Pixiv And VRChat Detail Partnership At Tokyo Game Show 2026
The two companies are pitching their marketplaces as covering different depths of VRChat use, with VRChat's Avatar Marketplace serving purchases that can be worn immediately and BOOTH serving users who modify avatars themselves.
Key Facts
- Tokyo Game Show 2026 ran from September 17 to September 20 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba.
- Pixiv Inc. and VRChat Inc. announced a capital and business alliance on September 9, 2026.
- VRoid apps have 15.5 million cumulative downloads, VRoid Hub has 3.53 million posted models, and VRoid Studio has 18 million exports.
- BOOTH's 3D model category transaction value reached 10.4 billion yen in 2025, up from 5.8 billion yen in 2024.
- Pixiv and VRChat plan to release a new joint world, "Avatar x Dress-Up Tutorial," in autumn 2026.
Reporting from 1 source: PANORA.
Tokyo Game Show 2026 ran from Thursday, September 17 to Sunday, September 20 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. At the VRChat booth (08-N08), stage talks were held on each business day. On the first business day, three Pixiv Inc. employees spoke in a session titled "How Was the Frenzied 3D Culture Born? BOOTH & Pixiv 3D Business Managers Discuss the History and Future of the '3D Creator Economy.'" BOOTH manager Shinichiro Sugimoto and VRoid and 3D business manager Kazuki Koga spoke, with VRoid producer Akihiro Ito moderating. On Friday, September 18, a second talk covered the pixiv and VRChat partnership, with VRChat Inc. Head of Japan Growth Hideo Kitashoji and Pixiv 3D Business Office's Shingo Iwata, facilitated by writer Kazura Asada. Pixiv and VRChat announced a capital and business alliance on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Pixiv supported the VRChat booth as the alliance's first step.
The Friday session gave the two companies a public stage to explain how BOOTH and VRChat's own Avatar Marketplace fit together. Iwata said the two are separated by how avatars get used: "Things bought on VRChat's avatar marketplace can be worn immediately after purchase. That's a major strength," while BOOTH purchases require learning Unity, modifying the model, and uploading it before use. Kitashoji called the relationship "not a conflict but rather covering each other," noting that not every user can start in Unity and some arrive on smartphones as fans of a character.
The collaboration predates the September 9 alliance. Iwata said joint work started around 2022, when he launched the 3D Business Office and BOOTH-named VRChat worlds and events were created. VRChat-related BOOTH products have carried a VRChat logo badge since 2022.
BOOTH's 3D Model category transaction value was 310 million yen in 2019 and 10.4 billion yen in 2025, nearly doubling from 5.8 billion yen the year before. pixiv has released three VRChat worlds with more than 3 million total visits. The companies plan to release a joint world, "Avatar x Dress-Up Tutorial," this autumn.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.