Avalon

Biodata

History

Founding

Avalon began as a small team assembled around Tang Yao’s plan to make a Fate-based game. Its first project used Fate/stay night as the foundational chapter and tutorial for its FGO-style world, introducing players to the Holy Grail War, Chaldea, and Fate’s core setting before expanding the story further 73.

Kang Ming asked Tang Yao why the studio was called Avalon. She cited King Arthur’s importance to Fate: Avalon is King Arthur’s final resting place in Celtic mythology and the “Faraway Land of Ideal” associated with Artoria’s scabbard. Privately, Tang Yao also hoped the company itself would become a land of ideal 74.

Rise through mobile games

Avalon’s early success was built on FGO and its ability to turn existing manga and anime audiences into game players. FGO’s stable revenue later allowed the company to grow without external investment beyond Li Xue’s initial funding 73 269.

The studio formally became a company while shifting resources toward its second major project, initially known as Dou Pai and later released as Hearthstone 147 207. Its simultaneous releases of Yun, Hearthstone, and Fantasy Westward Journey became a major industry event, pushing mobile gaming into a new stage and drawing widespread attention to Avalon 241 243.

Expansion beyond mobile games

Avalon recruited Zhang Mingyuan’s former Easy Game engine team and a large number of experienced production staff, easing its personnel shortage and enabling high-spec 3D and single-player projects 254. Its output subsequently expanded across mobile, PC online, single-player, co-op, action, puzzle, horror, and platform-distributed third-party games.

The release of Dungeon & Fighter established Avalon as a major PC-game developer, while Outlast showcased its technical ambitions and elevated its reputation in high-spec single-player development 269 291 292.

Games and Projects

Platforms and Technology

ANF and AG

Avalon initially used ANF’s internal ecosystem for targeted user acquisition rather than joining industry-wide promotional campaigns or relying on mobile app stores 147 261. It avoided mobile-manufacturer storefronts in order to retain control of its own distribution channel and player data 264 269.

The Avalon Game Assistant became the central entry point for Avalon’s games, combining downloads, communities, guides, player-created content, and operational data 269. It later expanded from an assistant into AG (Avalon Game), a broader platform with categorized listings, game detail pages, user reviews, Workshop support, and third-party distribution 298 306 309.

• PC and mobile clients were launched for ANF’s game section 261.
• Hearthstone players could copy decks with one click and discuss builds in dedicated communities 262.
• The platform supported FGO wikis, live-stream promotion, guides, and community activity within a closed ecosystem 277 278.
• Avalon planned the “Dawn Project,” using player votes to help select games for the platform 309.

Morning Star Engine

Avalon acquired Zhang Mingyuan’s engine team after Easy Game laid them off, then supported their goal of building a multi-platform engine for PC and console development 254 255.

• The team refactored the former Easy Game engine, improving visual quality and cross-platform compatibility 256.
• Avalon’s development and engine teams worked closely, allowing engine features to be adapted to project needs 254.
• Outlast served as a major validation project for the Morning Star engine and its photogrammetry technology 291 292.
• Zhang Mingyuan expected the engine’s more formal unveiling through Left 4 Dead 292.

Key Personnel

• Tang Yao — Founder and creative leader. Led FGO’s creation, set the direction of Avalon's projects, and personally oversaw major strategic decisions 215 219 292.
• Li Xue — COO and chief steward. Managed Avalon's corporate restructuring, staffing, business expansion, and operational responsibilities 147 241 255 261.
• Kang Ming — Core member from the early team; later producer of Ronin 73 334.
• Shi Wanglin — Member of the original FGO development group and later core development staff 73 309.
• Sun Gong — Member of the original FGO development group and later core development staff 73 309.
• Si Jinliang — Early FGO development member and later core developer 73 309.
• Chu Yuxin — Core development personnel who joined the first FGO project 309.
• Wei Chi — Producer recruited by Li Xue; brought Yun to Avalon and remained with the company despite Nine Heavens’ offer 216 241.
• Zhang Mingyuan — Head of the engine team; led the refactoring work that became central to Morning Star 254 256.
• Li Zhongzhi — Project lead for Left 4 Dead 309.
• Yu Lili — Project lead for Dungeon & Fighter 309.

Industry Impact

• Avalon's three-game mobile release—Yun, Hearthstone, and Fantasy Westward Journey—helped trigger a broader rush into the mobile market by traditional game companies 243.
• Hearthstone opened Avalon's overseas market and made the company recognizable to international players and review media 259 294.
• Dungeon & Fighter demonstrated that Avalon could succeed in both mobile and PC gaming, disrupting competitors Nine Heavens and Easy Game 269 272.
• Avalon’s refusal to cooperate with Nine Heavens led the rival company to attempt contact, pressure, and personnel poaching; Avalon’s core staff refused higher offers 210 215.
• Hearthstone received a Game of the Year nomination, while Undertale was nominated for Best Independent Game 296.
• The AG platform’s support for Draw the Sword and Charge Forward attracted a surge of distribution and cooperation requests from independent developers 308 309.

Final Period

Before the releases of Ronin and League of Legends, Tang Yao temporarily left Avalon after completing a detailed blueprint for its experimental project. Her office was cleared, but the company’s ongoing promotional plans and releases continued without visible disruption 338.

Kang Ming viewed her departure as the temporary loss of the “lighthouse” that had guided Avalon, while Avalon's staff continued moving forward using the direction she had left behind 338.