Level-5 is promoting an unusually wide slate of titles for 2026 and 2027, with Professor Layton and the New World of Steam dated for December 10, 2026, and Decapolice, Holy Horror Mansion, and Snack World RELOADED all set for 2027. The company is also managing fallout from generative AI use in its September promotional footage and booth concept art.
Level-5 spent the last week of September and the first week of October 2026 showing playable demos and videos for four games at Tokyo Game Show: Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, Holy Horror Mansion, Snack World RELOADED, and Decapolice. The booth was the company's largest, and all four were playable. Only one of them has a firm date: the Layton sequel releases December 10, 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Steam. The other three are dated to 2027 or, in the Layton demo's case, exhibit a hint system and a new character named Egg Muffin.
The 2027 group has changed shape. Decapolice was first set for 2023, moved to 2025, then 2026, and is now 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Steam, with the Switch and PlayStation 4 versions dropped. A television anime remains planned, and the game's case quests are built from original concepts by escape-game company SCRAP. Snack World RELOADED, a remake of Snack World Trejarers, arrives in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and adds a board-game mode starring the anime protagonist Chup. Holy Horror Mansion is also a 2027 title, on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Steam, and its demo shows a card-based battle system around creatures called Mononoke.
Alongside the games, Level-5 spent mid-September answering questions about its use of generative AI. CEO Akihiro Hino apologized on September 12 for AI footage in the LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II stream, and the company said it will limit AI to efficiency work and keep direct AI out of user-facing video. Hino also acknowledged an AI-generated image used for the Tokyo Game Show booth concept art, while saying the actual booth was handmade.
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Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino and indie developer Takahiro Miyazawa are the guests at Yoshi-P Radio and Yoshi-P Night, held October 24 at the Shibuya creator hub 404 Not Found and hosted by Shuhei Yoshida and Masahiko Murakami. Miyazawa discusses solo development and the ideas behind his special controllers, while Hino looks back on his creative journey and the trial and error of creating new IP.
Level-5 published a Tokyo Game Show 2026 event report and released demo play videos for four titles: Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, Holy Horror Mansion, Snack World RELOADED, and DecaPolice. The booth, the company's largest, showed playable demos of all four and drew visitors from Japan and overseas, with original goods as bonuses. The Layton demo runs to Professor Layton and Luke meeting inventor Egg Muffin.
Level-5 and NHN PlayArt are jointly developing the mobile puzzle game Gensou Sekai no Puchipoyon. At Tokyo Game Show 2026, the NHN PlayArt booth ran a TGS-exclusive hands-on setup using a large screen and a dedicated controller called Tenobirth. Players hold a hand over the sensor to move the bar and open the hand to drop Puchipoyon, matching identical ones to evolve them, using a hammer gauge to break Crystalun, and avoiding overflow.
Sega announced a slate of upcoming adaptations across its game franchises. The lineup includes a Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon aimed at children, a Crazy Taxi film from the team behind the 2025 Naked Gun, and a Stranger Than Heaven film tied to RGG Studio's Yakuza prequel, which releases January 27, 2027. The Golden Axe cartoon released on Paramount+ on Wednesday.
Tokyo Game Show 2026 runs at Makuhari Messe from September 17 to September 21, and Professor Layton and the New World of Steam is exhibiting at the Level-5 booth for the third consecutive year. The demo lets visitors take on three puzzles, all of them built by the quiz group QuizKnock. One puzzle becomes easier with the memo function, another rewards observation, and the last, presented by the new character Egg Muffin, leans on sudden inspiration. A Hint Coin detection mode, activated with the minus button, helps players find coins for hints, with Coin Der-kun pointing the way. The demo starts inside the Egg Muffin Workshop, a building whose exterior is lined with countless doors. The game is a sequel set one year after Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel and is scheduled for release on December 10, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Steam.
Level-5 is showing a playable demo of Decapolice at its Tokyo Game Show 2026 booth, which runs from September 17 to 21, 2026. The demo covers a case called The Three Mafia Murders, following rookie detective Harvard Marks, voiced by Soma Saito, and his Special Investigations Unit. Players gather evidence with a DECA Scanner, wear down witnesses using conversation skills, assemble a Case Board, and settle deductions in a Thinking Cube. After the culprit is named, the case does not end. A turn-based battle follows, with the team choosing an arrest plan such as going in with force or striking a blind spot. Culprits carry four emotions, anger, confusion, fear, and sadness, and mind attacks push one emotion high enough to change their state. Cornering a culprit opens a ZONE state where chosen words deal heavy damage. Decapolice is scheduled for release in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Steam.
Level-5 brought a playable demo of its new RPG Holy Horror Mansion to Tokyo Game Show 2026, letting attendees experience the game's exploration and boss battle for the first time. The demo follows a protagonist named Ten and a camera-like companion called Cameron as they use a mechanic called Ghost Shot to bring objects to life, spawning creatures known as Mononoke. Players can turn objects into jumping platforms to traverse rooftops, or trigger a shift to nighttime and face a boss fight against the urban legend Kuchisake-onna. The battle system uses randomly drawn cards, and applying attributes with one Mononoke's special move lets another deal bonus damage. Kineko, a beckoning cat Mononoke, was a standout. Holy Horror Mansion is scheduled for release in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Steam.
Netmarble officially announced Bloomwalker, a craft adventure game, and released a new trailer during the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 Broadcast on September 17. The game is in development for PC via Microsoft Store and Xbox Series X|S, with Netmarble Neo handling development. It was previously announced in August 2025 as Project Bloomwalker. Set in Luminoa, a world where humans and nature spirits once lived together, the story follows a traveler who purifies pollution with a moving house. The house travels from sanctuary to sanctuary and grows, gaining new functions. A Pocket Dimension inside the house lets players build, decorate, and craft with familiars and spirits. The trailer ends with a Level-5 copyright notice and the name Ni no Kuni. Netmarble Neo previously worked with Level-5 on Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds, so the title may be related to the Ni no Kuni series.
Level-5 is running a playable booth for Snack World RELOADED at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held at Makuhari Messe from September 17 to 21, 2026. The game is a remake of Snack World: TreJarers, the 2017 Nintendo 3DS title, and is set for release in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam at a price not yet announced. A new mode called the Treasure Board, also described as the Trejara Board, lets players control the anime protagonist Chup and advance through stages laid out like a board game, defeating a mid-boss in each stage before a boss at the far end within a time limit. Weapons called Jara include swords, axes, bows, and spears, each with different range, speed, and Buster attributes that deal extra damage to specific enemy races. The demo ends with a choice between two bosses, Medusa and Dullahan. Players who try the booth receive an original bandana.
Level-5 said it will re-upload corrected versions of some PVs shown during the LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II stream, citing AI use and human errors, with the new versions posted at the start of Tokyo Game Show 2026. The company also addressed the Yo-kai Watch 2: Hadou concept illustration, saying flagged power lines, vending machines, and rain gutters were human errors made during simplification, and that protagonist Keita's facial features differ because of differing deadlines among streaming programs.
Level-5 apologized on September 17 for errors caused by generative AI and human mistakes in promotional videos shown at LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II. The company said it will limit AI to efficiency improvement and avoid direct use in footage delivered to users. Representative Akihiro Hino said on X on September 12 that he added AI processing to make the presentation flashier, and said careless AI output data is not in the games.
Level 5 showed a gameplay trailer for Snack World: Reloaded at Tokyo Game Show on Wednesday. The remake of Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl - Gold launches in 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. It adds enhanced graphics, improved controls, and a new mode starring the anime's protagonist Chup. The trailer previews enemy combat, stages, and boss fights.
Level-5 published an explanation and apology on its official website about AI use in footage from its September 10 online presentation LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II. The company will re-upload revised PVs on September 17, the start of Tokyo Game Show 2026. It said the controversial Yo-kai Watch 2: Hadou concept illustration included intentional omissions and human mistakes, and that Keita's face differed because of a scheduling issue.
Level-5 president Akihiro Hino said on his own X account that an AI-generated image was used for the company's Tokyo Game Show 2026 booth concept art. He argued that making concept CG or AI preview images before an event is common practice at most companies, and said the actual booth is designed by humans and its modeling is carefully handmade. The booth runs September 17 to September 21.
Level 5 president and CEO Akihiro Hino posted a statement on his X account on September 12 explaining and apologizing for the use of AI in footage shown during the online presentation LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II Dream, which streamed on September 10. Hino wrote that he incorporated cutting-edge AI, including processing that doubled as an experiment, out of a desire to make the presentation flashy, and apologized to users who felt uncomfortable. He said scenarios, character designs, and basic world-building for Level 5 titles are all created by human hands, and that AI is mainly used to digitize human-made assets such as polygon models. He stated that cheap AI output data will not be included in the games that are released. Hino also said the company is testing ways to shorten development of major titles from five years to two. Criticism came from users in Japan and overseas, and some in Japan noted that Yo-kai Watch 2: Hadou footage differed in details such as character faces from what appeared in the previous day's Nintendo Direct 2026.9.9.
Level 5 showed a new trailer for DECAPOLICE during its Vision 2026 II Dream livestream on Thursday and confirmed the crime suspense RPG now launches in 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. The Switch and PlayStation 4 versions are no longer planned. The game was first set for 2023, moved to 2025, then 2026, and now 2027. MARIA of GARNiDELiA performs the theme song, and a television anime is planned.
Level-5 announced during its online event LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II Dream that Snack World RELOADED, a remake of Snack World Trejarers, is planned for release in 2027. The stream ran on September 10 at 21:00 and included a trailer with the latest footage. That footage showed various fields, battles, and event scenes from the game. No specific launch date inside 2027 was given, and no platform list was stated in the announcements. Level-5 has not said whether the game will appear on the same hardware as the original. The remake carries the Trejarers name in the source coverage, tying it directly to the earlier title. The event was the second LEVEL5 VISION presentation of 2026 according to its name. A writer credited for the Denfaminicogamer report is identified only as Tsubaki Man.
Level-5 showed new footage for its crime suspense RPG Dekapolis at the online event LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II Dream, which streamed on September 10. The game follows rookie detective Harvard Marks, who investigates cases inside Decasim, a virtual space built as a full recreation of a real town. SCRAP, the company known for real escape games, is handling the original concepts for the case quests that appear in the game. A newly announced case quest titled The Three Mafia Murders is produced from a SCRAP original concept. Dekapolis is planned for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Steam. The stream also carried the broader Level-5 announcement slate, which outlets covered as a single roundup.
Level-5 announced on September 10 during its online presentation LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II Dream that the paid large-scale DLC Celestial Train and the Happy Final Station is coming to Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. The game is a slow life RPG available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, Android, and iOS. Release timing for the DLC is undecided. The expansion adds the new ranks Kami Minarai and God. Crafting gains new modes, letting players make items with different appearances from a single recipe, and items made from God Recipes may carry God Skills. New weapons and armor are also included, plus the Otomobile, which flies around the avatar and provides support. A Shinzo Mount changes appearance and performance when players attach parts made through God Crafting. Furniture and other elements are also planned.
Level-5 held the online event LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II Dream on September 10 at 21:00, where the company revealed new information including Yo-kai Watch 2: Hadou. At the end of the program, CEO Akihiro Hino teased the next event, LEVEL5 VISION 2027, saying he thinks the company will be able to make its largest announcement ever there, and that a major title marking Level-5's 30th anniversary is in the works. Coverage of the event was compiled by GAME Watch and is scheduled to be updated as new details are published. Seiji Nakamura and Yuta Yashiki contributed reporting on the event and the teaser. The event streamed September 10, 2026, and the announcements centered on the Yo-kai Watch 2: Hadou news alongside Hino's closing remarks about the 2027 event and the anniversary project.
Level 5 announced Yo-kai Watch 2: Haunted Domain, an updated version of the Nintendo 3DS game, during the English Nintendo Direct livestream on Wednesday. The announcement confirms the game for Nintendo Switch 2 and shows Jibanyan, Whisper, and protagonist Nate in an English-subtitled video, with new Yo-kai teased.
Level-5 will stream its online presentation LEVEL5 VISION 2026 II: Dream (also rendered Yume) on September 10 at 9 PM Japan time. The company announced the event on September 3, 2026, saying it plans to reveal various latest information on its titles, though it has not disclosed which titles will appear. The program will air on Level-5's official YouTube channel, with English and Traditional Chinese subtitles planned. A stream page will be released at a later date. This is the latest installment of LEVEL5 VISION, the company's recurring online event for new title announcements. At the previous edition, LEVEL5 VISION 2026 Takumi, held in April 2026, Level-5 provided follow-up information on Professor Layton and the New World of Steam and details on Snack World Reloaded and Puchipoyon of the Fantasy World. As of the time of the announcements, Level-5's unreleased titles include those three plus Decapolice, Inazuma Eleven RE, and Holy Horror Mansion. The company has not said what will be shown at the September event, and it warned against unauthorized re-uploading of the broadcast.
Level-5 has made all 127 episodes of the Inazuma Eleven TV anime's Endou Mamoru Arc free on YouTube to mark the franchise's 18th anniversary. The Football Frontier, Threat of the Invaders, and Challenge to the World!! arcs are included, split between the CoroCoro Comic and Level-5 official channels. Related manga are also free until August 24.