Gulong Heroes

Gulong Heroes was a free-to-play mobile action RPG that leaned heavily on hero collection, real-time battles, and a roster drawn from the wuxia novels of Taiwanese author Gu Long. Players recruited martial arts icons, upgraded them through leveling and evolution, and built teams around gear and skill synergy to push through PvE content and competitive modes.

Publisher: Pandora Games
Type: Mobile Action RPG
Release Date: November 02, 2016
Shut Down: August 25, 2017
Pros: +Huge roster with 100+ heroes to collect. +Survival-style PvP mode adds tension. +Clear upgrade loop with gear, enhancements, and evolution.
Cons: -Monetization could heavily influence power. -Technical problems, including bugs and long loads. -Automation reduces the need for hands-on play.

Overview

Gulong Heroes Overview

Gulong Heroes brought a classic gacha-driven structure to mobile action RPG combat, using characters inspired by Gu Long (Xiong Yaohua) and his well-known novel series. The core appeal was the collectible cast, with more than a hundred heroes available to summon, including recognizable names like Xiaoli Feidao (小李飛刀系列) and Chu Liuxiang (楚留香系列). Each hero arrived with their own kit of abilities, encouraging players to build small squads around complementary skills rather than relying on a single favorite.

Progression followed a familiar loop for the genre: raise hero levels, evolve them for stronger stats and improved combat potential, and keep farming equipment to fill out their loadouts. Story stages and raids served as the main sources of upgrade materials and item drops, letting you gradually replace older pieces with better armor, weapons, and accessories. Each hero had five gear slots, so a large portion of long-term power came from repeatedly optimizing equipment across the team.

Combat was presented in real time and typically involved bringing up to three heroes alongside one ally. The moment-to-moment play centered on activating skills and ultimate abilities at the right time, especially in tougher encounters where timing mattered more than raw numbers. Social systems also played a role, letting players join a faction to coordinate growth, share progression, and team up for boss-focused content.

For competitive players, the Ancient Tower offered a survival-oriented PvP experience with a clear risk-reward structure. Losing heroes carried consequences, since fallen units could prevent you from continuing upward to the next floor, making roster depth and careful decision-making more important than simply sprinting through matches.

Gulong Heroes Key Features:

  • From Page to Mobile – familiar figures from Gu Long’s novels are adapted into playable heroes.
  • 100+ Heroes – recruit a massive lineup and deploy up to three heroes (plus an ally) per fight.
  • Enhancement and Evolution – strengthen your roster through leveling and evolution upgrades.
  • Gear Loadout – five equipment slots per hero (armor, weapons, accessories) for deeper build tuning.
  • PvP Survival Mode – climb the Ancient Tower where only those who keep their teams alive can advance.

Gulong Heroes Screenshots

Gulong Heroes Featured Video

Gulong Heroes Teaser : Lu Xiaofeng

Full Review

Gulong Heroes Review

Gulong Heroes aimed to blend collectible hero progression with active combat, and at its best it delivered a satisfying team-building hook. The game’s identity came from its Gu Long-inspired roster, which gave it a distinct theme compared with more generic fantasy gacha titles. Even if you were not deeply familiar with the source material, the variety of hero archetypes and skill styles helped the collection aspect feel more purposeful than purely cosmetic.

The strongest part of the experience was the steady sense of growth. New summons expanded your tactical options, while leveling and evolution provided clear milestones that made upgrades feel meaningful. Gear, with five slots per character, added another layer of optimization, especially for players who enjoyed grinding stages and raids to chase better drops. Putting together a trio that covered damage, survivability, and utility could make encounters noticeably smoother.

Real-time battles offered a more involved rhythm than turn-based alternatives, with taps reserved for skills and ultimates. However, the design also leaned into automation, and the presence of auto-battle meant the game often played itself during routine farming. That convenience made repeated content easier to digest, but it also reduced the satisfaction of mastering fights, particularly for players looking for a more skill-forward action RPG.

The Ancient Tower was a highlight conceptually, because it framed PvP around endurance and consequences. The idea that losing heroes could halt your climb gave the mode extra tension and rewarded players with deeper benches and better preparation. In practice, competitive play was still heavily shaped by power progression, which meant the mode could feel uneven when facing opponents with stronger upgraded rosters.

The most significant drawbacks were tied to stability and monetization. Reports of bugs and loading problems disrupted the flow, and the pay-to-win pressure could undermine the otherwise enjoyable collection and upgrade systems. For players who enjoy hero collectors, Gulong Heroes had a compelling theme and an approachable progression loop, but its technical issues and balance concerns made it difficult to recommend without reservations, even before its eventual shutdown.

System Requirements

Gulong Heroes System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Android 4.0.3 and up / iOS 7.0 or later.

Music

Gulong Heroes Music & Soundtrack

Coming soon!

Additional Info

Gulong Heroes Additional Information

Developer(s): Pandora Games
Publisher(s): Pandora Games

Platform(s): iOS, Android

Game Engine: Unity

Open Beta Release Date: November 02, 2016 (SEA only)
Shut Down Date:
August 25, 2017

Development History / Background:

Gulong Heroes was a free-to-play mobile action RPG developed and published by Pandora Games, a Thailand-based game company. The project adapted characters from multiple novel series written by the renowned Taiwanese author Gu Long and reimagined them as collectible heroes for iOS and Android devices. Built with the Unity engine, the game entered open beta in the SEA region on November 02, 2016. Service ended on August 25, 2017, shutting down less than a year after the open beta launch.