Coins On The Table
Sucker Punch balanced Zeni Hajiki PvP by literally flicking real coins across a table. Not mockups. Not a graybox test. Actual coins from Ghost of Yotei’s Collector’s Edition.
“PvP Zeni Hajiki was always an idea we were interested in,” Legends lead Darren Bridges told Kotaku. “But based on the fan response after the game launched, we knew it was a good investment. There was also strong advocacy within the studio – we did our PvP rule playtesting using real coins on a real table!”
Asked why the team went analog for a digital feature, Bridges said the group is always chasing the “absolute fastest way” to validate ideas. “Generally, this means creating simple, unpolished content to test it out in-game,” he explained. “But Zeni Hajiki is one of the few examples where we could try out new rules without writing a single line of code!”
Conveniently, there was no need to fabricate prototypes. “Ghost of Yotei’s Collector’s Edition includes a bag of coins that are made for playing the game, so it was probably the most efficient prototyping experience in the company’s history,” said Bridges.
Why PvP Lives In The Lobby
Legends, the newly added free co-op mode for the PS5-exclusive RPG, puts social downtime front and center. Between missions, players can hang out in a lobby, chop bamboo for bragging rights, or challenge a friend to a few rounds of Zeni Hajiki. Actual combat duels, though? That’s where Sucker Punch drew a line.