but no specific release date was announced yet. You can add the game to your Wishlist on Steam to receive the latest information when it launches.

Enjoy!