ZUN's Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic, the remake he led for Shanghai Alice Reprise and Alliance Arts, is out on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2, and holds an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam. On October 10 he narrated a bonus text video of the original 2002 setting notes that the remake does not include.
ZUN's most recent activity centers on Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic, the remake of the 2002 bullet hell shooter Touhou Koumakyou. Alliance Arts released it on September 10, 2026 for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. ZUN led the project through Shanghai Alice Reprise; the release includes a Classic version reproducing the original game and a New Classic version with high-resolution graphics and all background music rearranged by ZUN. The original source code was lost, and a programmer from the doujin circle AQUA STYLE independently analyzed the game to build a Switch version that started the project. A DVD backup found at ZUN's home helped recreate character portraits.
The remake drew 1,732 Steam reviews within half a day, 98 percent positive, for an Overwhelmingly Positive rating, with 41.58 percent of reviews in English and 28.73 percent in Simplified Chinese. On October 10, Shanghai Alice Reprise posted a bonus text video on YouTube in which ZUN reads back the setting notes from the 2002 release. That material is not bundled in the remake, and ZUN said the extra story and character introductions appear only in the video.
Before the launch, Team Shanghai Alice reminded fans on September 4 that publicly releasing the endings of the original games is prohibited under its derivative works guidelines. The reminder came days before the remake's release and applied to the existing rules rather than a change for this release. A separate pricing change arrived on August 13: Shanghai Alice Fantasy Band said event sales would move to 1,500 yen for games and 1,000 yen for music CDs, with retail prices rising from September 1. ZUN said on X that prices had been kept unchanged until then but production costs had reached their limit.
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Shanghai Alice Reprise released a bonus text video on YouTube on October 10 in which original creator ZUN looks back on the setting notes from Touhou Koumakyou. The text data, viewable from the PC install in 2002, is not bundled in the remake Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic, which is available on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Steam. ZUN says the extra story and character introductions appear only in the video.
Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic, developed by Shanghai Alice Reprise and released by Alliance Arts on September 10, 2026, drew 1,732 Steam reviews within half a day, 98 percent of them positive, for an Overwhelmingly Positive rating. Steam Scout data shows 41.58 percent of reviews in English and 28.73 percent in Simplified Chinese, with positive rates of 99 percent and 98 percent.
Alliance Arts released Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic ~ the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil. on September 10 for PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. The game is a modern remake of the 2002 bullet hell shooter Touhou Koumakyou, led by original creator ZUN, and marks the first official Touhou Project shooting game on console platforms. It includes a New Classic version with high-resolution graphics and all BGM rearranged by ZUN, plus a Classic version that reproduces the 2002 game as faithfully as possible. The Classic version can inherit replays and save data from the original ver1.02h. New features include a Spell Practice mode and an unlimited lives mode for newcomers. The standard edition costs 1,990 yen, and a deluxe edition with a digital sound player app is 2,966 yen. The original source code was lost, so a programmer from the doujin circle AQUA STYLE independently analyzed the game and built a Switch version, which became the project's starting point. A DVD backup found at ZUN's home helped recreate character portraits. The New Classic version also supports 4K resolution.
Team Shanghai Alice, the circle behind the Touhou Project, reminded fans on September 4 that publicly releasing the endings of the original games is prohibited under its derivative works guidelines, just days before the September 10 launch of the remake Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic. The reminder came via the official Shanghai Alice Reprise X account, which posted links to the Guidelines for Posting to Video Distribution Services and the Touhou Project Derivative Works Guidelines. These guidelines were not changed for this release, but they explicitly list acts of publicly releasing original game endings as prohibited. Under the video distribution guidelines, streaming by individual players is generally treated as fan activity and faces no major restrictions, yet the ending restriction still applies. Players who plan to stream or post Let's Play videos are advised to keep ending segments out of their broadcasts or cut them through editing. The remake updates the 2002 Windows Touhou Koumakyou with high-resolution graphics, fully rearranged music by series creator ZUN, a new Life Infinite Mode for less experienced players, and a Classic Version that reproduces the original game. The game launches September 10 on PC via Steam, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Shanghai Alice Fantasy Band, the doujin circle behind the Touhou Project series, announced on August 13 that it will revise the prices of its works. At event sales, all game titles will be sold for 1,500 yen and all music CDs for 1,000 yen. The summer new release "Reichou Shineki Kyou" will also be distributed for 1,000 yen. ZUN, the circle's founder, said on X that prices had been kept unchanged until now, but production costs have reached their limit, and asked for understanding. Starting September 1, retail prices will also change: games will cost 1,600 yen (excluding tax), music CDs 1,200 yen (excluding tax), and "Yougakudan no Rekishi 1" will be set at 1,400 yen (excluding tax). The announcement was made via ZUN's X account and a post on the Touhou Project news site. The price revision affects past works as well as new ones, marking a shift after a long period of stable pricing.
Shanghai Alice Reprise, a new circle formed by ZUN and AQUA STYLE representative JYUNYA, announced Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic during a Nintendo Direct broadcast on June 9. The bullet hell shooter is the first official remake of the 2002 Touhou Project entry Touhou Koumakyou. It launches September 10 on PC via Steam, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. The standard edition costs 1,990 yen, and a deluxe edition with a digital soundtrack costs 2,966 yen. The remake upgrades the original to 1080p resolution with fully rearranged BGM by ZUN. It includes a Classic Mode that reproduces the 2002 game as faithfully as possible, plus a new mode with infinite lives and a Challenge Mode that tracks hits taken. New features include a player hitbox display and a boss position marker at the bottom of the screen. The original Touhou Koumakyou had become unplayable on modern Windows due to frame rate issues. A programmer from AQUA STYLE independently created a Switch-compatible version, which ZUN saw and called amazing, leading to the full remake project.
ZUN and other developers have formed a new doujin circle, Shanghai Alice Reprise, dedicated to making Touhou Project games playable on modern systems. Its first project is Touhou Koumakyou: New Classic, a remake of the 2002 bullet hell shooter, announced during a June 9 Nintendo Direct. The remake supports 1080p, adds new systems and BGM, and includes a Classic Edition reproducing the original. It launches September 10 on Switch, Switch 2, PS5, and Steam.