The creator of Sony Interactive Entertainment and UltiZeroGames’ Lost Soul Aside ended up losing his hair and his girlfriend during its development.
The long and troubled development of the action-adventure role-playing game has been a story of passion, sacrifice, and setbacks for its creator, Yang Bing. It started as one man’s dream in 2014 and stretched into an 11-year journey. According to a report from BilliBilli (via Twitter/X user SynthPotato) that discusses the entire development history of Lost Soul Aside, the game’s development cost the creator his hair and even his relationship.
Inspired by the trailer for Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Yang Bing began teaching himself 3D modeling, programming, and Unreal Engine. In 2016, he uploaded a five-minute prototype video originally intended for a job application. Instead, it went viral, drawing attention from publishers. Rejecting mobile-focused offers, he partnered with Sony Interactive Entertainment to be a part of the “China Hero Project.”
In 2017, he founded UltiZero Games with fewer than five people. By 2018, the team produced a Gamescom demo under intense crunch, but ambitions soon outpaced resources. By late 2019, an open-world concept nearly collapsed the project. In 2020, Yang Bing rebooted development with a smaller scope, but limited funding meant that he was limited to hiring mostly inexperienced staff. COVID lockdowns from 2021 to 2023 further slowed progress, with team members quitting while Yang Bing personally integrated most of the work. Stress took a toll, and by 2023 he was visibly balding and graying. He avoided going out, didn’t travel, and even broke up with his girlfriend during this period.
Sony Interactive Entertainment later intervened in 2024, cutting the narrative down from ten chapters and delaying release. Internal turmoil also erupted when studio planner “Vivian” leaked information and clashed with fans, leading to their dismissal. Despite these setbacks and a budget only a fraction of Black Myth: Wukong or Stellar Blade, development pressed on leading up to its ultimate release on August 29, 2025.
