New "Cheer Button" in Touken Ranbu -ONLINE- Event Goes Viral on Social Media

A newly implemented "Cheer Button" in the popular PC browser and smartphone app game Touken Ranbu -ONLINE-'s ongoing event, "Hyakki Yako" (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), has become a major topic of discussion, particularly on social media. This unique feature is receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from players, known as Saniwa, who describe it as "relaxed," "cute," and "fun," leading to numerous posts daily.

The "Cheer Button" is located on the event screen. When tapped, encouraging messages such as "Fight!" and "Hang in there!" pop up. Furthermore, players can earn "Koban," the in-game currency, every time they press it, leading many Saniwa to actively "mash" the button repeatedly.

On social media, countless comments highlight the button's ease of use and soothing effect, such as "Pressed the cheer button and 'Fight!' came out, it's so chill... lol" and "The Hyakki Yako cheer button is too much fun, I keep mashing it." Some users are curious about its effects and limits, asking, "Someone tell me the cheer button quota" and "How many times can you press the cheer button?" Posts also touch on other players' participation, like "If the support count is over a million even though my personal score isn't over ten thousand, then a lot of people must be tapping the cheer button!" indicating widespread enthusiasm within the community.

This button appears to be not just a means to earn Koban, but also plays a role in boosting Saniwa's motivation. Comments such as "Pressing the cheer button and sending encouragement to my Touken Danshi before sending them off to battle really gets me hyped!" and observations like "I'm just mashing the cheer button while waiting for high-difficulty formidable enemies" suggest it's becoming a new routine in gameplay.

On the other hand, there are quite a few users participating due to the button's ease of use, even if the details of the function are unclear, as seen in comments like "What is this cheer button? (I'm behind the times)" and "I don't really get it, but I'm just mashing it." Some voices are also heard wishing for improvements, such as "It's almost as hard to press on a smartphone as an ad's 'x' button."

The implementation of this "Cheer Button" goes beyond a mere supplementary game function. It's creating a new form of communication where players actively participate in the event and share their efforts with each other. Its "relaxed" and "cute" nature serves as a small source of comfort for busy Saniwa, likely further boosting their motivation to participate in the event.

The context

Touken Ranbu -ONLINE- is a popular Japanese free-to-play collectible card browser and smartphone game co-developed by DMM Games and Nitroplus. Players take on the role of a Saniwa (審神者), a master who travels through time to combat evil forces. They achieve this by awakening historical Japanese swords, which are personified as handsome young men known as Touken Danshi (刀剣男士). The in-game currency, Koban (小判), refers to an old Japanese gold coin. "Hyakki Yako" (百鬼夜行), meaning "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons," is the title of a recurring event in the game, drawing from Japanese folklore.