Game Freak's first AAA title outside of Pokémon, 'Beast of Reincarnation,' launches August 4 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Set in post-apocalyptic Japan of AD 4026, this 'one person, one dog' action RPG fuses real-time combat with command-based strategy. Day-one Xbox Game Pass. Inside the hype from r/JRPG, ResetEra, and Japan.
Hideaki Sorachi, creator of Gintama, returned to Weekly Shonen Jump on April 20, 2026 after a 7-year hiatus with Class 2-B Hero Destroyerz. The 66-page opening color chapter has split Japanese fans, while overseas readers on MANGA Plus and Viz have responded more warmly. Will Jump protect its only gag manga, or is it already on the cancellation track?
Capcom's brand-new IP Pragmata has crossed 1 million worldwide sales in just 2 days since launch. With Steam peak concurrent players hitting 68,000, it matches heavyweights like Resident Evil 2 Remake and Street Fighter 6 in Capcom's Steam portfolio. Reddit's r/gaming and ResetEra are celebrating, here's how overseas gamers and the Japanese market are reacting to this rare new-IP success.
Japanese R&B and soul singer-songwriter Furui Riho, whose voice is rooted in gospel, will hold her Billboard Live Tour 'The Garden' across Tokyo, Osaka, and Taipei in September 2026. The Taipei show marks her first-ever solo overseas concert. Here's the full schedule, venue access, and how international fans can buy tickets through her official fan club DAYSY.
Bandai Namco has revealed Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 for a 2027 release. The long-awaited sequel takes players to AGE 1000, a future Dragon Ball world featuring original characters designed by the late Akira Toriyama himself. Coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.
Japan's esports association sends its strongest lineup to the Esports Championships Asia 2026 in Jinju, South Korea (April 24–26). Capcom Cup 12 finalist Higuchi, Tekken legend NOBI, and KOF veteran SCORE will compete in a 3-game fighting team format, a dress rehearsal for the historic Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September.
Capcom's new IP Pragmata launched April 17 with 56,905 peak Steam players, 96% Overwhelmingly Positive reviews, and Metacritic 86. We compare how Japanese and international gamers reacted, where they agree, where Japan's response is uniquely its own, and where Western critics diverged.
SNK has officially launched the Metal Slug 30th Anniversary Project, confirming a new game in development alongside a retrospective video that ends with the cryptic words 'Mission Reboot' and three vehicles silhouetted on a sand dune. We unpack what this return means for the beloved run-and-gun series, its arcade legacy, its global fanbase from Italy to Latin America, and the Reddit reactions already pouring in 18 years after Metal Slug 7.
French indie studio Sandfall Interactive's 30-person team just made history. Their debut title, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, became the second game ever to sweep all five major GOTY awards. Born from reverence for Japanese RPGs, this masterpiece forces a painful question for Japan's game industry: why couldn't we make this?
SNK and PLAION REPLAI have surprise-announced the NEOGEO AES+, a modern revival of the legendary 1990 home arcade console. Launching November 12, 2026 at 249.99 USD, the system uses ASIC chips rather than emulation and offers full backward compatibility with original NEOGEO AES cartridges. Ten classic titles launch alongside it, including Metal Slug, KOF 2002, and Garou: Mark of the Wolves.
Tokyo District Court sentenced a website operator to 18 months suspended prison plus 1 million yen fine for posting spoiler articles about Godzilla Minus One. We examine the landmark ruling that text alone can constitute film adaptation, Japan's key copyright precedents including the Esashi Oiwake case and Fast Movie lawsuits, and Japan's overall stance on creator protection.
