Timeline
Lord of Mysteries has been in development at SPARK NEXA since the studio's founding in 2021. Public-facing milestones to date:
September 2021: Studio founded
Xu Jie (徐杰) founds SPARK NEXA / 弹指宇宙 inside Kuaishou Technology. The studio's first announced goal is to build long-cycle PC and mobile titles with AAA production values, and Lord of Mysteries becomes its flagship project.
February 3, 2023: Codename revealed
China Literature Group publicly announces a Lord of Mysteries game adaptation under the working title Code:Mystery, developed by SPARK NEXA. The license is brokered through China Literature's IP-licensing arm and signed off by author Cuttlefish That Loves Diving.
March 14, 2024: 'Tingen's Old Dream' trailer
First public gameplay reveal. The 'Tingen's Old Dream' (廷根旧梦) cinematic-and-gameplay video shows the city of Tingen under gas-lit fog, an early Beyonder Acting Method ritual, and a Seer-pathway potion-drinking sequence rendered in Unreal Engine 5. The trailer confirms the open-world MMORPG framing and the Sequence 9 entry rank.
September 2024: Tokyo Game Show 2024
SPARK NEXA showcases Lord of Mysteries at Tokyo Game Show 2024, the game's first international demo appearance. The booth runs guided sessions of an early Tingen build and a stage panel discussing the Acting Method and the Pathway system.
Throughout 2025: Internal alpha
Multiple internal alpha rounds with Kuaishou employees and a small invited tester pool. Public-facing trailers continue to drop quarterly, including a Backlund preview ('Imperial Backlund' / 帝都贝克兰德) and a combat-focused video showing card-throwing Seer abilities and Spectator hypnosis encounters.
January 14, 2026: 'Tingen' promo on WeChat
Official 'Tingen' promotional video posted to the studio's WeChat channel, signalling that a public closed beta is imminent.
January 15, 2026: Crimson Test sign-ups open
Crimson Test recruitment opens at lom.sparknexa.com at 09:30 China Standard Time. Sign-ups close on February 1, 2026.
February 5, 2026: Crimson Test goes live
The first closed beta launches on PC for selected Mainland China testers. Six of the 22 Pathways are playable; the test runs for roughly two and a half weeks before concluding ahead of Chinese New Year (February 17).
Spring and Summer 2026: Iterative betas
Subsequent CN closed beta phases planned, expected to expand the Pathway roster, extend the Sequence cap, and stress-test raid-scale group content. The first global (English-supported) closed beta is signposted for late summer or autumn 2026.
Q4 2026: Target launch
Full launch targeted for late 2026 across PC, iOS, and Android. See Release and Platforms for the launch matrix in detail.