Pro esports team FENNEL has joined the Brawl Stars Club Partner Program, becoming an official club partner. The team's Brawl Stars division, launched in March 2026, will now operate under the program. FENNEL original in-game items-icons, sprays, and pins-will be implemented on June 30, 2026, ahead of the first Brawl Stars World Finals held in Japan.
The TV anime adaptation of Shinji Saijo's cooking manga "Iron Wok Jan!" will begin airing July 5, 2026, on six TV Tokyo stations. A behind-the-scenes PV and key visual have been released. Tomokazu Sugita joins the cast as Ryuji Bito, an XO sauce user. The ending theme is "Nakita Akuma" by Muni Mini. Ei Aoki directs at studio TROYCA.
Aoyama Shoji Co., Ltd. will debut at Virtual Market 2026 Summer with a joint shop of Yofuku no Aoyama and SUIT SQUARE. The company aims to connect with younger generations in the metaverse, offering immersive spatial content and avatar customer service without direct sales, focusing instead on gathering user feedback for future shopping experiences.
OWNDAYS released the second installment of its Pompompurin eyewear collection, celebrating the Sanrio character's 30th anniversary. Seven models in two colors each, including children's mini sizes, are available for pre-order online. The lineup includes designs like the Torori Model and Prunnto Model, plus limited-edition cases and cleaning cloths. In-store sales begin July 2.
The spring 2026 anime season ended in June. Three titles-Magical Sisters Lulu & Lily, Star Wars: Maul / Shadow Road, and Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World-all have sequels planned. Lulu & Lily returns in October, Re:Zero's 4th season airs August 12, and Maul / Shadow Road has a project in progress with no release date yet.
Myethos announced a new Diorama Series figure of Miss Christine from Arknights, the Promotion Stage 2 Ver. The figure features interchangeable head parts with gaze-tracking eyes, a light-up background board, and a crimson stage curtain diorama. Pre-orders include an acrylic stand bonus. Release is set for June 2027 at 14,905 yen.
The TV anime My Charms Are Not Working for Medaka Kuroiwa has been nominated in the Best Romance Anime category at the Japan Expo DARUMA Awards 2026. Public voting is open until July 1. The awards are decided by a jury and fan vote through the Mangacollec app or website.
Japan's Fair Trade Commission published formal guidelines on June 22, 2026, to standardize anime production contracts. The guidelines address payment for delays, cancellation reimbursement, and copyright compensation, and urge streaming platforms to share viewer data for fair creator compensation. The move supports Japan's goal to triple anime exports to ¥6 trillion by 2033.
AmiAmi, the Japanese hobby goods retailer, will sponsor the hololive English 4th Concert -Serendipity- in Los Angeles this July. The company will also exhibit at Anime Expo 2026, selling official concert merchandise at its booth and hosting a Wishing Wall event where fans can leave messages alongside those from hololive English talents.
Meitetsu Kanko Service and The Idolmaster SideM are launching the Deramasu tourism collaboration in Nagoya from August 3 to October 31, 2026. DRAMATIC STARS serve as official ambassadors. Thirteen local businesses each partner with a SideM idol, with accommodation and sightseeing plans offering exclusive goods.
DPVR (Dapeng VR) will sequentially launch the G5 Series of AI smart glasses in Japan from August 2026. The lineup includes three models: the standard G5, the fashion-focused G5 Crystal, and the sports-oriented G5 Pilot. All models feature a 13MP camera, voice control, AI assistant, and hands-free photo/video shooting, calls, and music playback. The company is also recruiting sales partners in Japan.
Children's clothing brand ANNA SUI mini has launched a collaboration collection with Hello Kitty featuring an original sunburned design. The lineup includes a jumper skirt and T-shirt set, an insulated shoulder bag, and a pass case. Advance reservations began June 20 at NARUMIYA ONLINE, with store sales starting July 3, 2026.
A Zippo lighter engraved with a serial number and limited to 100 units has been released for the TV anime MF Ghost. The lighter features a heavy mirror finish with a laser-engraved design of protagonist Kanata Livington. It is available for pre-order at CAMSHOP for 16,500 yen.
Voice actress Ayasa Ito, known for roles in BanG Dream! and Medalist, released her third photobook Ayasage on June 24. Shot in Singapore and Indonesia's Bintan Island, the book aims to capture a more mature side of Ito as she enters her late 20s, with body shaping begun two months before the shoot.
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.
Sparty Sparty Inc. and Nijisanji are collaborating for the MEDULLA hair care brand's 8th anniversary. Eleven livers will compete across three YouTube streams starting June 25. A limited-edition 8th Anniversary Box and annual program benefits, including a newly released heat brush in a special design, will be available.
Avatar fashion brand YOYOGI MORI will release the VRChat-compatible avatar CZR100_TARMAC ASSAULT on June 25, 2026. The model is based on the original doujin series Shoujo Hatsudouki MOTORD CYBORG RUNNER by illustrator AF_KURO, depicting a high-speed cyborg racer with a 100cc two-stroke engine and a chromoly steel truss frame.
HIKKY has announced the first batch of exhibitors for Virtual Market 2026 Summer, running July 11-26. The 16th edition introduces a customizable mascot named NUI, a VR voice-activated coaster, and two parareal venues themed after Akihabara and Broadway. Companies from amusement parks, apparel, disaster prevention, and finance are participating.
Acacia and G-Mode's upcoming RPG "Delivery Girl's Secret Account Dungeon" had its basic game flow and battle system revealed during a June 26 broadcast. Players explore a "secret account" dungeon using collected posts, defeat exposed malice as a boss, and trigger a "public execution" to progress. The game features a band system where music affects battles, with multiple songs performed by Neon's voice actor Arisa Yuseika. It is scheduled for a 2026 release on PC and Nintendo Switch.
The UK PlayStation Store will remove 551 StudioCanal video titles, including Terminator 2 and Total Recall, from purchasers' libraries on September 1 due to licensing agreements. The move affects content bought before the store's video sales and rental services ended in 2021, and has drawn user complaints about losing access to purchased digital movies.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi appears as a playable leader in the new paid DLC 'Crossroads of the World' collection for Sid Meier's Civilization VII. The DLC includes two civilizations, Heian Japan and Sengoku Japan, and four wonders. Hideyoshi's leader ability doubles damage dealt and received when land units attack enemy civilization units, and he has cultural abilities tied to tea ceremony and performing arts.
Obsidian Entertainment announced that Grounded 2 will launch early access on PS5 starting August 11, 2026, with cross-play and cross-progression across Xbox, PC, and PS5. Game director Chris Parker detailed the new Buggy mount system, which functions as a combat companion and inventory carrier, and confirmed an amphibious Buggy type coming in the August Into the Abyss update.
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.
Bandai will release the 12th volume of its candy toy plastic model series MOBILITY JOINT GUNDAM on June 29, 2026. The set includes four mobile suits-Gundam Barbatos (1st Form), Gundam NT-1, Kampfer, and GM Sniper II-each with EX parts that add weapons and armor for customization.
QINOCOP announced the Gridman Universe Office Style POPUP in OIOI, held at Shinjuku Marui Men from July 11 to July 26, 2026. Newly drawn illustrations feature Rikka Takarada, Akane Shinjo, Yume Minami, Borr, Hime, and Mujina in office lady outfits. Goods include life-sized tapestries, acrylic stands, and business card holders. Purchases of 3,000 yen or more earn a random Cheki-style card, with bonuses for Epos Card users.
Developer Hologryph, TowerHaus, and publisher tinyBuild announced that SAND: Raiders of Sophie has surpassed 100,000 total players since its early access launch on June 23. The game, which features giant walking machines called Tramplers, has received mixed reviews on Steam. An update addressing early issues and a roadmap for future content have also been released.
Forever Entertainment and Virtual Sanctuary released the first-person folk horror adventure Eyes Of The ElderWood into early access on Steam. The game draws on Polish Kashubian folklore, combining hand-drawn magic and a revolver against Slavic demonic beings. It features retro vertex-lit visuals, bit-crushed audio, and a sanity system that distorts perception. Early access costs 599 yen with a 10 percent discount until July 11. Full release is planned around Halloween 2026.
Circana reports the Nintendo Switch 2 sold 5.9 million units in its first 12 months in the US, the second-highest first-year total for any home console. The Game Boy Advance holds the record at 6.5 million. The Switch 2 was the best-selling console in the US in 2025 and led May 2026 hardware sales, which rose 38% year-over-year to $249 million.
An experiential exhibition called "UMEZZ HORROR HOUSE ~Drifting Classroom and Thought Experiment Exhibition~" will run from July 17 to September 6 at Gallery Zenon in Kichijoji, Tokyo. The event commemorates manga artist Kazuo Umezu's 90th birthday and combines an immersive horror experience based on his manga "Drifting Classroom" with the "Thought Experiment Exhibition" that has drawn over 20,000 visitors in Tokyo and Osaka.
Casio announced a G-Shock collaboration watch for Pokemon's 30th anniversary. The GA-110PKM-7AJR features 30 Pokemon on the band, Pikachu and Poké Ball motifs on the dial, and a Poké Ball-shaped box. It costs 33,000 yen and releases July 17, with pre-orders starting July 1. Fans are excited but worried about scalpers and lottery availability.
Sidetrack Games, which took over Payday 2 last October, announced a major engine upgrade called Diesel 3.0. The upgrade adds 64-bit support, moves from DirectX 9 to DirectX 11, and reduces the game's file size from 86GB to 32GB. An open beta for Steam users runs from June 30 through the end of July.
Takara Tomy is accepting pre-orders for the TOYRISE Force Getter Robo, a new super robot toy that fully transforms and combines three units. The set includes Force Eagle, Force Jaguar, and Force Bear, plus weapon parts. Pre-orders run until July 8, with a release scheduled for late November 2026 at 35,200 yen.
A gray market in China uses API proxies called "中转站" to resell access to Anthropic's Claude and Claude Code at about 10% of the official price, despite Anthropic's geographic restrictions and identity verification measures. The supply chain involves account registration services, SMS verification, payment processing, and reverse engineers.
THQ Nordic released the third update for the open-world hunting sim Way of the Hunter 2, adding three new animals: the Rocky Mountain Pronghorn, Central European Wild Boar, and Southern Warthog. The patch also overhauls the damage system so large-caliber bullets deal realistic damage even when not hitting vital spots, and fixes numerous bugs including a crash after 2-3 hours of play.
Eric Barone, creator of Stardew Valley, shared a development update on Haunted Chocolatier, the chocolate shop management sim announced in 2021. He explained the game is still in careful development because he wants every element players interact with to be 'perfect,' citing recent work on the recipe book UI as an example of the refinement process.
Pocketpair has revealed that the patch notes for Palworld's official 1.0 release on July 10, 2026, total 27 pages in PDF format. Publishing director John Buckley said the process of compiling them was "driving him crazy." The game has been in early access since January 2024, and the 1.0 launch was announced during Summer Game Fest 2026 alongside a cinematic trailer. New Pals are being revealed ahead of the release.
Publisher Perp Games released a 13-minute gameplay video for the action RPG The Relic: First Guardian, showing exploration and field events. The game launches July 31 on PC and PS5, with Xbox and Switch 2 versions planned for later in summer 2026.
Good Smile Company is releasing two plastic model kits of Spike Spiegel's Swordfish II from Cowboy Bebop. The MODEROID DX-SCALE 1/48 scale is a high-end model with metal parts and multiple gimmicks, while the MODEROID 1/72 scale is an entry-level kit focused on ease of assembly. Reservations are open at Rakuten Books.
Square Enix and KLab's smartphone roguelite action RPG Dragon Quest Smash Glow has surpassed 10 million downloads in early June, following 1 million on day one and 5 million by day ten. A LIVEOPSIS research report analyzes how the game blends Dragon Quest IP elements with skill-build roguelite mechanics to drive sustained engagement and monetization.
Surume Game Studio's crowdfunding campaign for the high-speed mecha action shooter Omega Phenex reached its first target of 3 million yen within 24 hours of launching on June 25. The game, developed over eight years by a CG designer, has over 130,000 wishlist registrations and 70,000 beta test participants on Steam. The campaign runs until July 23, with further stretch goals planned.
Nemora Games has released Spirit Dungeon into early access on Steam. The roguelike RPG combines party formation with summoned spirits, deck-building with support cards, and auto-battle combat. The dungeon is procedurally generated each run. Three spirit types-beasts, plants, and insects-offer species-based synergies. Players can intervene in auto-battles using collected magic cards. Early access costs 980 yen, with a 10% launch discount until July 3. A demo is also available.
The dark action RPG SiNiSistar 2, developed by circle Uu, is now 20 percent off on Steam until July 10, priced at 1,984 yen. The game has sold over 110,000 copies on DLsite and holds a Very Positive rating on Steam. The Steam version launched in May 2026 as an all-ages release with a free adult-content patch available from the official website, which briefly crashed due to high traffic.
High school developer slqnt created an unofficial browser port of Valve's Half-Life 2, called 'web hl2', in three months. The port is playable for free online and includes a console function. It spread quickly on social media after release, though Valve's copyright may lead to its removal.
Gaming Factory released 'The American Classics' DLC for JDM: Japanese Drift Master, adding six American-style vehicles with new engine sounds and handling. A free update also adds two Nissan 180SX models (1994 and 1996 Type X) for multiplayer and tuning. The game is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a 50% off Steam sale until July 10.
The Steam Summer Sale has begun, and Game Spark recommends five open-world RPGs that start players as ordinary people in harsh worlds, excluding cheat abilities. Titles include 'Outward,' 'Sengoku Dynasty,' 'The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition,' and 'Kingdom Come: Deliverance,' all heavily discounted.
Creative studio MIGIRI is producing the MR 3D live festival Fantastic Reality in Los Angeles from July 3 to 5, 2026, marking the company's first North American event. Day one features Matara Kan, LilyPichu, and Kson; day two is a birthday concert for Dokibird. Streaming tickets are available on SPWN.
A retrospective screening and talk event for Mobile Police Patlabor EZY File 1 will be held on July 26, 2026, at United Cinemas Toyosu. Director Yutaka Izubuchi, screenwriter Kazunori Ito, and storyboard artist Shinji Higuchi will appear. Attendees receive a printed booklet of the 130-page Episode 3 storyboard.
HitBreak announced a demo for mecha action game Code RAPID, releasing June 30 local time (July 1 in Japan). The demo lets players build custom mechs, test controls, and complete three missions. A Kickstarter preview page is also open. The full game is planned for Steam with no release date set.
Note announced on June 26, 2026, that it will demonstrate a development platform for adapting story IP into games, selected for METI's IP360 program with government subsidies. The platform uses AI to streamline planning, scenario design, asset production, and prototyping, aiming to lower costs and personnel requirements for game adaptations of novels and manga.
Bandai Namco Entertainment is running a 90% off sale on the Steam version of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, dropping the regular edition to 297 yen. The game has shipped over 10 million units worldwide and holds a Very Positive rating from about 42,700 Steam reviews. The sale comes as the final DLC chapter and a sequel, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, are planned for 2026 and 2027 respectively.