The Kingdom manga continues its 20th anniversary run, with the 79th volume topping Oricon's monthly chart in May 2026. The live-action film series released its fifth entry, Kingdom: The Decisive Battle of Souls, on July 17, 2026, with MX4D and other premium format screenings. Voice actor Takahiro Fujiwara, who had previously stepped down from his Kingdom role, died on May 14, 2026.
The Kingdom manga, written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara, is in its 20th anniversary year. Shueisha will publish a special magazine on August 19, 2026, featuring new cover art by Hara, a poster, results of the third character poll, a long interview with Hara, and a retrospective of the past 20 years. The 79th volume of the manga led Oricon's Monthly Comic Ranking for May 2026 with 356,559 copies sold.
The live-action film series based on the manga continues with its fifth entry, Kingdom: The Decisive Battle of Souls, which opened in Japan on July 17, 2026. The film adapts the Coalition War arc and features Kento Yamazaki reprising his role as Xin, with Shinsuke Sato returning to direct. Kenshi Yonezu provides the theme song "Yodaka." The film is screening in MX4D, 4DX, Dolby Cinema, SCREENX, and ULTRA 4DX formats, with MX4D and 4DX versions starting on the release date and the others following on July 24. A new visual depicts Xin and Bankyoku clashing.
Bandai Spirits revealed the full prize lineup for the Ichiban Kuji Kingdom: Two Wheels of Knowledge and Martial Arts lottery, set for release from July 31, 2026. Prizes include MASTERLISE figures of Changping Jun, Bajio, Mōbu, and Yōtanwa as the last one prize, plus a Qin army flag rug mat, mountain people mask magnet, acrylic stands, rubber stands, clear posters, and hologram sticker sets. Each draw costs 790 yen.
Voice actor Takahiro Fujiwara, who had previously stepped down from his Kingdom role due to health issues, died on May 14, 2026, at age 43. His agency Ken Production announced the news on May 21, stating a private funeral was held per family wishes.
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Bandai Spirits has revealed the complete prize lineup for the Ichiban Kuji Kingdom: Two Wheels of Knowledge and Martial Arts lottery, set for release from July 31, 2026. Prizes include MASTERLISE figures of Changping Jun, Bajio, Mōbu, and Yōtanwa as the last one prize, plus a Qin army flag rug mat, mountain people mask magnet, acrylic stands, rubber stands, clear posters, and hologram sticker sets. Each draw costs 790 yen.
Composer Yoko Shimomura will hold a 39th anniversary orchestra concert on September 25, 2026, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Concert Hall. The concert, titled "39! ~Thank You!~," will feature the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Grammy Award-winning Arnie Roth. The announced setlist includes pieces from games Shimomura composed for, such as "Home Town Domina" from Legend of Mana, the main theme of Xenoblade, "Beware the Forest's Mushrooms" from Super Mario RPG, "Stand Your Ground" from Final Fantasy XV, "The Other Promise" from Kingdom Hearts, a Live A Live medley, and "Cocone's Theme" from Napping Princess. Organizer advance ticket sales begin July 4 at 10:00 AM, followed by playguide advance sales on July 13, and general sales on August 22. Ticket prices are ¥9,900 for S seats and ¥8,800 for A seats.
Hololive VTuber Shirakami Fubuki released an animation trailer for her novel project FBKingdom Story on June 30. The trailer depicts characters from the first four chapters and the setting of the fictional Fubuki Kingdom. The novel, which began serialization on October 5, 2025, explores the world of Fubuki Kingdom and is written by Fubuki with a novel creator, with character designs by illustrator Hyde.
Czech Games Edition announced Kingdom Come: Deliverance - The Board Game, a competitive deck-building game for 1-4 players set in 15th century Bohemia. Pre-orders are now open at $199.99. The game features a new story with eight ordinary characters from the original game's world, designed by Vlaada Chvátil and Tomáš Holek.
Warhorse Studios and Deep Silver announced that Kingdom Come: Deliverance II has sold over 6 million copies worldwide since its February 2025 release. The medieval RPG won Best Narrative at the BAFTA Games Awards and was nominated for multiple Game of the Year awards. A 60% off sale is ongoing on Steam, with up to 80% off on GOG.com.
Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series bundle is 60% off on Steam, dropping from 17,160 yen to 6,864 yen. The bundle includes HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX, HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III plus Re Mind DLC. The sale runs until July 10.
Square Enix has opened pre-orders for a new articulated figure of Sora from "Kingdom Hearts III" as part of its FORM-ISM ACT series. The figure features an all-new sculpt based on the original character design, with a range of motion intended to maintain the form while allowing various poses from the game. It includes two Keyblades: the Kingdom Chain and Crystal Snow. A clip-type stand is also included to assist with self-standing. The figure is priced at 13,200 yen (tax included), with AmiAmi offering it at 11,880 yen. It measures approximately 160mm in height and is made of PVC and ABS. Release is scheduled for January 30, 2027. Pre-orders are available through the Square Enix e-STORE and AmiAmi.
The live-action film "Kingdom: The Decisive Battle of Souls" will screen in MX4D, 4DX, Dolby Cinema, SCREENX, and ULTRA 4DX formats. MX4D and 4DX versions begin July 17, the release date, with the others following July 24. A new "Decisive Battle Visual" depicts Xin and Bankyoku clashing. The fifth film in the series adapts the Coalition War arc.
BANDAI SPIRITS revealed the complete prize lineup for the Ichiban Kuji KINGDOM HEARTS 25th Anniversary lottery on June 24, 2026. The top A Prize is a Sora statue that includes a stained glass-like background accessory, a feature carried over from a previous KINGDOM HEARTS Ichiban Kuji. The Last One Prize and Double Chance Campaign prize is a Riku statue, marking the first time Riku has been made into a statue for this lottery series. The C Prize Desktop Figure set includes the King, Donald Duck, and Goofy. Other prizes include a blanket, art dish, hand towel selection, world logo rubber charms, and a keyblade charm collection. The lottery will be available at stores starting August 15, 2026, with each play costing 790 yen including tax. The full lineup spans nine prize tiers, from A through G plus the Last One and Double Chance prizes.
Joshua Sawyer, director of Fallout: New Vegas, discussed the difficulty of designing armor systems in 3D RPGs in a YouTube video. He praised Ghost of Tsushima for its simple, three-slot system that allows cool designs, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance for its complex, layered system despite development challenges.
Shueisha will publish a special magazine for Yasuhisa Hara's Kingdom manga on August 19, as part of the series' 20th anniversary. The magazine will feature new cover art by Hara, a poster, results of the third character poll, a long interview with Hara, and a retrospective of the past 20 years.
Koei Tecmo announced the Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV with Power-Up Kit Complete Edition, a DLC that expands the 2020 Power-Up Kit with 100 famous sites, poetry, 190 historical events, military intelligence, merit systems, policies, expert mode, and additional scenarios. Japanese details release June 18.
Graniph will release a 19-item Kingdom Hearts collaboration on June 16, 2026, featuring T-shirts, bottoms, caps, bags, wallets, and socks. The lineup includes designs based on Sora, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, the Keyblade, Organization XIII, and worlds like Halloween Town and San Fransokyo. Prices range from 1,200 yen for socks to 7,900 yen for sweat pants.
Oricon announced its Monthly Comic Ranking for May 2026 on June 4, covering estimated print sales from May 4 to May 31. The 79th volume of Yasuhisa Hara's Kingdom led the chart with 356,559 copies. The top 20 includes Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, The Five Star Stories, Kagurabachi, and Blue Box.
Square Enix's officially licensed permanent cafe and shop, 'Officially Licensed SQUARE ENIX Cafe & Shop SHINJUKU,' opened June 12 in Tokyo's Shinjuku district. The three-floor venue features themed menus and merchandise for Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, NieR:Automata, and Fullmetal Alchemist series, with a reservation-priority cafe and a ground-floor shop open to all.
A YouTube performance analysis by ElAnalistaDeBits compares Kingdom Hearts III on Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch 2, and PS5 via backward compatibility. The Switch 2 version achieves higher average frame rates than the Steam Deck but remains unstable, while the PS5 version holds a steady 60fps. The Switch 2 version is currently a demo and may see final optimizations.
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced seven titles joining the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra and Premium subscribers in June 2026. The lineup includes Final Fantasy XVI, Sonic x Shadow Generations, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Farming Simulator 25, Blades of Fire, and Black Desert: Standard Edition. Premium subscribers also get the PS2 classic Gitaroo Man.
Yoruhashi's The Kingdoms of Ruin manga has ended with its final chapter published in advance on Mag Garden's Mag Comi website. The 15th and final compiled book volume ships on July 9, and the final chapter will be free to read on July 14.
Graniph will release a 19-item Kingdom Hearts collaboration on June 16, 2026, featuring T-shirts, hoodies, bags, socks, and more. Designs draw from Sora, Mickey Mouse, Organization XIII, and locations like Halloween Town and San Fransokyo. Advance web reservations open June 10.
Square Enix announced during the June 9 Nintendo Direct that the Kingdom Hearts series will receive native Nintendo Switch 2 ports, releasing on October 8. The lineup includes KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX-, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and KINGDOM HEARTS III + Re Mind, as well as a collection bundling all three titles, KINGDOM HEARTS Collection [I~III]. The first title will also be available on the original Switch. Concurrent with the announcement, Square Enix discontinued sales of the cloud versions of these games on Switch as of June 9. Owners of the cloud versions can transfer their save data to the new native ports and purchase the corresponding downloadable versions at a discounted price. The cloud versions will remain playable until June 9, 2027, after which the service ends. The announcement also confirmed that the upcoming KINGDOM HEARTS IV will launch on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.
Square Enix announced during the June 9 Nintendo Direct that Kingdom Hearts IV will launch on Nintendo Switch 2, alongside previously announced PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC versions. The company did not provide a release date but released a new trailer showing protagonist Sora fighting in Quadratum, a world resembling modern Tokyo. The trailer marks the first significant update on the game since its initial reveal in April 2022. Square Enix also announced the Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III], bundling Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind, for Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. The collection and its individual titles will launch on October 8. Players who owned the cloud versions of the games on Nintendo Switch can transfer their save data and receive a discounted upgrade price.
Koei Tecmo Games announced the next mainline Atelier title, Atelier Kalia: The Night Kingdom and the Signpost of Memories, during the June 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct broadcast. The game follows a new protagonist named Kalia, who has lost her memory and retraces her past. The announcement trailer showed alchemy and battle sequences. The name of Yumia, the protagonist of the previous game Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Imaginary Land, also appeared in the footage, suggesting a possible connection between the two entries. Atelier Kalia is scheduled for release in early 2027; pricing has not been announced. Separately, Koei Tecmo also confirmed that a Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Atelier Yumia will be available for download after the Nintendo Direct ended. That version supports cooperative play via local wireless communication.
ABEMA announced a free marathon stream of the Magi TV anime series, including both seasons and the Adventures of Sinbad spin-off, over three consecutive weeks starting June 6. The spin-off will stream on ABEMA for the first time and be free for the first time. Episodes remain free for one week after broadcast.
Anime Feminist's weekly round-up for January 14-20, 2026, covers multiple topics: the first episodes of Oedo Fire Slayer -The Legend of Phoenix-, The Villainess Is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom, Kaya-chan Isn't Scary, and You and I Are Polar Opposites; a review of Hitomi Takano's manga Gene Bride; a Japan Fair Trade Commission report on transactional issues in the anime industry; Japan's probe of Elon Musk's Grok AI service over inappropriate image generation; a Mie Prefecture survey on foreign staff hiring that drew accusations of discrimination; and Prime Minister Ishiba's avoidance of challenging sumo's gendered ring ban. The round-up also includes links to videos on vintage BL OVAs, Lovely Complex, a documentary on Black anime fandom, and Jonathan Clements on the history of anime in the UK. The community section features reader picks for favorite anime of 2025, including You and Idol Precure, Medalist, and Zenshu!
The first episode of The Villainess Is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom aired, following Tiararose, a woman reincarnated as the villainess of her favorite otome game. She expects to endure public humiliation after her engagement to the crown prince is annulled, but neighboring crown prince Aquasteed proposes to her on the spot. The Anime Feminist review finds the premiere competent but unremarkable, noting it follows standard villainess isekai story beats without introducing a unique twist. The review praises Tiararose as a realistic protagonist who is understandably scared but still tries to defend herself, and it calls Aquasteed's rescue and proposal cute for romance fans. However, it criticizes the episode for being boring overall, following the usual structure of the genre with no indication of innovation. The animation by Studio DEEN is described as fine, neither a hit nor a miss. The review compares the show unfavorably to May I Ask for One Final Thing?, which featured a more proactive and system-destroying protagonist. The piece concludes that the show offers a simple, familiar story for viewers who want comfort without depth.
TOHO Movies debuted a new trailer for Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen, the fifth live-action film based on Yasuhisa Hara's Kingdom manga. The trailer announces Kenshi Yonezu's theme song "Yodaka." The film opens in Japan on July 17, with Kento Yamazaki reprising his role as Xin and Shinsuke Sato returning to direct.
Kadokawa announced on Friday that Tōru Himuka's manga The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom is being adapted into a television anime. Koichiro Kuroda, an episode director on Detective Conan and Yowamushi Pedal New Generation, is directing the series at Studio Elle. Risa Mizuno, writing under the pen name Aki Mizuki, is handling series scripts. Akira Ono is designing the characters, Hozumi Gōda is directing sound, and Shiho Terada is composing the music with Highway Star producing. The main cast includes Rina Hidaka as Koyō, Takeo Ōtsuka as Keiun, Taito Ban as Shingdam, and Shōya Chiba as Shiei. A teaser trailer has been released, but no premiere date has been set. The manga began serialization in Kadokawa's Asuka magazine in 2018 and has 15 volumes as of May 2026. Seven Seas Entertainment publishes the English edition, which describes the story as a Chinese-style imperial medical fantasy about a young doctor and a crown prince confronting conspiracy and tradition.
Voice actor Takahiro Fujiwara, known for roles in My Hero Academia, Kingdom, and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, died on May 14. He was 43. His agency Ken Production announced the news on Thursday, stating a private funeral was held per family wishes.