From Seoul to the global stage — Fighting Nations by Deother combines Fortnite’s scale with Tekken’s skill, minus the guns.
A New Kind of Battle Royale
In a world where most battle royale games rely on guns, grenades, and violence, one Seoul-based studio is doing something radically different.
Fighting Nations, developed by Deother Studio, is the world’s first pure martial arts battle royale — a global fighting experience with no weapons and no firearms, just authentic martial arts and skill.
Imagine a near-future world in 2077, where 200 nations send their strongest warriors to Shanghai to fight for global honor — not through bullets, but through the mastery of Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Judo, Silat, Boxing, Karate, and more.
This unique title merges the cinematic combat of Tekken with the massive scale of Fortnite, creating a new genre: the martial arts battle royale.
The Problem: Too Many Weapons, Too Little Skill
From PUBG to Fortnite, the battle royale genre dominates global gaming — but most rely on shooting mechanics and mature-rated violence.
That leaves a gap for younger players, families, and martial arts fans who want competitive gameplay without weapons or gore.
Founder Kent Kim, a lifelong fighting game fan and Harvard graduate, saw this imbalance firsthand:
“After playing Tekken 8, I realized how unfair it was that some characters could shoot cannons while others relied only on punches and kicks. That was unjust to me. I wanted to make a game that honors skill — not firepower.”
The Solution: A World Where Martial Arts Are the Only Weapon
At its core, Fighting Nations is about skill, stamina, and cultural representation.
Each match features 100 fighters competing in large-scale arenas across futuristic cityscapes. Players can train, mix, and master different martial arts styles — from traditional Taekwondo to Indonesia’s Silat or France’s Savate.
“In most games, characters are locked into one style — like Hwarang only doing Taekwondo in Tekken. But in Fighting Nations, players can learn and combine any martial art they want.”
The philosophy is simple yet revolutionary:
No guns. No blades. Just skill.
The Deother Difference
| Key Differentiator | Description |
|---|---|
| Pure Martial Arts Gameplay | No firearms or blades — every move is based on real martial arts. |
| Global Cultural Representation | Fighters from 200 nations, male and female, showcasing diverse combat styles. |
| Cinematic + Strategic Combat | Combines real-time fighting mechanics with survival and stamina systems. |
| Cross-Media IP Universe | Linked to Kent Kim’s 2025 sci-fi novel Seraphim: The Awakening of Iron Dragon, published on Amazon, forming a unified story world. |
| Inclusive and Family-Friendly | Accessible for ages 10+; appeals to both martial arts fans and esports players. |
A New Genre in the Making
With Fighting Nations, Deother Studio is pioneering what could become a brand-new genre in gaming — one that blends cultural authenticity with esports-ready design.
Players can choose fighters representing their country’s martial arts, giving each match a layer of national pride and global connection.
The game also aims to bridge East and West. By removing firearms and gore, it appeals to Western parents’ safety concerns while also aligning with Chinese gaming regulations.
Early Development and Roadmap of Fighting Nations
Deother Studio was founded in 2022 and currently operates from Seoul, South Korea, with a five-person core team.
Traction and Roadmap:
- October 2025: Selected to showcase at Thailand Game Show and Asia Gamescom.
- December 2025: Unity prototype (with Photon multiplayer) launching on Steam Early Access.
- 2026: Transition to Unreal Engine 5, full free-to-play global release, esports tournaments, and cultural skin packs.
- 2027: Mobile and cloud expansion, plus a cross-media rollout with novels, webtoons, and animation tie-ins.
Market Opportunity
The fighting game and battle royale markets together are worth $17.5 billion in 2024, expected to reach $40 billion by 2033.
With 668 million gamers in China alone and increasing interest in martial arts esports, the opportunity is massive. By offering a family-friendly, culturally rich alternative, Fighting Nations positions itself to attract a truly global audience.
Founder Q&A: Kent Kim, Creator of Fighting Nations
Q: What problem are you solving and for whom?
A: We’re solving the gap between violent, weapon-heavy battle royales and outdated 1:1 fighting games.
Fighting Nations gives martial arts fans, parents, and young players a safe, skill-driven game that honors
culture and competition.
Q: What’s your edge vs. existing games like Fortnite or Tekken?
A: Unlike Fortnite or PUBG, we ban weapons—so it’s accessible across age groups and markets like
China. Unlike Tekken, we scale beyond 1:1 duels into 100-player survival battles.
Q: One milestone you’re proud of?
A: When I was a college student at Harvard,
I remeber buying PS and Tekken 2 or 3, I don’t quite remember. I have been playing fighting games for
more than 30 years. After playing Tekken 8 for 6 months, I realized that it was unfair for other charcters to
shoot cannon and use swords while some characters only used punches and kicks. That was unjust to
me. In August 2025, I came up with an idea and produced the first build with Unity. Thanks to AI, creating
AI images for 200 female fighters and 3D models have become easier than ever. A proof of concept was
realized in 2 months. I am extremely confident that within three years, we project over 1.5M active users
and $6.3M in revenue, starting from a lean $500K MVP budget.
Q: What’s next in the next six months?
A. I have entered the 17th Unity Awards Contest already. Release our Unity-based MVP on Steam Early
Access, gather community feedback, and prepare the Unreal Engine 5 upgrade for a global 2026
free-to-play launch.
The Bottom Line
Fighting Nations isn’t just another battle royale — it’s a cultural movement.
By removing weapons and elevating martial arts as the ultimate form of combat, this Seoul-based startup is redefining what it means to fight fair.
From the Iron Dragon universe to the Asia Gamescom stage, Fighting Nations is gearing up to take on the world — one roundhouse kick at a time.
Key Links
- Website – www.deother.me
- Amazon novel tie-in (Seraphim: The Awakening of Iron Dragon)
- Media Contact – Kent Kim ([email protected])
Company Snapshot: Deother
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Startup Name | Deother Studio |
| Flagship Product | Fighting Nations – The World’s First Martial Arts Battle Royale |
| Founded | 2022 |
| Headquarters | Seoul, South Korea |
| Funding Goal | $500K for 10% equity |
| Website | www.deother.me |
| Novel Tie-In | Seraphim: The Awakening of Iron Dragon on Amazon |
| Contact | [email protected] |
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