Mahjong Soul Steam Version Launches in Japan With Data Transfer Support
The Steam release finally gives Japanese PC players a unified platform option for Mahjong Soul, closing a gap that left the domestic version absent from Steam for seven years while the global version was region-locked.
Key Facts
- Yostar released the Japanese domestic Steam version of Mahjong Soul on July 20, 2026.
- The Steam version supports data transfer from browser, iOS, Android, and Windows versions, but not from the DMM version.
- The Japanese Steam store page was first published on May 21, 2026.
- Mahjong Soul is a free-to-play online mahjong game developed by Catfood Studio and operated by Yostar in Japan.
- The game's registered users have exceeded 15 million, according to the Steam store page.
Reporting from 4 sources: 4Gamer.net, Denfaminicogamer, Automaton, Game Spark.
Yostar released the Japanese domestic version of Mahjong Soul on Steam on July 20, 2026. The free-to-play online mahjong game, developed by Catfood Studio, is now available on the platform after its global Steam version was previously inaccessible from Japan. Players who have been using the browser, iOS, Android, or Windows versions can transfer their play data to the Steam version by logging in with the same method. However, account data from the DMM version cannot be transferred. The Steam version is said to have the same specifications as the Windows version, according to a 2024 comparison chart from the official overseas X account. The Japanese Steam store page first appeared on May 21, and the release came seven years after the game's initial domestic launch in April 2019. The game features ranked matches, friend matches, and tournament modes, and has hosted collaborations with series such as Code Geass, Akagi, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya, and Sword Art Online.
The Steam version supports data transfer from the browser, iOS, Android, and Windows versions, but not from the DMM version. The game features three battle modes: Ranked Match, Friend Match, and Tournament Match. In Ranked Match, players compete against others worldwide. Friend Match allows players to chat with friends and play with preferred rules. Tournament Match lets players host and participate in tournaments. The game also offers three-player mahjong and special rule mahjong during events.
The game uses a gacha system to obtain mahjong soul characters, which function as skins. According to the Steam store page, registered users have exceeded 15 million. The domestic version officially launched in April 2019, with the app version released in November 2019. A version downloadable from the official website was released in 2024. The global Steam version was previously region-locked for Japan, a situation referred to as "omakoku" in Japanese gaming circles. The Japanese Steam store page appeared on May 21, and the release came seven years after the game's initial domestic launch.
The game has collaborated with the anime Code Geass series, Akagi, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya, and Sword Art Online. Most recently, Kirito, Asuna, Leafa, and Sinon from Sword Art Online joined as collaboration mahjong players.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 4 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- 4Gamer.net Steam版「雀魂 -じゃんたま-」，配信開始。個性的なキャラクターと派手な演出が楽しめるオンライン麻雀ゲーム
- Denfaminicogamer 『雀魂 -じゃんたま-』Steam版が本日7月20日よりいきなり配信開始。かわいいキャラクターと派手な演出で人気な基本プレイ無料のオンライン麻雀ゲーム、プレイデータの引き継ぎにも対応
- Automaton 『雀魂 -じゃんたま-』Steam版、いきなり配信開始。データの引き継ぎにも対応、定番の麻雀ゲームをSteamからも遊べる
- Game Spark 【ポンにゃ】基本無料麻雀ゲーム『雀魂 -じゃんたま-』 Steam日本語版のサービス開始。スマホやブラウザ版など他プラットフォームのデータ引き継ぎも可能