SEGA Sammy Holdings reported its FY2026 results: record revenue of 487.5 billion yen ($3.1B, +13.7％ YoY) was wiped out by 58.8 billion yen in special losses tied to Rovio Entertainment (Angry Birds) and Stakelogic, producing the company's first net loss in 11 years. We unpack the impairment, the international community's skepticism about the 776 million-dollar Rovio acquisition, the deprioritization of F2P, the redeployment of 100＋ developers onto full-game projects, and SEGA's bet on four new mainstay-IP titles ahead of Sonic's 35th anniversary.
On May 11, 2026, Kyoto Animation announced an anime film adaptation of John Tarachine's manga The Credits Roll into the Sea. Slated for 2027 with Violet Evergarden's Taichi Ishidate directing, the film follows 65-year-old Umiko Chino as she enrolls in film school after meeting a young art student. We break down what this means for international fans — including the English manga release schedule and likely streaming paths.
The 50th Kodansha Manga Award has announced its 2026 winners: Gachiakuta in the shonen category, Darwin's Incident in the general category, and Shini-Pro in the shojo category. Two of the three are already global anime hits — here's a guide for international readers, including English release status and where to stream.
Bandai is reviving two iconic transformation items from 60 years of Ultraman history. The Beta Capsule from the original 1966 series and the Spark Lence from 1996's Ultraman Tiga return on September 19, 2026, in commemorative SUPER BEST packaging. The release comes as Ultraman's global profile soars, fueled by Netflix's 2024 hit Ultraman: Rising and TAMASHII NATIONS' expanding US presence.
After 32 years, Masami Yūki returns to draw a brand-new Patlabor one-shot titled Mobile Police Patlabor 2026, published in Weekly Spirits #25. As the real world catches up to the manga's once-near-future setting, we look at why overseas mecha fans care, the link to the new Patlabor EZY anime, and where to watch the franchise abroad.
Katsuhiro Otomo, the legendary creator of AKIRA, launched a new feature animation studio called OVAL GEAR on May 11, 2026. A first title is already in production. Global fans are speculating whether this marks the long-awaited return of his shelved 2019 project ORBITAL ERA.
Koei Tecmo Holdings reports record-breaking FY2026 results with revenue of ¥88.3B and ordinary profit of ¥57.0B. Of that, roughly ¥16.4 billion ($105M) came from financial market operations—an investment income stream that rivals many companies' core business profits. Nioh 3 (now at 10M cumulative series sales), Pokémon's hidden hit Pokopia, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment drove the gaming side. Yet the company forecasts a 27.6% net income decline next year due to expanded human capital investment.
MAGES. has officially announced no streaming or let's plays will be permitted for STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT, launching August 20, 2026. Console share features are restricted to private use only. What Western streamers and visual novel fans need to know — including the 2023 case where Japan's first arrest over a game stream was for a Steins;Gate game.
EVO Japan 2026 drew a record 34,000 attendees, with Street Fighter 6 setting a Guinness World Record at 7,168 entrants and ZETA DIVISION's Yamaguchi becoming the first Japanese SF6 champion. Full international FGC report including MenaRD's Kemonomichi context, the Hokuto no Ken sidebracket pulling 10K viewers, and what r/FGC was actually saying.
Konami Group reports record-breaking FY2026 results—revenue ¥493.6B, net income ¥100B, third consecutive year of record highs—and unveils a stacked 2026 lineup: Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, Silent Hill Townfall, Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2, Suikoden revival, and aggressive Switch 2 deployment.
Nintendo sold 19.86 million Switch 2 units in about ten months, the fastest start of any hardware it has made. On the same day, it announced a 10,000 yen price hike for Japan effective May 25, plus $50 increases in the US and Canada from September 1. Japan's 20% jump beats the 11% in the US and lands nearly four months sooner. Why Japan went first and hardest: AI-driven memory prices, a weak yen, and an arbitrage gap that made the domestic model a reseller target.
