Warriors Orochi sells 1.5M, getting encore

When Dynasty Warriors debuted on the original PlayStation in 1997, it was a one-on-one weapons-based fighting game with characters pulled from Chinese history. For the PlayStation 2 sequel in 2000, Koei completely reinvented the franchise as a hack-and-slash action game that pitted one player against hundreds of enemies in every battle.

The series has been focused on quantity ever since, cranking out five straight sequels, multiple Xtreme Legends and Empires expansions, and spin-offs such as Dynasty Tactics and Samurai Warriors (which also had sequels, spin-offs, and expansions). In recent years, Koei has put out a pair of crossovers, the sci-fi Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, as well as Warriors Orochi, which paired the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors in a fantasy setting against the Serpent King Orochi. Despite the abundance of offerings, the franchise apparently still performs at retail, given that Koei has announced that Warriors Orochi shipped 1.5 million copies worldwide across its various platforms.

It should come as little surprise then that Koei is wasting no time turning out a sequel. Today it announced Warriors Orochi 2 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2. Picking up in the wake of the Serpent King's defeat in the first game, Warriors Orochi 2 requires new heroes from ancient China and feudal Japan to band together and prevent the villain's resurrection.

In addition to the story mode, Warriors Orochi 2 will also have four competitive multiplayer modes, a Dream Mode with a second storyline to play through, and a roster of more than 90 characters from the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors franchises. Developed by series studio Omega Force, Warriors Orochi 2 is set for a September release in North America.