GungHo Online Entertainment is managing the shutdown of its mobile game Disney Pixel RPG, which will end service on September 30, 2026, while also preparing to release Ninjala 2: The Uncharted Planet for Nintendo Switch 2 in spring 2027. The company is also dealing with the fallout from the July 2026 arrest of former executive Takanori Kikuchi on embezzlement charges.
GungHo Online Entertainment has had a turbulent mid-2026. In June, the company announced Ninjala 2: The Uncharted Planet during a Nintendo Direct, its first major game for the Nintendo Switch 2. The sequel shifts from the original's arena battles to an open world with new traversal and co-op play, and is set for a spring 2027 release.
July brought two significant developments. On July 1, GungHo announced that Disney Pixel RPG, a smartphone command battle RPG featuring Disney characters in pixel art, would end service on September 30, 2026, roughly two years after its October 2024 launch. The company did not disclose a reason. Paid item sales stopped immediately, and gacha draws will end on August 19. Unused paid currency will be refunded after the service ends, and the official website and customer support are scheduled to close on January 13, 2027.
On July 12, Tokyo police arrested Takanori Kikuchi, a former executive in GungHo's systems division, on suspicion of breach of trust for allegedly embezzling about 246 million yen through fictitious business orders. Kikuchi has admitted to the charges. GungHo had filed criminal charges in October 2025 but kept the matter confidential during the investigation. The arrest caps a case the company had kept quiet for months, following a change in top leadership earlier in the year.
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Takanori Kikuchi, a former executive at GungHo Online Entertainment, was arrested by Tokyo police on suspicion of breach of trust for allegedly embezzling about 246 million yen through fictitious business orders. He has admitted to the charges. GungHo had filed criminal charges in October 2025 but kept the matter quiet during the investigation.
GungHo Online Entertainment announced that the smartphone RPG Disney Pixel RPG will end service on September 30, 2026, roughly two years after its October 2024 launch. The reason was not disclosed. Paid item sales ended July 1, and gacha draws will end August 19. Unused paid currency will be refunded.
GungHo Online Entertainment announced on July 1 that its smartphone RPG Disney Pixel RPG will end service on September 30, 2026, at 11:00 JST. The game launched on October 7, 2024, and will run for about two years. The announcement came via the game's official X account and a notice on the official website. Until the service ends, the developer plans to add more main story content and run various in-game events. Sales of paid items stopped on July 1. Sales of Red Crystal payment items, gacha using Red Crystals, and stamina recovery will end on August 19 at 11:00 JST. Blue Crystals will remain usable until the service termination. Unused Red Crystals will be refunded through a dedicated form after the service ends; players are advised to keep their in-game ID and inquiry code. The official website and customer support are scheduled to close on January 13, 2027. The game is a command battle RPG featuring Disney characters in pixel art, including Mickey Mouse, Pooh, Baymax, Stitch, and Maleficent in themed costumes.
GungHo revealed Ninjala 2: The Uncharted Planet, a sequel to its 2020 free-to-play Switch game, during a Nintendo Direct livestream on Tuesday. The game is set for a spring 2027 release on Nintendo Switch 2 and introduces the series' first open world, along with new traversal abilities and co-op play.