The Kingdom manga franchise is in its 20th anniversary year, with the fifth live-action film dominating the Japanese box office and a special anniversary magazine scheduled for August.
The Kingdom franchise, based on Yasuhisa Hara's historical manga, is in its 20th anniversary year. Shueisha will publish a special magazine on August 19 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 manga's 79th volume topped Oricon's monthly comic ranking for May 2026 with 356,559 copies sold, and volume 80 appeared on Amazon Kindle's best-seller chart as a pre-order title.
The fifth live-action film, Kingdom: The Decisive Battle of Souls, opened at #1 in Japan on July 17 with 993,000 tickets sold and 1.58 billion yen in its first three days. The film adapts the Coalition War arc and will screen in MX4D, 4DX, Dolby Cinema, SCREENX, and ULTRA 4DX formats. A new visual depicts Xin and Bankyoku clashing. Bandai Spirits also revealed the full prize lineup for an Ichiban Kuji lottery themed around the series, with MASTERLISE figures of Changping Jun, Bajio, Mōbu, and Yōtanwa as the last one prize, releasing from July 31.
The anime side of the franchise partnered with Korean street fashion brand RANDOMOFF for a Japan-exclusive collection of T-shirts, zip-up hoodies, desk mats, and key caps featuring characters like Shin and Kyokai, sold on the platform 60% starting July 17 in limited quantities. The manga's 20th anniversary special magazine and the film's continued box office performance represent the main current activities for the series.
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The Chiikawa anime film stayed at #1 in Japan for a fourth weekend, selling 602,000 tickets and earning 895 million yen. The fifth live-action Kingdom film rose from #7 to #5 in its fifth weekend, earning 353 million yen. Both films continue strong theatrical runs.
Midori Games released a demo of the retro-style turn-based strategy simulation Banana Kingdom on Steam on August 16. The full early access version launches August 31, priced at 530 yen with a 20 percent launch discount. The demo includes about 25 maps and a restricted map editor, with saves carrying over.
Square Enix will release Kingdom Hearts Collection [I-III] on October 8, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The collection bundles three packages: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 Remix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind, together containing seven games, three HD video works, and the Re Mind downloadable content. The price is 11,000 yen. The physical version is available for PS5 and Switch 2 and requires an internet connection to download additional data. Each title is also sold separately as a digital version, with prices of 5,280 yen for HD 1.5+2.5 Remix and III + Re Mind, and 4,180 yen for HD 2.8. The HD 1.5+2.5 Remix is also compatible with the original Nintendo Switch. To promote the release, Square Enix published six YouTube Shorts introducing Disney and Pixar worlds such as Toy Box, Timeless River, Wonderland, Deep Space, Monstropolis, and The Caribbean. Purchase bonuses include exclusive weapons for Kingdom Hearts III: Long Night on Switch 2, Midnight Blue on PS5, and Phantom Green on Xbox and Windows. Pre-orders include 48-hour early access.
Fuyumi Ono's Twelve Kingdoms fantasy novel series is finally getting an e-book release. Kindle editions will be distributed sequentially on Amazon.co.jp starting September 17 and October 15, 2026, with the new volume Yūmei no Kishi scheduled for December 11, 2026. The initial batch includes Mashō no Ko, Tsuki no Kage, Kage no Umi Parts 1 and 2, and Kaze no Umi, Meikyū no Kishi.
ASCII.jp's 178th weekly Steam sales ranking places Apex Legends first, followed by Big Walk and KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX-. The Kingdom Hearts collection, on sale at 70% off, rose after its release window for IV was announced as late 2027. Free-to-play titles dominate the top ten, with HOLOLIVE DREAMS and Escape from Tarkov in fourth and fifth.
Disney and Square Enix announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 that Kingdom Hearts IV will release in the latter half of 2027. The game is planned for PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store on Windows), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The announcement ends a long silence that had stretched since the game was first revealed in April 2022. Director Tetsuya Nomura has stated there will be no delays and the game will arrive in 2027. The new entry begins the Lost Master arc, following the conclusion of the Dark Seeker saga in Kingdom Hearts III. The story opens with protagonist Sora waking up in Quadratum, a world similar to but different from modern-day Tokyo, while Donald and Goofy search the underworld for clues about him. In response to the concrete release window, players have been returning to older entries on Steam. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind have all set new concurrent player records. The series is also on sale at 70 percent off until August 21, with the three-game bundle priced at 5,148 yen including tax.
Square Enix released new Kingdom Hearts IV screenshots showing Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Sora, along with the Remember Me world. The company also published the full Japanese dubbed version of the D23 2026 trailer, which includes a segment where players control Mickey and a battle scene with Donald and Goofy. The game is slated for release in late 2027.
Disney announced at D23 on August 15 that Kingdom Hearts is being adapted into an original anime series, titled Kingdom Hearts The Series, for Disney Channel and Disney+. The project is a co-production between Disney Kids & Family and Square Enix, with franchise creator Tetsuya Nomura and the Square Enix creative team involved. The series will feature a completely new story, not a direct adaptation of any game narrative, and will expand the Kingdom Hearts universe while bringing back established characters. The announcement did not reveal the animation studio, voice cast, or release date. A teaser visual shows a mysterious boy holding a Keyblade in a design that evokes Japanese animation. Disney Kids & Family president Ayo Davis said the series will be "unmistakably Kingdom Hearts" while allowing fans to experience the worlds they love in a new way. The announcement follows a previous attempt at a Kingdom Hearts animated series in the early 2000s, which was shelved. The game franchise has shipped over 39 million units worldwide since its 2002 debut.
Embracer Group's Q1 FY2026/27 report places the next Kingdom Come title, Darksiders 4, and Tomb Raider: Catalyst in FY2027/28, spanning April 2027 to March 2028. The Middle-earth RPG from Warhorse Studios is not listed for that window. Metro 2039 hit 1 million wishlists faster than any prior Embracer title.
BANDAI SPIRITS began selling the no-loser lottery Ichiban Kuji KINGDOM HEARTS -25th Anniversary- on August 15 at 790 yen per draw. Prizes include a Sora statue, a blanket, desktop figures of King Mickey, Donald Duck, and Goofy, art dishes, hand towels, rubber charms, and keyblade metal charms. The Last One prize is a Riku statue, the first Riku figure in Ichiban Kuji. A Double Chance Campaign offers 50 Riku statues by lottery.
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced on August 13, 2026 the August additions to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, available to Extra and Premium tier subscribers. The cooperative action shooter HELLDIVERS 2, in which up to four players complete missions across planets overrun by insects and robots, launched on the service the same day. The announcement coincides with the release of the game's Devoid of Liberty update, themed around the squid-like mutant Illuminate faction. On August 18, the open-world RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, set in 15th-century Bohemia, and the action game Vampire Survivors will join the lineup. August 25 brings Hell is Us, plus four additional titles: Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Party Dash, Two Point Museum, Metro Exodus, and Dying Light 2 Stay Human. The Classics Catalog, available to Premium plan subscribers, adds the PS2 title Shin Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams and the original PlayStation game Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire on August 18. All eight Game Catalog titles and two Classics Catalog titles were confirmed across multiple outlets.
The Kingdom Hearts 25th anniversary panel at D23 will stream live on August 15 at 4:30 PM PT. The one-hour "Deep Dive Into Kingdom Hearts" will look back at the series with guests including KH3 director Yasue Tai, Disney Games director Nana Gadd, and voice actors Haley Joel Osment, David Gallagher, and Renee Johnson.
The television anime of Nao Iwamoto's Marronnier Okoku no Shichinin no Kishi manga revealed its first promotional video, main visual, cast, and October 3 premiere on NHK Educational. Kengo Takanashi, Makoto Tanikawa, Haruki Ishiya, Satoshi Inomata, Kiyoto Mizuno, Taishi Murata, and Reiji Kawashima voice the seven knight brothers. Kiyoko Sayama directs at J.C. Staff.
TOKYO MX will broadcast 'Eiga Yes! Pretty Cure 5: Kagami no Kuni no Miracle Daibouken!' on August 9 at 19:00. The 2007 film introduced the Miracle Light support item and the dark warrior team Dark Pretty Cure 5, whose members were voiced by actors later cast in other Pretty Cure series.
Good Smile Company announced a figma of Albedo, the Guardian Overseer of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, based on the theatrical film Overlord: Holy Kingdom Arc. The posable figure stands about 160mm tall, includes three expression parts and optional hands and legs, and is scheduled for release in June 2027.
Square Enix announced that moviegoers in Japan who see Toy Story 5 at select TOHO Cinemas will receive a limited-edition set of two original Kingdom Hearts Collection [I-III] stickers, available on a first-come, first-served basis starting August 7. The stickers tie into the upcoming collection release on October 8.
The fifth live-action Kingdom film, 'Kingdom: Soul's Decisive Battle,' has released a new promotional video featuring the theme song 'Yodaka' by Kenshi Yonezu, using previously unseen footage from the film. New stills showing the battle between Shin and Bansaku were also released. The film has drawn 2.39 million viewers and earned 3.73 billion yen in 13 days.
The 33rd 2D Crayon Shin-chan film, Eiga Crayon Shin-chan Kikikaikai! Ora no Yōkai Bake-shon, opened at #3 in Japan, selling 441,000 tickets and earning 539,371,500 yen (about US$3.41 million) in its first three days. The film opened on July 31 and centers on the Nohara family's adventure in the land of yōkai.
Shueisha announced on Thursday the launch of Manga Million, a global digital manga platform offering over one million pages of translated manga from approximately 400 titles in more than 100 languages. The service is available worldwide for a limited time, free of charge and without registration. The launch lineup includes One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Jujutsu Kaisen, Kingdom, Oshi no Ko, Spy x Family, Chainsaw Man, Nana, and Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, among others. More than 150 of the titles are shojo manga. According to Shueisha, nearly 300 titles are receiving their first-ever translations, and 50 works have been translated into multiple languages. The platform also includes special chapters and one-shots, such as Tatsuki Fujimoto's Look Back. Shueisha confirmed to Anime News Network that AI translation was not used for the project. The initiative is part of Shueisha's 100th anniversary celebration. Shuhei Hosono, Editor-in-Chief of Manga Plus by Shueisha, initiated the project, which was developed across Shueisha's editorial divisions with support from international licensing partners.
4Gamer's Weekly Steam Square column for July 25, 2026 highlights two notable Steam releases: Conqueror's Blade: Three Kingdoms, a large-scale strategy action game set in the Three Kingdoms era, and Scrap Mechanic, a multiplayer sandbox survival game. The column also covers other releases, announcements, and sales information on Steam.
Koei Tecmo Games opened Steam pre-orders for Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV with Power Up Kit Complete Edition, releasing September 10 for 9,680 yen. The 40th anniversary work adds Military Intelligence, Merit, and Heaven's Time systems, plus Expert Mode, over 70 new events, and more.
The Chiikawa anime film opened at #1 in Japan, earning 2,240,333,500 yen (about US$13.70 million) on 1,508,500 tickets over its first three days. The fifth live-action Kingdom film dropped to #3 in its second weekend, with a cumulative total of 3,354,667,400 yen (about US$20.52 million).
The fifth live-action Kingdom film opened at #1 in Japan with 993,000 tickets sold and 1.58 billion yen in its first three days. The anime film You, Fireworks, and Our Promise debuted at #5 with 59.3 million yen in its first three days. Both films opened on July 17.
Dengeki Hobby Web reports the top 20 best-selling manga volumes on Amazon Kindle as of July 17, 2026. The Apothecary Diaries Volume 17, available for pre-order, takes the top spot. Other notable entries include pre-order titles Kingdom 80 and Medalist 15, new releases Shangri-La Frontier 27 and Zatch Bell! 2, and recent volumes Hunter x Hunter 39 and One-Punch Man 37. Sale items like Mob Psycho 100 at 100 yen per volume also appear.
Amazon is running a 50% points back sale on the Kindle edition of Mitsuteru Yokoyama's manga Romance of the Three Kingdoms. All 42 volumes are available as a bundle for 30,492 yen, with 15,246 points awarded. The promotion runs until July 20. Other Yokoyama historical manga, including Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, Water Margin, and Records of the Grand Historian, are also part of the sale.
BilibiliWorld 2026, the three-day ACGN event hosted by Bilibili, concluded on July 12 at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center. The event attracted 400,000 visitors from over 30 countries and regions, with 170 exhibitors participating. For the first time, BilibiliWorld sold tickets to overseas users, drawing fans from the United States, Russia, South Korea, Italy, and elsewhere. The venue featured approximately 1,000 itasha cars and over 60,000 cosplayers. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige attended, marking his first visit to China in seven years. He unveiled the concept poster for Avengers: Doomsday and discussed Robert Downey Jr.'s role as the villain. Other exhibitors included Arknights, Genshin Impact, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. The event also had a significant economic impact: overseas flight bookings to Shanghai rose 35% year-on-year, hotel reservations in Shanghai increased 126% month-on-month, and hotel bookings within 5 km of the venue surged 600% month-on-month. Cambodian Princess Norodom Jenna also visited the event.
The anime 'Kingdom' has partnered with Korean street fashion brand RANDOMOFF for a Japan-exclusive collection. The lineup includes overfit T-shirts and zip-up hoodies featuring characters like Shin and Kyokai, as well as desk mats and key caps. The collection will be sold exclusively on the platform 60% starting July 17, 2026, in limited quantities. A sticker and postcard set is included with any purchase.
A Kingdom Hearts 25th anniversary panel titled 'DEEP DIVE into KINGDOM HEARTS' will be held at D23 2026 on August 15. Overseas fans on Reddit are hoping for new Kingdom Hearts IV information, though the article notes the event is a panel and may not include KH4 news. Kingdom Hearts IV is scheduled for multiple platforms with no release date.
Square Enix and Disney will hold a 'Deep Dive Into Kingdom Hearts' panel at the D23 fan event on August 15, 2026, marking the series' 25th anniversary. The one-hour panel will feature creators and voice actors looking back on the series' history. Attention is on whether new Kingdom Hearts 4 information will be revealed, following the game's appearance at the June 2026 Nintendo Direct.
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.
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.