One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows

Lore & Background

The game was announced in June 2019 and 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. It is a 3D fighting game in which 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 for their team, he arrives late to the battle; that player must make it through the match with the other two characters until Saitama arrives. An alternative version of Saitama without these attributes, called the 'Dream Version', is also playable. On July 20, 2021, Bandai Namco announced that all online servers would be closed by 2022.

Reader's Guide

One-Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows received mixed reviews from critics, but was nominated for The Game Awards 2020 in the best fighting game category. The story mode was praised, while the gameplay and visuals were considered unpolished and too simplistic. Reviewers were polarized on the gimmick revolving around Saitama's invincibility: some praised it for its uniqueness, while others considered it a fatally flawed concept that rendered all other characters useless and made multiplayer mode completely unbalanced unless both players picked Saitama. The physical PlayStation 4 game was the 18th highest selling physical video game in Japan during its debut week, with an estimated 4,500 copies sold; by its second week on sale, it no longer charted on Famitsu's weekly top 30 sales chart. The game's legacy is tied to its divisive core mechanic and its brief commercial presence in Japan.

Did You Know?

• A 'Dream Version' of Saitama without invulnerability or one-punch ability is also playable.
• All online servers were announced to close by 2022.