1h ago
Naoki Bando, a voice actor whose career ran more than four decades, died on Monday, September 28. He was 69. His agency Production Ace announced the death on Friday and said he had been undergoing medical treatment. Bando voiced Robonyan in Yo-kai Watch and Torenov Y. Minovsky in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, among roles spanning anime, games, and Japanese dubs of foreign films and television.
Sep 19
NHN PlayArt is exhibiting at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held from September 17 to September 21, for the first time in eight years. The booth gathers seven titles, among them LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum, Yo-kai Watch Puni Puni, #Compass Combat Providence Analysis System and DISSIDIA DUELLUM FINAL FANTASY, plus the upcoming Touken Ranbu Pazugiri, Gensou Sekai no Puchi Poyon and OVER RUSH. Trial play areas, photo spots, stage events and a stamp rally fill the space.
Sep 17
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.
Sep 16
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.
Sep 10
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.
Sep 9
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.
Sep 9
Nintendo announced during its September 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct that the hide-and-seek game Meccha Chameleon, created by solo developer LEMORION, will be released for the Switch 2 immediately after the broadcast ends. The game launched on Steam on June 10, 2026, and several outlets report it sold over 20 million copies, with 4Gamer.net specifying sales of 15 million in less than a month. The Switch 2 version's surprise drop follows the game's rapid rise among streamers. Sources describe Meccha Chameleon as a drawing and hide-and-seek game with simple rules that is fun to play in large groups. The Nintendo Direct also revealed the Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, scheduled for December 3, 2026, which adds the new hero Kaguya and the roguelike-style mode Heroes Record.