Jade Dynasty is Beijing Perfect World's martial-arts fantasy MMORPG, adapted from the hugely popular Chinese internet novel Zhu Xian. It launched in China in 2007 under that name and reached North America in June 2009, where Perfect World's Arc Games ran it for nine years until the servers closed on June 5, 2018. Since then, fan-run private servers have been the way back for Western players.

Players remember Jade Dynasty for its martial schools drawn from the novel, its alliance warfare and an automation system that cut out much of the click-heavy grinding of its era. Private servers have tried to recreate it for years, and the good ones keep those pieces intact while adjusting rates and the shop.

Schools, Territory Wars and Automation

At launch your character joined one of four schools: the Jadeon mages, the Lupin warriors, the Vim swordsmen and the Skysong healers. The Vengeance expansion in 2010 added two more playable factions, Modo and Incense, along with daily events and Territory Wars, which pit alliances against each other for control of the land.

Jade Dynasty also tried to make the grind easier on players. An in-game automation system took over much of the repetitive training other MMOs demanded at the time, and character progression gave players real room to choose their skills. The result was a game with a long road to the top, but one you could travel without wearing out your mouse, leaving more time for groups, events and war.

What to Look For in a Jade Dynasty Private Server

Which version and factions

A server built on a version from before Vengeance has only the original four schools and no Territory Wars. Later versions add Modo, Incense and the alliance warfare that came with them. Check which factions and systems the server includes, and whether any of them have been changed or rebalanced.

Rates and the automation question

Private servers often raise EXP and drop rates. Combined with the game's automation, very high rates can make the leveling road feel empty, with players reaching the cap before they have met anyone. Think about how long you want the climb to last, and check what keeps players busy once they get there.

Territory Wars and alliance balance

Territory Wars need several alliances that can actually contest them. A server where one alliance has owned the map for months has little left to fight over. Ask in the community channel who holds the territories, how long they have held them and when the wars run.

Shop items and Territory Wars

The official game was free to play and funded by a cash shop. Read what a private server sells, and whether every item that affects combat can also be earned in play. Shop-bought power is felt most in Territory Wars, where alliances meet at full strength.

Client language and translation

Jade Dynasty began as a Chinese game, and private servers may run the English client, a Chinese client or a fan translation. Check that quests, skills and item text are readable for you, because much of the novel's story lives in the quests.

Getting Started

Pick the school that suits how you like to play - the Skysong if you want to heal, the Vim or Lupin for close combat, the Jadeon for magic - then join an alliance well before the next Territory War. Learn the automation tools early, so your attention goes to the fights that actually need it. Vote for the server you play on; rankings here start again every month, so the list below shows where players are now.