China’s “Nantianmen Project” (南天门计划) has finally evolved—from glossy exhibition mock-ups and sci-fi slideshows into something official enough for China Central Television to report with a straight face on 10th January 2026.
What used to look like concept art lifted straight out of Ace Combat is now being framed as a serious national aerospace vision. Same silhouettes. Same aesthetics. Just one small difference: this time it comes with a narrator and dramatic background music.
Which raises an awkward question—when a “project” looks this familiar, does the next step involve filing patents… or emailing Bandai Namco Entertainment for IP clearance?
Inspiration is one thing. Turning a PlayStation fever dream into a state-endorsed roadmap is another. Sci-fi is fun—until it shows up on prime-time news and asks to be taken seriously.