Hoothanes and 4Divinity have released a new gameplay trailer for The Defiant, a story-driven WWII first-person shooter centered on China’s War of Resistance.
The team also confirmed that The Defiant is playable publicly for the first time at ChinaJoy 2026 in Shanghai. Attendees can try the demo at booth N1-G201 through August 3.
A WWII Story From China’s Perspective
The Defiant focuses on the eastern front of WWII, where China fought through the conflict known domestically as the War of Resistance.
The game aims to tell that history from a Chinese perspective, a side of the war that rarely gets much space in games. Its story centers on soldiers and civilians fighting to survive under occupation.
Guerrilla Warfare Behind Enemy Lines
The Defiant takes players through occupied villages, frozen forests, fortified supply routes, and enemy-held city areas.
Missions will shift between stealth, close-range firefights, sniping, urban espionage, and larger assaults. The setup points toward a campaign built around changing tactics rather than one fixed combat style.
Built in Unreal Engine 5
Hoothanes is developing The Defiant in Unreal Engine 5, with attention paid to the weapons used by Chinese fighters during the period.
The arsenal includes the Hanyang Type 88, Mauser C96, Bergmann MP18 submachine gun, and more.
The Defiant is planned for PC via Steam and consoles.
