One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows

Lore & Background

One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows was announced in June 2019 and developed by Spike Chunsoft. It was released by Bandai Namco Entertainment in Japan for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on February 27, 2020, and internationally for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on February 28, 2020. The game is a 3D fighting game where one to two players battle using teams of three characters. The title character Saitama is invulnerable to other characters' attacks and can defeat them in a single punch, but if a player picks him, he arrives late to the battle, requiring the player to survive with the other two characters until he appears. An alternative version called the 'Dream Version' lacks these attributes.

Reader's Guide

One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows received mixed reviews from critics. The story mode was praised, but the gameplay and visuals were considered unpolished and too simplistic. Reviewers were polarized on the gimmick of Saitama's invincibility: some praised it for uniqueness, while others called it a fatally flawed concept that rendered other characters useless and made multiplayer unbalanced unless both players picked Saitama. The game was nominated for The Game Awards 2020 in the best fighting game category. Commercially, the physical PlayStation 4 version was the 18th highest selling physical game in Japan during its debut week, with an estimated 4,500 copies sold, and it dropped off the top 30 chart by its second week. On July 20, 2021, Bandai Namco announced that all online servers would be closed by 2022.

Did You Know?

• The game was announced in June 2019.
• Saitama is invulnerable and can defeat opponents in one punch, but arrives late to battles.
• A 'Dream Version' of Saitama without these special attributes is also playable.
• All online servers were announced to close by 2022.