← all stories
Unit
All coverage
16h ago
Google and Unity announced a strategic partnership on October 7, 2026 to build a new AI game platform. The same day, Google launched Playground in beta in the United States. Playground lets users aged 18 and over generate and customize playable games by entering prompts in natural language, with no coding required. Games can be saved privately, shared via links, or posted to a public gallery. Logging in with a Google Play Games profile gives access to leaderboards, multiplayer matchmaking, and community features from launch. Published works carry sharing and like functions and pass a safety review, with a reporting feature for problematic titles. Playground runs in a browser on smartphones and laptops. Free users can join a waitlist for the creation feature, and subscribers to Google One's AI plan get immediate access. Google plans to offer Unity Spark, an expanded environment built on Playground, within the year.
1d ago
Bandai Spirits will release the ROBOT Spirits <SIDE LABOR> Griffon (Twin Unit Equipment) figure in March 2027 for 13,200 yen including tax, with reservations opening October 1, 2026. The Griffon, the rival machine to Shaft Enterprises' AV-98 Ingram, ships with a flight unit backpack, newly sculpted Aqua Unit backpack parts, and the damaged head of Ingram Unit 2, the part that recreates the Harumi Incident.
2d ago
A beta of "Fallout 4 Community Shaders," a fan-made graphics plug-in, is out on Nexus Mods. Kuzey Gok, a software development engineer at Microsoft, ported it from "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition." The beta adds upscaling, frame generation, and lighting adjustments. Installation needs prerequisite mods, the supported game version is Windows 1.11.240, and it conflicts with the separate plug-in ENB.
3d ago
Sega Fave announced on September 22 that arcade music game CHUNITHM will run a Doki Doki Literature Club collaboration event from September 25 to November 11. A limited-time event map lets players obtain characters, name plates, and stage backgrounds, and raise character ranks for titles. The ending theme Your Reality, remixed by Kenji Mizuno, joins the same day.
Sep 20
Good Smile Company is taking preorders for the Robo-Do Evangelion Unit-01 Pseudo-Shin Awakening Form, a figure of the form Unit-01 takes in Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition. It stands about 25cm tall on a die-cast frame with roughly 48 points of articulation. Red armor parts use UV fluorescent paint, the eyes have an LED light-emitting feature, and the left arm uses transparent material. Accessories include a halo effect, A.T. Field effects, an open-mouth head, and a core-exposed chest part.
Sep 19
Toei and DC Comics announced a Batman and Kamen Rider Zero-One project at a Batman Day fan event in Tokyo on the 19th. The title is Batman x Kamen Rider ZERO-ONE LEGENDS UNITE. Toei producer Shinichiro Shirakura called the tag team a historic event. An original DC comic and Bandai merchandise are planned, with more news promised at events including Tokyo Comic Con.
Sep 17
Sega plans to release two prize figures in its XrossLink series based on Neon Genesis Evangelion Theatrical Edition Air / My Purest Heart for You. The lineup pairs Unit-02 with an EVA Mass Production Model, each measuring roughly 10 by 16 to 18 centimeters. Displayed side by side, the two figures recreate the battle scene from the film. The products roll out sequentially from September 18.
Sep 17
Square Enix showed the first playable demo of Romancing SaGa 3: Destiny United at Tokyo Game Show 2026, running September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe. The game is a full remake of Romancing SaGa 3, the Super Famicom RPG released in 1995, and it is scheduled to launch on February 16, 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with a Steam release listed for February 17, 2027. It is produced by Shinichi Tatsuke, with multiple companies including xeen involved in development, the same production approach used for the 2024 full remake Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. The booth demo offered two sections: "Demon Lord's Palace: Rescue the Lost Gon!", which covers exploration and the rebuilt systems, and "Gwain's Nest: Evil Dragon Gwain", a boss fight with a stronger party. The Collector's Edition on display includes an original soundtrack, a reprint of the original game's 1996 guidebook, and a figure of the Four Demon Lords member Byunei.
Sep 17
United Arrows and Kiddy Land have launched a joint project called KIDDY LAND | UNITED ARROWS, timed to Kiddy Land's 80th anniversary in 2026. The lineup covers apparel, goods, and styled mascots for Hello Kitty, My Melody, Miffy, and Rilakkuma. Hello Kitty and My Melody reservations opened September 17, with a release set for October 9. Miffy and Rilakkuma items are scheduled for December 2026.
Sep 15
Two Nissan Silvia S15 cars run by Evangelion Racing are being recreated as Tomica die-cast mini cars. Tomica Eva RT Unit-01 Nissan Silvia is modeled on the Unit-01 car shown at the 2024 NISMO Festival at Fuji Speedway, and Tomica Eva RT Unit-02 Nissan Silvia on the Unit-02 car active at 2025 events including Super Taikyu and FORMULA DRIFT JAPAN. Pre-orders open September 16, 2026 at 17:00 on Saporto Store, with release planned for early December 2026 to early January 2027 at 1,500 yen each.
Sep 11
Unitcom is running the LEVEL Infinity 10th Anniversary Project from September 11 at PC Koubou and Goodwill stores and on the PC Koubou WEB shopping site. Members who buy an eligible LEVEL Infinity gaming PC get points raised from the usual 0.5 percent to 5 percent. Two commemorative models are limited to 100 units total, priced at 329,800 yen and 459,800 yen, and a starter kit bundles a PC with monitor, mouse, keyboard, mouse pad, and headset.
Sep 9
Square Enix announced Romancing SaGa 3: Destinies United, a remake of the 1995 Super Famicom RPG, during a Nintendo Direct livestream on Wednesday. The remake launches February 16 for Nintendo Switch 2, Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, featuring 3D graphics, voice acting, and newly arranged music.
Sep 9
During the Nintendo Direct streamed on September 9, 2026, Square Enix announced Romancing SaGa 3: Destiny United, a full remake of the 1995 RPG Romancing SaGa 3. The remake is scheduled to launch on February 16, 2027, for Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch. The announcement trailer showed the game's revamped graphics and introduced several signature series mechanics returning in the remake, including the ability to choose from eight different protagonists, the glimmer system for learning techniques, and combination techniques. Romancing SaGa 3 originally launched for the Super Famicom, and this remake marks the latest in a series of recent SaGa franchise releases, following Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. The trailer did not reveal additional platforms beyond the two Nintendo consoles, and no pricing information was announced during the Direct. The remake was one of several titles shown during the September 9 Nintendo Direct, which also included announcements for The Apothecary Diaries game adaptation and a new Rockman series title. Further details on Romancing SaGa 3: Destiny United, including its full cast and any additional features, have not yet been disclosed.
Sep 2
Kotobukiya has opened orders for Heavy Weapon Unit 80 Evil Axe Gray Ver., a new M.S.G Modeling Support Goods kit built around an oversized battle axe with a clear blue blade and gray frame. The kit recombines into dagger, spear, and hand axe forms, and its frame parts are shared with the Evil Scythe for cross-combination. It is priced at 1,980 yen and ships in January 2027.
Sep 1
Japanese esports organization ZETA DIVISION won the Pokemon UNITE division at the Pokemon World Championships 2026, held August 28-30 in San Francisco, USA. The team defeated European representative KOMAI (KomaiEsports) 3-1 in the grand final, claiming the world title and a prize of about 16 million yen (100,000 dollars). The victory followed a runner-up finish at WCS2025, after which three of five players left the team due to health issues or retirement. The rebuilt roster, featuring holdovers Vitoppo and Rom plus new players Mizutama, Nomu, and ResTA, struggled to build synergy domestically and entered the world championship as Japan's fifth-place qualifier. In the group stage, ZETA DIVISION topped a difficult Group E that included Korean representatives T1 and 7VEN, winning 2-1 against T1 and 2-0 against 7VEN. In the knockout stage, they defeated domestic champion FENNEL 2-1, North American representative Evil Geniuses 2-1, and came from two games down to beat IGZIST 3-2 in the semifinals. Captain Vitoppo credited passion and mentality for the win.
Aug 29
Premium Bandai opened pre-orders for a PG UNLEASHED 1/60 Nu Gundam expansion set with clear exterior parts and six Fin Funnels, priced at 16,500 yen with shipment in December 2026. Reprints of the MG Sazabi Ver.Ka and RE/100 Nightingale Funnel Effect Set and the RE/100 Jagd Doga (Quess Air Unit) also began.
Aug 21
Good Smile Company's MODEROID DX-SCALE line is getting a large Evangelion Unit-01 kit from Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition. Standing about 260mm tall, it features movable joints, molded colors, clear parts, pre-painted parts, and decals. Some armor reacts to blacklight. A LUMINOUS SET EDITION, sold at the Good Smile Company official shop, adds a glowing head and two blacklight stands. Both release in June 2027.
Aug 18
Flame Co., Ltd. will stream the first V.LIVE UNITE: RISING performance on August 29, 2026. KMNZ and Ryugasaki Rin perform a 16-song joint live themed around a southern island summer vacation. Tickets are on sale now on Z-aN.
Aug 18
Good Smile Company has opened pre-orders for the Robodo series figure of Evangelion Unit-01 in its awakened form from the Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition films. The figure stands about 25cm tall, uses a die-cast frame with roughly 48 articulation points, and features UV fluorescent paint and an LED eye function. Pre-orders run until September 23, with shipping scheduled for June 2027.
Aug 11
Yumi Unita will launch a new manga titled Heights Nanten ~2-mei-sama Gentei Desu~ in the next issue of Shodensha's Feel Young magazine on September 8. The announcement appeared in the magazine's September issue, which is currently on sale, and was also shared on Unita's X/Twitter account.
Aug 11
The virtual music live project V.LIVE UNITE will launch a new paid live series, V.LIVE UNITE: RISING, with its first installment featuring KMNZ and Ryugasaki Rin on August 29. The online event, themed SUMMER ESCAPE, will stream on Z-aN and include unique performances from both acts.
Aug 10
A new Skyrim Special Edition mod called Effects 11 lets users apply ENBSeries presets through the open-source Community Shaders tool. The mod is available on Nexus Mods. It includes ENB extension plugin functions, though some presets may need extra requirements or may not be compatible.
Aug 8
Bandai Spirits announced a ROBOT魂 action figure of the Ingram Plus (AV-98Plus) Unit 2 from the new anime Patlabor EZY. Preorders open August 3, 2026, with a January 2027 release. The figure includes weapons, hands, an alternate head, and a newly sculpted Type 17 command vehicle.
Aug 7
Unity Technologies announced a new licensing system, Internal Deployment Add-On (IDAO), for its Unity Industry plan. Starting August 2027, organizations distributing Unity-made applications internally will pay annual fees based on monthly active users beyond 100. The move targets non-game uses and follows the retracted Runtime Fee.
Aug 7
Godot became the most-used engine at GMTK Game Jam 2026, taking 47 percent of the 10,511 tallied games to Unity's 34 percent. It is the first time Godot has led the event, which drew 10,777 submissions. The gap has narrowed since 2022, when Unity led 61 percent to 16 percent, and the two were nearly even in 2025. GameMaker took 5 percent and Unreal Engine 3 percent.
Aug 5
Good Smile Company has opened reservations for the MODEROID Evangelion Provisional Unit-05, a plastic model kit of the four-legged Evangelion piloted by Mari Makinami Illustrious in Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition. The kit is based on the unit's appearance at the start of Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, where its non-humanoid form, running on four wheeled legs with pantographs on its shoulders, left a strong impression on viewers. The model stands approximately 160mm tall and measures about 270mm in total length, making it one of the largest in the MODEROID series. It uses molded colors, pre-painted parts, stickers, and decals to achieve color separation close to the film's look with assembly alone. The kit includes decals for markings, and several parts are swappable: the head can be posed open-mouthed, the right arm can carry the simplified Longinus spear (pseudo-restored type) or go without it, the shoulder pantographs are removable, and the large and small drills under the waist are reproduced with replacement parts. The leg tip connectors come in movable and fixed variants. The prototype is by Kenji Miyashita. The price is 11,000 yen including tax, with shipping scheduled for April 2027. Reservations at the Good Smile Company official shop run from July 31 to September 9, and partner shops will also handle orders.
Aug 4
KLab announced on August 3, 2026 that the free-to-play rogue-lite action game My Hero Academia UNITED SURVIVAL will begin service on August 6. The game is based on the My Hero Academia anime and manga series, and will be available on iOS, Android, and PC (Windows). Players form teams of three, strengthen each character's Quirk, and battle hordes of enemies. The game includes combination special moves that merge Quirks, as well as original scenarios and special moves not found in the main story. The playable roster spans students such as Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, and Shoto Todoroki, pro heroes including Shota Aizawa, Endeavor, and All Might, and villains like Himiko Toga and Stain. Pre-registrations worldwide have surpassed 700,000, unlocking rewards including Heavy Dumbbell (Shota Aizawa) x5 and Hero Stones x100. An additional reward for reaching 800,000 pre-registrations, the LR Collection The Story Until Becoming the Greatest Hero x1, has also been announced. Pre-registration remains open on the App Store, Google Play, and the official site.
Jul 21
Unity officially announced Unity 7 at Unite Seoul on July 21, 2026. The next-generation game engine is scheduled for early beta testing in December 2026 and a full release in the first quarter of 2027. Unity 7 directly inherits the architecture of Unity 6, meaning no rebuilding, new language learning, or breaking changes are required for migration. The engine is built around five pillars: a faster production environment using CoreCLR with near-instant Play Mode startup and shader builds up to 90% faster; an open and collaborative ecosystem with a new CLI and public API, plus a free MCP for coding agents; dramatic graphics evolution including real-time global illumination via Surface Cache GI and AI-driven optimization; smarter growth and monetization through Unity Vector AI matching players to games and native D2C IAP; and upgrade without breaking changes. Unity President and CEO Matt Bromberg said the future belongs to teams that leverage new technology, and Unity 7 is the platform for that moment. The announcement comes as Unreal Engine overtook Unity in adoption rates in a GDC 2026 survey, with Unreal at 42% and Unity at 30%.
Jul 20
Good Smile Company announced on July 15, 2026, that Evangelion Unit-13 from 'Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time' will be released as a plastic model kit in the MODEROID series. Pre-orders opened on July 16, 2026, at 12:00 JST via Amazon.co.jp and other channels. The kit stands approximately 175mm tall, features articulated joints, and includes interchangeable hand parts, a Lance of Longinus, and interchangeable chest parts that allow reproduction of the sub-arms crossed state. It uses molded colors, pre-colored parts, and stickers to achieve a film-accurate color scheme upon assembly. The prototype is by Dyson Max. The kit is priced at 4,800 yen (tax included) on Amazon.co.jp, with a scheduled release date of January 31, 2027. The announcement was made on the official Mechasmile X account (@gsc_mechasmile).
Jul 18
The new mobile game My Hero Academia UNITED SURVIVAL, a roguelite action title from KLab and gumi, is now accepting pre-registrations on the App Store, Google Play, and the official website. If 500,000 players register, everyone will receive a gacha ticket that lets them choose one of three SR characters: Deku, Bakugo, or Todoroki. The game is scheduled to release within 2026.
Jul 15
The Japan eSports Association has officially confirmed 25 athletes as Japanese representatives for the e-sports events at the 20th Asian Games in September. The team includes fighting game players Higuchi (Street Fighter 6), NOBI (Tekken 8), and SCORE (The King of Fighters XV), along with representatives from eFootball, Gran Turismo 7, Puyo Puyo eSports, Identity V, Pokémon UNITE, and PUBG MOBILE. Four coaches will also accompany the team.
Jul 7
Good Smile Company announced six new Brickroid figures from the Rebuild of Evangelion films, including Evangelion Unit-01 Awakened Ver., Unit-00, Unit-02 Beast Mode Second Stage, Mark.06, the Fourth Angel, and the Tenth Angel. A Building A + Base Set also joins the lineup. The Evangelion figures release in December 2026, and the building set in November 2026.
Jul 4
Blitzway has begun accepting pre-orders for the Carbotix Evangelion Unit-01 action figure, designed with a focus on realistic functionality and die-cast metal construction. The standard version costs 36,300 yen, while a DX version with a hangar is priced at 58,300 yen. Pre-orders opened June 30.
Jul 3
Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, United Artists, and Amazon MGM Studios have acquired the film rights to The Mandela Catalogue, a YouTube analog horror series. Original creator Alex Kister will direct and co-write the script with Tyler Clifton. The series, launched in 2021, follows alien beings called Alternates that impersonate humans in a fictional Wisconsin county.
Jul 3
Premium Bandai opens pre-orders July 3 for a metallic repaint of the Deforeal Evangelion Unit-02 Beast "G" Mode figure, a Godzilla vs. Evangelion crossover piece depicting Unit-02 eroded by G-cells. The 17cm PVC figure costs 16,500 yen and ships in September 2026.
Jul 2
SEGA FAVE Co., Ltd. launched the Gekichumai Original Song Portal on July 1, 2026, aggregating over 1,300 original songs from arcade rhythm games maimai, CHUNITHM, and ONGEKI. The site allows browsing by song, previewing tracks, viewing in-game level data and related videos, and creating and sharing playlists. A playlist creation campaign tied to the upcoming maimai Deluxe MUSiC LiVE2026 event runs through July 10.
Jul 2
Medicom Toy is re-releasing the MAFEX Evangelion Unit-01 action figure from Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time at a new price of 14,850 yen. The 19 cm figure includes a Cassius spear, Progressive Knife, Pallet Rifle, Gatling Gun, and an optional umbilical cable. Pre-orders are open for a September 2026 release.
Jul 2
SEGA FAVE launched CHUNITHM Mate, the latest version of its arcade music game, on July 2, 2026. The update adds new songs, collaboration events with Monster Hunter Wilds and Takopi's Original Sin, revival events for Goddess of Victory: NIKKE and Groove Coaster, new maps, unlock challenges, and a song linkage event between maimai DX and ONGEKI.
Jul 2
Threezero has announced a new Robo-Dou action figure of the Griffon from Patlabor, this time equipped with a newly sculpted Aqua Unit. The 1/35 scale figure features a zinc alloy die-cast frame with 60 points of articulation, cloth covers with weathering, and metallic paint on round details. Pre-orders open July 2, 2026, with shipment scheduled for Q1 2027 at 25,490 yen.
Jul 1
Unity Technologies revised its terms of service on June 30, requiring prior approval for using Unity offerings or derived data in AI model training. Access via AI agents, LLMs, and MCP clients is now limited to frameworks Unity operates or designates. The change appears to steer AI tool usage toward Unity's official AI Gateway and Unity MCP Server, while some users rely on third-party alternatives.
Jul 1
The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association appointed Kis-My-Ft2 member Toshihiro Miyata as the official supporter for Tokyo Game Show 2026. Miyata, known as a gaming enthusiast and co-founder of the YouTube channel Houkago GAMING LIFE, will help promote the event's 30th anniversary. TGS2026 runs September 17-21 at Makuhari Messe.
Jun 29
Blitzway Japan announced pre-orders for the CARBOTIX Evangelion Unit-01 die-cast action figure, opening June 30, 2026. The figure comes in a standard edition and a DX Ver. with a hangar diorama. The standard edition costs 36,300 yen, the DX Ver. 58,300 yen, with shipments scheduled for December 2026.
Jun 29
Bandai opened pre-orders on Premium Bandai for the HG 1/144 Hydra Gundam from New Mobile Report Gundam W Dual Story G-UNIT, alongside seven reissue kits including the RG Mass Production Z'Gok, HG Gundam Griepe, and HG Gundam Geminass. The Hydra Gundam transforms into mobile armor form and costs 5,500 yen.
Jun 28
The staff of Pokémon Unite announced an original live-action short project to mark the game's upcoming fifth anniversary. Further details on the project's story and other information are teased for later. The game is also adding Legendary Pokémon Yveltal, Palkia, Reshiram, and Solgaleo over the next two months as part of anniversary events.
Jun 27
Good Smile Company and Max Factory are adding Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Shikinami from the "Rebuild of Evangelion" films to their PLAMATEA line of movable plastic model kits. Both figures stand approximately 170mm tall and are scheduled for release in December 2026 at 7,700 yen each. The Rei Ayanami kit includes three expression parts-serious, smiling, and glaring-with decals for eye direction, plus a glasses case accessory. The Asuka Langley Shikinami kit includes smiling, embarrassed, and "Are you stupid?" faces, along with a puppet accessory. Both models feature movable joints, pre-painted parts, and color-separated molding. They come with a base that has a movable support arm and can hold weapons from the separately sold MODEROID Evangelion Unit-01 kit. Prototype production is by SELECT D.
Jun 25
Arc System Works announced a new RPG, Shinbō no Kurifa, during its ARC SYSTEM WORKS Showcase on June 25, 2026. The game is a tactical counter timeline RPG developed jointly with Unit+, a company formed in November 2025 from the merger of Aquria and Aplus. It is set in a 2030 Tokyo where a disaster called the World Collapse caused ground subsidence in Shibuya, releasing monsters. Players control two protagonists: Soma Hoshikami, a boy with mysterious powers, and Elena Hizuki, a public security officer specializing in monster countermeasures. The story progresses by selecting areas on a map, with investigation scenes presented in an adventure format. Battles use a timeline system where players chain skills; enemy attack timing is visible on the UI, and landing a counter when two yellow circles overlap deals massive damage. The game is nearly fully voiced. Shinbō no Kurifa launches on September 24, 2026 for PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. Pre-orders begin today and include three additional skins for each protagonist and a high-difficulty battle mode called Voidfall, consisting of 16 battles. A teaser trailer and official website have also been released.
Jun 23
Medicom Toy will release a 100% size 2-piece BE@RBRICK set featuring Evangelion Unit-01 and Unit-13 from Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, updated with a new painted chrome finish. The set is scheduled for September 2026 at 4,950 yen. Each figure stands about 7 cm tall.
Jun 22
PANDORA Inc.'s VTuber training project, the Human Pupation Project, will release a series of acrylic keychains called KEY-UNIT, modeled after participating cast members, starting June 22, 2026. Each cast member gets three designs representing different stages of their activity story: ERROR, SYNC, and OVERRIDE. The project frames the items as a way to generate revenue beyond live streaming.
Jun 19
Sega Fave will launch the new arcade music game version CHUNITHM Mate on July 2, 2026. A pre-release livestream on July 1 will feature gameplay, GeKi! ChuMai information, and a 10th anniversary retrospective with special guest players.
Jun 17
Naichi, the operator of the free game sharing site unityroom, announced on June 17 that the site now supports Godot Engine's GDExtension feature. This allows users to upload games that use native C++ code via GDExtension, significantly expanding the range of Godot games that can be posted. Thread Support remains unsupported. The site began accepting Godot games in April but previously lacked GDExtension compatibility.