Kadokawa, Crunchyroll, Qzil.la, and ARCH released a new trailer for the Sekiro: No Defeat anime adaptation and began ticket presales in Japan. The series premieres in Japanese theaters on September 4 for a three-week run, with a worldwide Crunchyroll stream planned later in 2026.
Illustrator and animator Yoneyama Mai will hold her solo exhibition Arc at Kyoto Tsutaya Books from July 24 to August 18, 2026. The Kyoto edition of the show, which first ran in Ginza in 2025, adds new works including a piece titled Piéces and sells limited-edition silk-screen reproductions.
The manga Magical Girl and Narco Wars, written by Yū Nomiya and illustrated by Merou Meiji, will end with its next chapter on July 21. The series launched on Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ in May 2025 and has three compiled volumes, the third releasing August 4. Nomiya recently started a new manga with artist Fuji on June 15.
The standard edition DVD and Blu-ray for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza Returns will be released at Lawson stores on July 29, 2026, with a Lawson-exclusive bonus set of three smartphone stickers featuring Tanjiro Kamado, Giyu Tomioka, and Akaza. The film was the only Japanese work nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. The animation is produced by ufotable.
Embark Studios is running a 25% off Steam sale for extraction shooter ARC Raiders, which has sold over 16 million copies. The studio also detailed the 'Frozen Trail' update, arriving in October 2026 as the largest update yet, following a shift from monthly to biannual major updates. The update adds a new map, enemies, and progression systems.
G-Mode will publish and port the anomaly-finding horror game "Japan Stigmatized Property Monitoring Association -Japan Stigmatized Property-" to the Nintendo Switch on July 16. The game, developed by Loxarc, was previously released on Steam, iOS, and Android. Players take on the role of a surveillance officer monitoring four stigmatized properties via security cameras from midnight to 5 AM, reporting anomalies such as moving furniture, intruding figures, or bloodstains. Missing reports leads to mission failure. The Switch version retains the original content while optimizing controls for both controller and touch input. Pre-orders opened on the Nintendo eShop on July 9. A 10% launch discount brings the price to 720 yen from the standard 800 yen until August 31. The game gained popularity through live streams and celebrity playthroughs, leading to a serialized franchise. The developer also drew attention by posing as a fictional surveillance association for publicity. The Switch release marks the first console port of the original game.
Hamster Corporation will release the 1998 musical RPG "Märchen Kingdom: The Puppet Princess" as part of its Console Archives series for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 on July 9, 2026. The game, originally developed by Nippon Ichi Software for 32-bit home consoles, is priced at 1,500 yen. The story follows a girl named Cornet who has the mysterious ability to befriend dolls, and she sets out to rescue a prince kidnapped by villains. Players cooperate with dolls that fight alongside Cornet as they progress through the adventure. The Console Archives series aims to faithfully reproduce classic titles on modern hardware, adding features such as button and screen customization, anywhere save and load, and CRT-style screen filters. This marks the first Nippon Ichi Software title to appear in the Console Archives lineup. The game was followed by two sequels, and a 25th anniversary collection containing all three titles was released in 2024 for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.
Gravity Game Arise announced two compilations of classic Jaleco arcade games, totaling 32 titles. Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 will release on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PS5, with 20 games revealed so far. Features include DIP switch reproduction, CRT filter, rewind, and rapid-fire functions.
Gravity Game Arise announced on July 8, 2026, that it will release JALECO ARCADE COLLECTION Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. The two volumes together contain 32 arcade titles originally published by Jaleco during the 1980s and 1990s. Twenty of those titles have been revealed so far, with the remaining 12 to be announced later. Vol. 1 includes City Connection, Formation Z, Takeda Shingen, The Lord of King, Butasan, Tenseiryū, Cybattler, Field Combat, P-47: The Freedom Fighter, and Naughty Boy. Vol. 2 includes Exerion, E.D.F. Earth Defense Force, Makai Densetsu, Iga Ninpō Den, Plus Alpha, Pop Flamer, Rod Land, Soldam, Argus, and Phantasm. Physical editions are planned for Switch and PS5. The collection includes optional features such as overseas versions of some titles, DIP switch reproduction for difficulty and lives, a CRT filter, selectable rapid fire from 10 to 30 shots per second, a rewind function, and quick save and load. Release dates and prices have not been announced.
Good Smile Company announced a 1/7 scale figure of Kisaki from Blue Archive, based on her Memorial Lobby scene. The figure depicts the character leaning back in a chair with a gentle smile, wearing a Chinese dress with detailed embroidery. It stands approximately 160mm tall, sculpted by Chikai and colored by Yukichi. Priced at 19,800 yen, release is scheduled for August 2027.
The PC version of the upcoming fighting game Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls, developed by Arc System Works, is blocked from sale in 132 countries on Steam, according to Steam DB data. The restriction appears tied to PlayStation Network requirements, echoing the 2024 Helldivers 2 controversy. Sony has not commented, and the situation may change before the August 7 release.
Arc System Works announced at Anime Expo 2026 that a second collaboration character will join Guilty Gear Strive via Season Pass 5, releasing in Winter 2026. Producer Ken Miyauchi revealed the news during a developer panel. The character follows Lucy from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners as the game's second guest fighter.
Dengeki Hobby Web published the third installment of dealer information for Wonder Festival 2026 Summer, three weeks before the July 26 event. The roundup covers figures from KanColle, Medalist, Vigilante -My Hero Academia ILLEGALS-, Blue Archive, Uma Musume, Tsukihime, Made in Abyss, and more, with sculpts by Okiraku-dou, Būrian-Wa-Sa-Seki, Atelier ITO, and others.
HoYoverse announced that Honkai: Star Rail version 4.4, titled "The Whistle Roars Amidst the Return to Silence," will release on July 15, 2026, for PC, iOS, Android, and PS5. The update adds a new story arc where the Trailblazer searches for Himeko and confronts the Emanator of Destruction "Return to Silence." A limited 5-star version of Himeko called "Himeko: Departure" (Fire, Erudition) will appear in the event warp. The second collaboration with Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] begins July 24, introducing limited 5-star characters Rin Tohsaka (Quantum, Erudition) and Gilgamesh (Lightning, Destruction). Rin Tohsaka's kit includes the Jeweled Sword Zelretch and a bow attack referencing Ishtar, plus a coordinated attack with Archer. Gilgamesh uses Gate of Babylon, Chains of Heaven, and Enuma Elish, with a coordinated attack featuring Saber. Players who log in between July 24 and the end of version 4.6 can choose one free 5-star character: Gilgamesh or Archer from the first collaboration. Version 4.4 also adds a Sparkle costume, a new pet, and expands the Money Wars: Zero-Sum Game mode.
Good Smile Arts Shanghai is releasing a 1/7 scale painted figure of Seia from Blue Archive. The figure features the Tea Party member with a quiet pose and long-tailed tits perched on her hand and head. Pre-orders are open on Amazon Japan at 24,300 yen, with a scheduled release of June 30, 2027.
ABEMA will broadcast three Danganronpa anime for free to mark the series' 15th anniversary. Danganronpa: The Animation airs July 5, followed by Danganronpa 3's Future Arc and Despair Arc on July 12 and 19. Each set of episodes is free to view for one week after broadcast.
Furuya's F:NEX brand is releasing a 1/7 scale figure of Chiaki from Blue Archive, based on her memorial lobby visual. The figure is scheduled for June 2027 and priced at 19,800 yen. A FURYU HOBBY MALL exclusive bonus includes an interchangeable expression part.
Arc System Works released Robo-Ky as a DLC character for Guilty Gear Strive on July 2, 2026, alongside the second Blazing Pass "Duel 2 Ennui Protocol." Robo-Ky fights with bizarre behavior and a unique Power Gauge separate from the Tension Gauge. The theme song "Breath" is now available on streaming services.
Blaze Entertainment announced two new Evercade cartridges, Visco Arcade 1 and Visco Arcade 2, releasing August 28 for $29.99 each. The pair includes 16 games from defunct Japanese developer Visco, such as Breaker's and Captain Tomaday. Pre-orders are open now.
The theatrical film 'Chainsaw Man Reze Arc' has released a second collaboration apparel line with the brand glamb. Nine items featuring characters Reze, Denji, Aki, Angel Devil, Beam, and Pochita in street-style designs are now available for pre-order from July 1, 2026, at the official store and online.
Sony Interactive Entertainment and Arc System Works revealed three new playable characters for the upcoming fighting game MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls at the EVO 2026 tournament. Blade, Loki, and Deadpool will join Ghost Rider as members of the team called Samurai Outriders. The announcement came with a new trailer showing battle scenes for each character, including Deadpool's Jack O'Poses move. The game also adds a new stage, Asgard, which features five areas: the Observatory, the Rainbow Bridge, the King's Hall, the Treasure Vault, and the World Tree. An open beta test will run from July 24 to July 27 on PS5 and PC, with cross-platform play support. Blade will be the first playable character in that beta. The game uses a 4v4 tag system and offers both traditional fighting game controls and simplified inputs. Producer Takeshi Yamanaka, previously producer for Guilty Gear -Strive-, is leading the project. MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls is scheduled for release on August 6 or August 7 depending on region, for PS5 and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Dengeki Hobby Web published the Amazon Hobby New Arrival Ranking top 10 for the Figure & Collector Doll category as of June 29, 2026. The top spot is the GUNDAM UNIVERSE Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam, followed by Good Smile Company's POP UP PARADE Aura from Frieren: Beyond Journey's End at 2nd place, and the Blue Archive figma Shiroko*Terror at 3rd.
Humble Bundle is offering an Arc System Works EVO Collection bundle with 11 fighting games including Guilty Gear Strive and five DLC coupons for $22, down from a regular price of $339. The bundle supports the Raiden Science Foundation, which funds research into rare diseases. The sale runs until July 18.
With the Sagrada Familia's main tower recently completed, a Game Spark feature looks back at the 1992 adventure game 'Gaudi: The Wind of Barcelona,' developed by Nippon Telenet / Wolf Team for the PC-88 and MSX2. The game, set against the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, follows former detective Henry Howard in a point-and-click adventure with a branching story and a unique rewind system called the HRS.
OTAGROUP talent Hitone Iri released the original song Aromatic Arcana on June 24, 2026, through the label OTAGROUP Music. The track was composed and co-written by Koji Matsuzaka, who praised Iri's vocal range. Iri described the release as a major step toward her dream.
Clickteam is distributing the retro-style RPG 'POPGOES Arcade' for free on Steam until June 29 at 3:00 AM. The game, an official spin-off of Five Nights at Freddy's selected for the Fazbear Fanverse Initiative, holds an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating with 96% of 1,452 reviews recommending it. A version 3.1.9 update with bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements was released on June 25.
Cygames announced on June 28 that the next major update for Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, version 2.60, will arrive on September 17. The update adds Id, the dragon-powered swordsman from the action RPG Granblue Fantasy: Relink, as a downloadable character. Id is voiced by Kenjiro Tsuda and was an antagonist in Relink, standing in the protagonists' way as the greatest swordsman in the Zega Grande sky realm. The update also includes a new stage, the Einstedt Archipelago, a new universal system for all characters, and battle balance adjustments for multiple fighters. On the same day, the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Versus: Rising launches. The Switch 2 edition includes all 40 characters from the base game and previously released DLC, including Id and the NieR: Automata collaboration character 2B. It supports local wireless multiplayer and includes the full story mode and Digital Figure Mode. A save data linkage bonus with the upcoming Granblue Fantasy: Relink - Endless Ragnarok, releasing July 9, will grant Id's weapon skin and a Lyria lobby avatar in Versus: Rising.
Preorders for the Nendoroid Surprise Blue Archive box opened at Rakuten Books on June 25, 2026. The box includes all six character types: Shiroko, Hoshino, Nonomi, Serika, Ayane, and Shiroko*Terror, plus 18 random surprise parts. Each box contains six pieces and costs 10,497 yen tax included.
SEGA FAVE will hold the official national tournament "Public Road Strongest Deciding Battle 4th" for "Initial D THE ARCADE." The tournament includes three categories: KING OF DRIVER 4th (2-car battle), Toge Battle Royale 4th (4-car battle), and MASTER ATTACKER 4th (time trial). Regional qualifiers run from August 2026 to January 2027 at seven locations across Japan, with a final tournament in March 2027. A first tag tournament, Double Ace CUP, is scheduled for November 2026. Lifeguard sponsors the event.
Dengeki Hobby Web reported two new figure announcements for the game Blue Archive on June 25, 2026. A 1/7 scale figure of Shiroko of Abydos High School will be released by Phat Company in June 2027. The figure stands approximately 260mm tall including her halo, and features her Abydos uniform, blue scarf, school bag, and the rifle WHITE FANG 465. It also includes a swap part to display her as No. 2 'Blue' of the Masked Swimsuit Club. The price is 27,800 yen. Separately, a figma of Shiroko*Terror, the alternate version of the character, was announced by Good Smile Company for release in April 2027. The non-scale movable figure stands about 150mm tall and comes with three expression parts: cool face, smiling face, and crying face. Optional parts include an Assault Rifle (BLACK FANG 465), a Drone, and a Mask. The figma is priced at 11,800 yen. Both figures are based on character designs by Hwansang and Doremsan2j respectively.
Arc System Works held its 2026 showcase on June 25, announcing the new tactical RPG Kamiyo no Kurifa for September 24 release on PS5, Switch, and PC. The stream also revealed Donutal, Demons Night Fever, Absolum for Switch 2, Dave the Diver Complete Edition, a DAMON and BABY update, and Guilty Gear Strive DLC.
Arc System Works announced during its ARC SYSTEM WORKS Showcase on June 25, 2026, that a new playable character will be added to BlazBlue: Central Fiction (BBCF). This is the first new character for the game since Jubei was added in 2017, a gap of about nine years. The announcement came as a surprise, as BBCF was positioned as the final chapter of the BlazBlue series. The character update will be distributed only for PS4 and PC (Steam). Details on the new character will be revealed at EVO 2026, which begins June 26 in Las Vegas. The reveal is scheduled before the Top 8 of the BBCF tournament. Producer Riku Ozawa stated that the decision to add the character was made recently, and that the addition was made possible by the support of fans worldwide who kept the game alive. The trailer does not show the character or their appearance, but Ozawa confirmed the new fighter is from the main BlazBlue series, not a crossover. Fans are already speculating about the identity of the character.
Arc System Works announced a new RPG, Shinbō no Kurifa, during its ARC SYSTEM WORKS Showcase on June 25, 2026. The game is a tactical counter timeline RPG developed jointly with Unit+, a company formed in November 2025 from the merger of Aquria and Aplus. It is set in a 2030 Tokyo where a disaster called the World Collapse caused ground subsidence in Shibuya, releasing monsters. Players control two protagonists: Soma Hoshikami, a boy with mysterious powers, and Elena Hizuki, a public security officer specializing in monster countermeasures. The story progresses by selecting areas on a map, with investigation scenes presented in an adventure format. Battles use a timeline system where players chain skills; enemy attack timing is visible on the UI, and landing a counter when two yellow circles overlap deals massive damage. The game is nearly fully voiced. Shinbō no Kurifa launches on September 24, 2026 for PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. Pre-orders begin today and include three additional skins for each protagonist and a high-difficulty battle mode called Voidfall, consisting of 16 battles. A teaser trailer and official website have also been released.
Arc System Works released a teaser trailer for Robo-Ky, a new character joining Guilty Gear Strive, during the ARC SYSTEM WORKS Showcase on June 25, 2026. Robo-Ky is the second additional character of Season 5 and is scheduled to appear in summer 2026. The teaser is a brief preview; the full trailer will debut at EVO 2026, which opens on June 27. Alongside the character reveal, the company detailed the Blazing Pass Duel 2 Ennui Protocol, which launches on July 2. The pass includes Ky's weapon skin Furaiken (Holy Knight Order) and Queen Dizzy's outfit Country. The Robo-Ky teaser and Blazing Pass details give players a preview of Season 5 content before the full trailer at EVO 2026.
The Korea-Thailand co-production BL drama Wooju Bakery will stream exclusively on FOD starting July 8, 2026. The sci-fi romance follows a bakery owner (Barcode Tinnasit) and a space prince (Jeff Satur) who crash-lands on Earth. The 8-episode series also stars Korean actors DION and Q, and Filipino idol group members Jayson and Alpha. Four episodes will be released weekly.
Bandai Namco Music Live and Bandai Namco Research Inc., both part of the Bandai Namco Group, announced a business partnership agreement for the VTuber business on June 23. The alliance combines Bandai Namco Music Live's content production capabilities, including its VTuber project MEWLIVE PROJECT, with Bandai Namco Research's advanced technologies, such as the portable motion capture system ELMIRAIVE CX. As the first initiative under the partnership, a 3D fishing location video featuring MEWLIVE PROJECT VTuber Kumanō Beatrice was produced. The shoot took place at Asakawa International Trout Fishing Ground in Hachioji, Tokyo, using ELMIRAIVE CX to fuse 3D footage with real-time live-action backgrounds on-site, rather than the conventional method of compositing separately recorded 3D footage later. The video is scheduled for release on Kumanō Beatrice's YouTube channel on June 23 at 12:00. The partnership aims to create next-generation virtual experiences as the VTuber market matures and demand for immersive technology grows. New developments for MEWLIVE PROJECT based on this alliance are expected to begin this summer, with details on content updates and events to be announced later.
Miyuki announced on June 20 that its 1/7 scale figure of Mari from Blue Archive will be re-released, with pre-orders starting in July 2026. The figure captures Mari's blue eyes, gentle smile, and elegant pose. Separately, Furyu revealed the painted sample of a Chihiro Memorial Lobby Ver. 1/7 scale figure from the same game, with pre-orders beginning July 3, 2026. Both announcements were made via the companies' official X accounts. The Mari re-release follows the original release and gives collectors another chance to purchase the figure. No pricing or exact pre-order date beyond the month was provided for Mari, while Chihiro's figure has a confirmed July 3 start date.
Tokyo Hammock announced the smartphone game Chrono Restaurant: In Search of Memories' Recipes will release June 23 on iOS and Android. The free-to-play simulation game features over 600 dishes and tasks players with managing a restaurant transported to another world to satisfy six princes.
Kagami Games announced on Thursday it will release seven visual novels in English, including My (♂) Life as a Vampire's Maid (♀), Please Praise the SR Girls!, and Arcana Alchemia. The company also set release dates for two previously announced titles and confirmed a collaboration for Tayutama - Kiss on My Deity on additional storefronts.
Arc System Works announced it will stream the "ARC SYSTEM WORKS Showcase 2026" on June 25 at 6:00 AM. The presentation will deliver the latest information on titles the studio develops and publishes, including "GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE-" and "UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH." The showcase follows the 2025 edition, which introduced new projects such as Daisuke Ishiwatari's "DAMON and BABY," "Dear me, I was...," and "Demons Night Fever." The stream will be available on the company's official channels. No specific runtime or list of titles for this year's broadcast has been given yet. The announcement was made via the company's official social media on June 18.
At NDC26, NC AI head Jang Han-yong presented Varco SyncFace, a generative AI system that produces facial animations from voice input. The technology aims to eliminate the manual post-processing and QA that existing solutions still require. Jang argued that facial animation is the next frontier after graphics and body motion capture, but current tools degrade with game-like acting and reverb, forcing costly manual fixes. Varco SyncFace targets production-ready output that needs no further adjustment.
At NEXON Korea's NDC26 conference, NEXON Games engineer Kim Myeong-ji detailed the development of a new TTS model for Blue Archive. The team adopted Style-Bert-VITS2, an open-source Japanese-focused model, to improve emotional expression and naturalness in character voices. The upgrade targets better reproduction of nuances like distress and joy, addressing specific feedback on long vowels and pitch in Japanese lines.
Nvidia released Game Ready driver version 610.62, which fixes a screen flickering issue in Apex Legends during long play sessions, improves World of Warcraft stability, and adds support for the Titanfall-inspired 6v6 shooter Empulse ahead of its June 25 early access launch. The driver is WHQL certified and available via the Nvidia app or website.
Episode 10 of Ascendance of a Bookworm Part 3: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke moves quickly through the Harvest Festival, then shifts focus to Rosemyne's material-gathering expedition. A Crunchyroll audio glitch mars an early conversation. The back half gives Wit Studio action sequences with feybeast attacks.
Mark Gordon, the head of Call of Duty: Black Ops developer Treyarch, has stepped down after 22 years at the studio. The announcement was made via official social media channels. Gordon had led the studio since May 2005, overseeing the development of numerous Call of Duty titles including Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, Call of Duty 3, Call of Duty: World at War, and the entire Black Ops series. Under his leadership, Treyarch introduced technical innovations such as the Super Terrain system in 2018's Black Ops 4, which supported up to 100 players on a single map, and the OmniMovement system in 2024's Black Ops 6, which enabled smooth movement in all directions. The studio's new leadership will be co-studio heads Kevin Hendrickson and Yale Miller, both longtime Treyarch veterans with over a decade of experience as Chief Operating Officer and Production Director, respectively. The studio's message thanked Gordon for his leadership and friendship. As of the time of reporting, Gordon's LinkedIn profile still lists him as Treyarch studio head, and his next role has not been disclosed.
At NDC26, Embark Studios machine learning lead Martin detailed how the studio uses ML for recommendations, quest generation, and enemy behavior. A key takeaway was that a simple EASE recommendation model increased purchasers by 400% in The Finals, but organizational hurdles nearly killed the project until an engineer physically moved desks to the commercial team.
MAPPA released the first of three planned 15th anniversary key visuals on June 16, featuring Reze from the Chainsaw Man Reze Arc movie. The illustration shows Reze walking from a dim alleyway toward a light source. The studio said it created the visual to mark its 15th anniversary with gratitude to supporters. The visual was illustrated by Shoichi, colored by Misaki Nakano, with backgrounds by Taichi Uchima and photography by Yusuke Awanowa. MAPPA celebrated its 15th anniversary on June 14. The Chainsaw Man Reze Arc film, based on Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga, was released last September with MAPPA handling animation production. The studio also announced a "MAPPA 15th Anniversary Lineup Presentation" on its YouTube channel for June 19 at 8:00 PM. The key visual project will include up to three installments, with new visuals released sequentially.
Polyperfect released a making-of video for Zlin City: Arch Moderna, a miniature city-building game modeled after the Czech city of Zlín. The game blends peaceful building with classic city-building elements, uses scanned real miniatures, and is set in a 1920s-1930s-inspired world. It is scheduled for release on PC via Steam, with an alpha version available for Patreon supporters.
Ufotable has released the store-specific purchase bonuses for the Blu-ray and DVD release of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1, set for July 29, 2026. Animate, Amazon, and Rakuten Books each get exclusive newly drawn illustrations featuring Tanjiro and Giyu, Shinobu, and Zenitsu respectively.
Bushiroad and Eighting's Hunter x Hunter Nen x Impact 2D 3v3 fighting game will add Zeno Zoldyck as the fourth and final DLC character of Season Pass 1 on June 18. The character was teased via silhouette alongside the previously confirmed Phinks and Shizuku. The game launched worldwide in July 2025 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.