In a Game Spark interview, solo developer KITTYPOOL says the visual novel Kutsuhimo Monogatari and its spinoff PAIC: Moon Rider Monogatari grew from a shared love of the 1997 RPG Moon. KITTYPOOL calls both works pop entertainment despite their social-problem themes, and cites superhero comics, film criticism, Alan Moore's Top 10, and the ECD rap classic as influences.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps recorded over 17,000 concurrent players on Steam on September 29, during a 90% discount sale that prices the game at 313 yen including tax through 2:00 AM on October 2. The 2020 Moon Studios sequel is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The previous game, Ori and the Blind Forest, is also discounted and drew just over 1,000 concurrent players in the same 24-hour window.
Quirky Duck Studios announced Paint The Moon on September 29, planned for PC via Steam. It is a single-player simulation game about painting the entire lunar surface one square foot at a time. Players start with a Paint Beam, earn funds based on painted area, and upgrade size and speed. Bombs, barrages, and lances unlock later. Finished moons go into a collection.
Yen Press announced six new licenses on Friday: the light novels Kafka's Journey, Oh Boy, Was I Wrong About Her, and The Returned Tyrant Princess Rewrites Her Dark Past, plus the manga Lilies in Love for 101 Days, Lord Hades's Vernal Honeymoon, and Desire of the Untouchable Flower. Kafka's Journey is written by Chizuru Mizushina with illustration by Haruyuki Morisawa.
Project Moon implemented the final part of Limbus Company's Main Story Chapter 10 on October 1, 2026, completing a staged rollout that began September 17. The chapter introduces a top-down perspective exploration system, a departure from the visual novel format the game previously used, and was released in three parts over three weeks: the first on September 17, the second on September 24, and the third on October 1. Within 24 hours of the third part's release, the Steam version reached 151,455 peak concurrent players as of around 17:00, according to the unofficial database SteamDB. That figure is second only to the all-time high of 157,444 recorded on July 9 during the game's 9th Walpurgis Night event. Chapter 10 can be accessed early by clearing Chapter 1, a design choice intended to let new players experience the new exploration system sooner. A September 24 update also adjusted enemy attack speed in specific stages, shortened input delay, and added a key-rebinding feature for the Steam version.
Aniplex released the 90-second final trailer for the theatrical anime Mahoyo on September 30, confirming Soujuurou Shizuki, voiced by Yusuke Kobayashi, among the cast. The same day, a special program announced the theme song: "Yoru to Ao" by supercell, with lyrics, composition, and arrangement by ryo and vocals by Yanagi Nagi. Mahoyo is based on the TYPE-MOON visual novel written by Kinoko Nasu and is animated by ufotable. The film opens in Japanese theaters on November 20, with screenings set for 347 theaters nationwide and an overseas rollout beginning with a U.S. release on January 29 that covers more than 45 countries and regions. Advance tickets go on sale October 2 in two versions: a newly drawn character visual by original character designer Hirokazu Koyama and a special key visual, with an A5 acrylic plate bonus offered through Aniplex Online.
Universal Studios Japan will hold its Universal Cool Japan 2027 event in stages starting December 2, 2026. The first lineup announcement is a Sailor Moon collaboration tied to the park's 25th anniversary. Sailor Moon the Miracle 4-D ~Moon Palace Edition Deluxe~ returns as a theater show, and Sailor Moon x Story Ride runs for the first time. Both run December 2 to April 5, 2027. The second announcement is The Apothecary Diaries, which returns for a second USJ collaboration after 2025. Its new program runs February 10 to June 30, 2027 and is a full renewal of the 2025 Mystery Walk, tied to the film The Apothecary Diaries: The Secret Treasure of the Departed Consort, which opens December 11. Universal Studios Japan says original food and goods are planned, with details to be announced later.
Aniplex announced on September 21 that Fate/EXTRA Record will get a special program titled Fate/EXTRA Record TIMES, streaming October 15 at 20:00 on the official TYPE-MOON GAMES YouTube channel. Atsushi Abe and Yui Ishikawa, who play the game's protagonists, are scheduled to appear and introduce the game and deliver new information. Aniplex also detailed in-store demo events in four cities: Animate Sapporo on September 26 and 27, Animate Nagoya on October 3 and 4, Sofmap Namba Store on October 10 and 11, and Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Hakata on November 28 and 29. All four run from 11:00 to 17:00. Attendees who try the game receive one random Fate/EXTRA Record Original Die-Cut Sticker on a first-come basis. Four sticker types exist: Saber, Archer, Caster, and a secret type. Preorders at participating stores, or at the venue on the day, come with a not-for-sale store promotional poster. The game is planned by TYPE-MOON and releases January 28, 2027.
MELTY BLOOD: TWI-LUMINA, the successor to MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA, was playable at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held September 17 to 20, where a media session also detailed the new Grand Scenario Mode. The demo showed Act Mode, a simplified control scheme with one-button special moves and strengthened Rapid Beat, plus the Lumina Gauge, which replaces the Moon Drive Gauge. Release is set for April.
Midnight Train: New Moon, a remake of the 2020 free RPG Maker game Midnight Train from Spain, was playable at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held at Makuhari Messe from September 17 to 20. The demo covers the full prologue, in which protagonist Luna Windell and detective apprentice Neil escape a stopped train and enter a strange building. PLAYISM has scheduled the game for 2027 on PC via Steam.
The upcoming 2D fighter MELTY BLOOD: TWI-LUMINA is playable for the first time at Tokyo Game Show 2026, ahead of its April 22, 2027 release on Switch 2, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, and Steam. The demo covers the versus mode with seven characters and offers Act, a one-button control scheme that strings combos together, alongside the traditional Duel inputs.
Aniplex held a media briefing at Tokyo Game Show 2026 for Fate/EXTRA Record, the full remake of Fate/EXTRA, and confirmed a January 28, 2027 release on PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam. Development is handled by Meteorise, with TYPE-MOON studio BB on the planning side. The battle system moves away from the original's rock-paper-scissors format to deck-building command battles built on Action Points, with Attack, Guard, and Skill cards, Chain Marks that trigger a no-cost Extra Attack, and Code Cast support from the Master. The scenario follows the original, including its iconic lines, while the graphics and system are rebuilt for what the staff call a modern JRPG rather than a remaster. Players pick Saber, Archer, or Caster as a partner Servant, three Servants were detailed at the session, and the game ships with nine supported languages. Character voices remain Japanese only. A playable demo is running at the Aniplex booth.
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.
The indie title MoonHack appeared at the Tokyo Game Show 2026 indie corner in Hall 9 at booth 09-C53, where the playable demo covers the rhythm action portion rather than the novel portion. Developed by ASTRA, the indie brand of Astro Production, the game is set in 2125, when AI measures emotion and optimizes choice. It was first announced as Humanity Optimization Plan, in which the player collaborates with the optimization AI AEGIS.
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault shifts the series out of Rynoka Village, opening with shopkeeper-adventurer Will thrown into a wasteland by Tresna's owner, Miss Scratch, and made to fill his backpack with relics. The sequel also moves from the previous game's 2D top-down view to a 3D top-down view from diagonally above, with height differences built into the dungeon areas.
Nihon Falcom announced on September 16, 2026 that it has signed a licensing agreement with South Korea's NEOWIZ covering development of The Legend of Heroes III: White Witch for PC and consoles and a release in the global market. The game is the third entry in The Legend of Heroes series, an RPG Falcom released in 1994 for the PC-9801. It is the opening part of the three-part Gagharv Trilogy, alongside The Legend of Heroes IV: A Tear of Vermillion and The Legend of Heroes V: A Cagesong of the Ocean, and it is regarded as the origin of the later Trails series that continues from The Legend of Heroes VI: Trails in the Sky. The sources describe the 1994 release as a singing RPG built on detailed worldbuilding and storytelling, following the pilgrimage of the boy Julio and the girl Chris across a world called Tirasweel. No release window, platform list, or budget was disclosed.
MOONDROP began taking pre-orders on September 14 at 18:30 for the MOONDROP Sparxie, a fully wireless earbud model built around Sparkle from Honkai: Star Rail. The set costs 16,200 yen including tax. It ships with a chibi Sparkle acrylic stand, a limited acrylic charm and strap, and a leather pouch for the charging case, plus voice guidance in Sparkle's voice for power and mode changes.
A Game Spark play report covers Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, developed by Digital Sun. Protagonist Will still runs an item shop while raiding dungeons, but the visuals move from 2D pixel art to 3D. Dungeons now use a route-based roguelite structure with branching path choices. Four melee weapon types (sword, greatsword, spear, fists) plus a gun replace the previous bow, and a backpack-swing attack joins the combat set.
Mika Yamamori announced in the author's notes of the 11th In the Clear Moonlit Dusk volume on Friday that the manga will end with its next volume next spring. The 11th volume's jacket band states the series has 8.2 million copies in circulation globally. Kodansha published volume 11 on September 11. The anime adaptation premiered on January 11, and a live-action film opens in Japan on October 23.
Astro Production's indie brand ASTRA will exhibit MoonHack at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held at Makuhari Messe from Thursday, September 17. The booth sits in the Indie Game Corner of Exhibition Hall 9. Visitors can play a polished rhythm action section, watch the third music video before its September 27 YouTube release, and receive a random trading card among 13 types or an original sticker for showing a Steam wishlist screen.
Publisher Starry Dome announced The Wandering Earth: The Last Full Moon, a third-person shooter developed by Surgical Scalpels, and released an announcement trailer. The game adapts Liu Cixin's short story The Wandering Earth. Its story is set at the end of the project's first phase, as the United Earth Government moves to use 12 lunar engines to push the Moon out of Earth's orbit. Combat takes place on the lunar surface and in space, and gravity changes how you fight.
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault left early access and reached its full official release on September 2, 2026. The roguelite sequel, which moved from pixel art to an anime style, is available on PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. A physical edition for Switch 2 and PS5 is scheduled for December 10 via Sega.
Thomas Mahler, CEO of Moon Studios, launched VideoGamesCritic on September 2, a review aggregation site that weights user reviews at least two-thirds against media scores. Mahler criticized Metacritic and OpenCritic for favoring media scores and for keeping launch ratings fixed. The site also publishes a trust score for media outlets, calculated by comparing their reviews to concurrent Steam user ratings.
During Sony Interactive Entertainment's State of Play broadcast on September 3, developer Twin Swan Limited announced Hunter's Moon, a first-person folk horror game set for release on October 26. The game is described as inspired by the true history of witch hunts in England. Players take on the role of Lilith Thorne, a woman accused of being a witch, and must flee through a rural village set in 17th-century early modern England. The gameplay involves eavesdropping on villagers' conversations under the light of the full moon, evading pursuit from witch hunters, and uncovering secrets hidden in a village on the brink of collapse. The game will be available on PS5. Twin Swan Limited is a studio that includes artists who have worked on titles such as The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The announcement was made during the State of Play broadcast, and the game is scheduled to launch on October 26, 2026.
Aniplex announced during Sony's September 3 State of Play livestream that Fate/EXTRA Record, the full remake of the 2010 PlayStation Portable dungeon RPG Fate/EXTRA, will launch on January 28, 2027. The game will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The new trailer showed gameplay, battle scenes, cutscenes, and a surprise appearance by Arcueid Brunestud, the main heroine of TYPE-MOON's visual novel Tsukihime. The release date follows a series of delays that pushed the game from an initial 2025 window to spring 2026, and then to an indefinite postponement after Bandai Namco Entertainment withdrew as publisher by mutual agreement with Notes, TYPE-MOON's corporate arm. Aniplex subsequently took over publishing. The game was originally announced in July 2020, marking the 10th anniversary of the original Fate/EXTRA. Kazuya Nino, the game's director and planner, left TYPE-MOON studio BB for personal reasons and health concerns, with Arco Wada returning as character designer. A physical Limited Edition and a Digital Deluxe Edition were also detailed.
Developer poncle announced on September 3 that it will give away Vampire Survivors and the new DLC Legacy of the Blood Moon for free to those who donate blood or make donations. The application period runs until October 7. The game is a top-down action title with roguelike elements, supporting solo play and online co-op for up to four players. Total player count has exceeded 27 million. The DLC, released on August 28, adds a new stage, over 10 characters, and over 16 weapons.
11 bit studios and Digital Sun released Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault at version 1.0, roughly ten months after early access began on Steam in November 2025. The roguelite action RPG sequel keeps protagonist Will's dungeon exploration and shop management loop while moving from 2D pixel art to 3D. The full release completes the main story and adds four Endless weapon aspects, the Bomb Path ability, final-stage shop expansion, the Infinite Endless Vault endgame, and hardcore mode.
Moon Studios has delayed the full release of No Rest for the Wicked from October 2026 to March 2027. The studio said the game has not reached a level it considers sufficient for launch. An open beta is planned for December 2026, and Steam players who purchase by January 1, 2027 will receive a founder pack. The PS5 version launches alongside the full release, with Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2 versions planned.
DRECOM CREATORS STUDIO, the indie publishing arm run by Drecom, announced its first three titles: TIMEMOON, Beautiful Life Show, and Chill Planet. All three will be exhibited at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held September 17-21 at Makuhari Messe. The studio also renewed its official website and plans to announce a fourth publishing title in October 2026.
Sega will release the package edition of Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 in Japan on December 10, 2026, priced at 5,400 yen (5,940 yen with tax). Sega signed a co-publishing agreement with UK publisher Silver Lining Interactive and will handle manufacturing and sales of the package title in Japan. The action RPG and management sim sequel is developed by Spanish studio Digital Sun.
ProbablyMonsters released Crimson Moon on September 2, 2026, for PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The gothic 3D action RPG, developed by Team Metal, was first announced during a State of Play presentation in February 2026 with a fall release window. Players take on the role of a Nephilim, a hybrid of human and angel, fighting for the Crimson Moon Knights to defend the fallen land of Guildenark against demonic forces. The game features soulslike melee combat, two-player online co-op, high-risk high-reward missions, and dynamic difficulty adjustment that scales rewards to challenge. Shortly after launch, players reported the inability to freely remap keyboard and controller buttons, plus camera control issues. ProbablyMonsters acknowledged the complaints on official X and Steam News, stating that developer Team Metal is working on a quick initial implementation of keybinding, with a preview image shared and a promise to deliver an early version within the week. The studio also directed players to a known issues page for other reported problems. According to SteamDB, the game peaked at 10,273 concurrent players, while Steam reviews sat at 56% positive out of about 1,300 reviews, earning a mixed status.
Moon Studios announced on September 2 that No Rest for the Wicked will leave early access in March 2027, moved back from October 2026. The PS5 version shifts to the same month. The studio said its small but uncompromising quality bar would not be met in October, and it will spend the extra time on performance, class system tuning, and overall polish.
Pluto TV is adding two dedicated anime channels, more than 1,300 hours of programming, and several English dubs debuting this month. The free ad-supported service will carry dubbed versions of One-Punch Man and Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, which Pluto says makes it the only free streaming platform with either dub. New channels It's Anime and Big A Anime launch this month. The expansion targets younger viewers, who account for nearly half of all anime viewing hours on the platform.
Sweden-based studio Moonmilk Games announced Cave Expedition, a cave exploration simulator for up to four players, on August 31. The game casts players as cave explorers pushing into unexplored caves, with locations that include flooded passages, narrow gaps, and huge cavities. The studio records environmental sounds and textures in real caves around the world, and its staff operate as an actual cave exploration team. Gameplay covers horizontal crawling, vertical descents with ropes and anchors, and underwater diving with scuba gear. Players customize equipment before heading out, choosing headlamps, climbing gloves, and SRT gear, and deeper runs demand more tools. A shop lets players buy and upgrade equipment, and the game tracks hunger, fatigue, and body temperature. The studio plans a 2027 release on PC (Steam), with Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S versions planned. An official Discord channel is open for feature requests.
CCMC opened the Steam store page for Ollie Ninja Slash, a high-difficulty platform action game starring Hololive Indonesia talent Kureiji Ollie. Developed by 7 Moon Studio, the game launches September 18, 2026 for 250 yen. Wishlist registration is now available.
The week of August 31 to September 6, 2026, brings a heavy slate of new game releases across Japan and North America, led by two major action titles. Capcom's Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches on September 4 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, priced at 8,990 yen. The sword-fighting action game is set in early Edo-period Kyoto transformed by miasma, with players controlling swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, who bears the Oni Gauntlet and battles the supernatural Genma. Stages recreate real landmarks like Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Yasui Konpira-gu Shrine. A pre-order bonus offers an omamori charm and sword fittings set usable in-game. The Blood of Dawnwalker, a dark fantasy action RPG from Rebel Wolves, arrives on September 3 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S at 9,790 yen. It stars a Dawnwalker who lives as a human by day and a vampire by night, with day and night gameplay duality as a key attraction. Also releasing this week are Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Complete Edition, My Hero Academia: All's Justice, and Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault.
Poncle released the eighth expansion DLC for Vampire Survivors, titled Legacy of the Bloodmoon. It adds over 10 new characters, 16 or more new weapons, 8 new music tracks, an XL-sized new stage, and 1 new adventure. The DLC connects to the first expansion, Legacy of the Moonspell, and its Moonspell clan theme.
Chinese AI firm Moonshot AI is negotiating with Microsoft, Amazon, and Google to host its open model Kimi K3 on their cloud services, seeking up to 30% revenue share. The talks face unresolved issues over revenue sharing, data access, and token auditing. Moonshot AI has suspended new subscriptions due to GPU shortages.
In an interview with Automaton, Kan Gao of Freebird Games discusses his long use of RPG Maker, the upcoming final entry in the To the Moon series, and why the tool's simplicity helps him focus on creation. He started using RPG Maker around 2005 and released To the Moon in 2011, with the series spanning over a decade.
Naniwa Danshi will release their 11th single "Moonlit" on October 21. The title track is the theme song for the movie "Uruwashiki Yoi no Tsuki," starring member Shunsuke Michieda, which opens October 23. The song was produced by the team behind their debut single "Ubu Love" and was performed live at Osaka-jo Hall on August 26.
Vampire Survivors developer poncle will release the Legacy of the Bloodmoon DLC on August 28. The expansion follows the Bloodmoon Clan, a fanatical sect born from the Red Moon Order, and adds over 10 cursed characters, more than 16 new weapons, 8 music tracks, and the large stage Redmoon Manor.
RetroCrush will add several Viz Media anime films and series to its service, including Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, Sailor Moon R: The Movie, Bleach the Movie: Hell Verse, Hunter x Hunter: Phantom Rouge, Hikaru no Go, Accel World, both Captain Tsubasa series, and Vampire Knight.
REMOW announced at its Anime NYC panel that the television anime of Kuzushiro's The Moon on a Rainy Night manga is coming in 2027. Tomoe Makino directs at CompTown, Shogo Yasukawa writes and oversees the series scripts, and Ayumi Nishibata designs the characters. The story follows Saki, who meets a hard-of-hearing classmate named Kanon after a rainy-night encounter. Kodansha USA licensed the manga, which debuted on Kodansha's Comic Days site in June 2021.
Developer poncle announced that the eighth expansion DLC for Vampire Survivors, Legacy of the Bloodmoon, will release on August 28. It adds over 10 new characters, over 16 new weapons, 8 new music tracks, an XL-sized stage, and a new adventure. The DLC is closely tied to the first DLC, Legacy of the Moonspell, and will likely match its Steam price of 135 yen.
At Tokyo Game Dungeon 13, held August 8, 2026, Game Spark tried 'MoonHack', a rhythm action ADV set in 2125 where AI organization AEGIS manages emotions and love. Players join old-model AI Kaguya girls deemed criminals. The game, formerly 'Human Optimization Plan Eden Protocol - Order of 2125', targets a Steam release in 2027.
Moonton launched a limited-time Assassin's Creed crossover in Watcher of Realms on August 20. Ezio, Kassandra, Eivor, and Bayek join as playable heroes, with Ezio obtainable for free through login and mission participation. A crossover story and the stealth-inspired 'Assassin's Creed' event are also live.
Chaomoon launched the 2D platformer MMORPG Soul's Remnant in early access on Steam on August 13. The free-to-play game, built over 10 years by two developers, has reached a 'Very Positive' rating with 80% positive reviews from 490 reviews and a peak of 4,367 concurrent players. Developer Chaomoon discussed the project on Reddit.
Disney+ announced the cast for A Man's Man, a live-action series based on the webtoon of the same name. Jeong-min Park stars as Yoo-hyun Han, with Sung-woo Bae, Ji-hyun Kim, Moon-sung Jung, Sang-hoon Moon, and Min Kim as his product planning team. The cast includes Jung-eun Lee, Dae-myung Kim, and Sang-yi Lee, with special appearances by Seol-hyun Kim and Kwang-soo Lee. Hee-won Kim, director of Disney+ series Light Shop, will direct.
Natsume announced on Wednesday that Harvest Moon: Echoes of Teradea will now launch on October 15, pushed back from its previously announced September 24 release date. The farming sim will be available for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
Netflix is closing two of its in-house game studios, Night School Studio and Moonloot Games, according to a report from Game File that the company's spokesperson confirmed. Night School Studio, known for the adventure game Oxenfree, was acquired by Netflix in 2021. Moonloot Games, based in Helsinki, was founded in 2022 as an internal studio. The closures come shortly after Night School released the horror game Unhinged in July, which Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters praised in an investor call as having strong numbers. Netflix told Game File that it is prioritizing games with broad appeal, such as children's games, party games, story-driven titles, and sports games like FIFA World Cup Launch Edition. A spokesperson said the company is making organizational changes to focus its operations and thanked departing staff. These closures follow a pattern of contraction in Netflix's game division, including the shutdown of Team Blue in October 2024, Boss Fight in October 2025, and the spin-off of Spry Fox in December 2025. After these moves, Netflix's game unit will consist of a central team working with external developers and Next Games, which focuses on party games.