Hey Mighties,



With the release of Mighty No. 9 approaching, we have delivered a ton of info regarding the game and rewards to our backers through these updates, to the point where some may think we don't have anything else to share!



However, haven't you forgotten about one specific character?

Yup, that's right! In this update we are going to share more details about Beck's rival, the Vermilion Destroyer RAY!





It has actually been a while since we did an in-depth update about the game design, and we have been looking forward to sharing this information! (｀_´)ゞ

RAY is a character that is supposed to be shrouded in mystery, so are going to do our best to share more details without giving too much away!



First, let's look at the very first teaser we created for RAY!

◆Story◆

RAY: "I've heard him use the name "Sanda" before..."

RAY: "...Is that where he is hiding?!"



The SANDA Technologies HQ that Beck and crew use as a base suffers a hacking attack.

Call does her best to triangulate the source of the attack and tracks it to a Cherry Dynamics lab outside the city.

It is only a matter of time until the hacker pinpoints their location, meaning a direct assault may be inevitable.

Call does her best to fend off the hacking attempt...



Call: "Dr. White... I can't stop the attack from here. We need to neutralize the culprit directly."

Dr. White: "Beck, I need you to investigate this immediately!"

Beck: "Got it! I will head that way now!"

◆Design◆

The first time we showed RAY's design, it was not finalized with about half of it covered up on purpose.

From that point, our supporters and backers created a ton of amazing fan art, so we actually used some of those submissions as a reference point as we finalized the design.





The first thing we did was work on deciding the primary color for RAY.

Inafune requested that it be orange, but KIMOKIMO was never really able to come up with an orange design he was satisifed with.

In the end, they settled on a vermilion color base with some splashes of orange as well.



There were a lot of pieces of fanart that had flowing hair, so we also decided to show her hair a bit.

However, we decided to go with something a bit more unique and instead of having normal hair we gave her green cable like extensions that can be plugged into computer ports for hacking purposes.



For her stomach area, the team actually did want to leave the gaping part completely open but the design lines would be kind of messy and it would have been difficult to reproduce on the in-game model.

As a result we designed it like her face, where the insides are just visible from the outside.

Also, we added teeth-like marks to give that part a more monster like appearance.











During the time when we were still in pre-production for the RAY content, KIMOKIMO couldn't help himself and he went a little berserk with his various ideas.

We don't want to give away too many story details, but as you can see above there are times when RAY is covered in blue flames...





The above illustrations were some movement and skill ideas that we worked on 2 years ago when we revealed RAY's design.

We didn't release these at the time because we expected it would confuse users whether or not the character was playable or just a boss.

One point of her character is that her life is slowly draining away, so KIMOKIMO designed her movement and skills with a very reckless style, as if she were running out of time.

This style is not as 'wild' or 'out of control' as it may seem, so the nuance in the design was actually very difficult to produce.

We hope everyone is able to tell what KIMOKIMO was going for in the overall design!











Here are some idea sketches that KIMOKIMO worked on once development started.

These are all ideas for the boss fight with RAY.

RAY is a unique character with a slightly occult style, so she actually does some crazy stuff that wouldn't usually fit the Mighty No. 9 world.

One such example is that giant beam she shoots form her mouth!

"Rules don't apply" is a good overal theme for RAY

The above image is a 3D illustration used as a reference for creating the actual in-game model.

RAY is actually bothered by her own battered and corrupted appearance, to the point where she actually tries to hide her right arm.

◆RAY Stage Ideas◆



RAY's stage takes place in an area that is often times a staple in video games and other entertainment: the sewers!

One reason it is featured so much in various media is because even if it is in close proximity to our daily lives, it is often times ignored

and there is a feeling that anything could happen down there. It's a great setting for an encounter with RAY, who is a character shrouded in mystery.



Our team always loved that one arcade game with the four pizza-loving brothers, so we practically begged everyone on the team to let us create a stage in the sewers!

Here are some pieces of concept art that our artists came up with when designing the level.











With all of this new info about RAY there is probably a lot to process! However, we have one last surprise!

Our art team worked hard to create our very own trailer to tease some more info about RAY, and to also convey the overall style our team was going with for the character.

What did you think?

Playing through the game with RAY is going to be quite a different experience from playing with Beck, so we hope everyone gives her a shot!

Until next time Mighties! (｀_´)ゞ

-The Mighty No. 9 Team