While the world watches Inoue vs Nakatani and Daigo vs MenaRD, Japan's Golden Week 2026 packs 8 more events into the same eight days—including a single Saturday (May 2) where Tokyo Dome, Ryogoku Kokugikan, and Tokyo Big Sight all run major events at once. From EVO Japan to centuries-old folk festivals, here's what else is happening.
Blaze Entertainment has confirmed that Evercade's NEOGEO support will continue into 2027, sharpening the contrast with PLAION's faithful-recreation NEOGEO AES+. With six games per cartridge at roughly $5 per title versus AES+ cartridges at $89.99 each, the two officially-licensed approaches to SNK's legendary console couldn't be more different — and Japanese media is calling it the 'Reiwa NEOGEO War.'
Toei, the studio behind Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon, just announced the first 3 games from its new publishing label Toei Games: KILLA, HINO, and DEBUG NEPHEMEE. All are original indie titles, not legacy IP. Here's a deep dive into why Japan's film giants are betting on fresh creators.
PS5 exclusive SAROS launches April 30. In a Japan-exclusive Game*Spark interview, Housemarque's Gregory Louden (Creative Director) and Matti Häkli (Associate Design Director) discuss their 'gameplay first' philosophy, how DualSense haptics convey the weight of the eclipse, and why they designed protagonist Arjun Devraj as a flawed, imperfect human, not a hero.
SEGA launched SEGA UNIVERSE on April 24, 2026, a new project dedicated to reviving its legacy IPs. SEGA's official "2026 Selected" names nine anniversary titles; this piece focuses on OutRun (40th), Streets of Rage (35th), NiGHTS into dreams... (30th), and Sakura Wars (30th). Concept: NO OLD, STAY GOLD.
On April 25, 1986, a forgotten debug shortcut hidden inside NES Gradius quietly became the most famous cheat code in video game history. Forty years later, Konami is celebrating the Konami Code with a special site, 98 remastered tracks across 6 retro titles, commemorative T-shirts, and crossover manga. Here's how Kazuhisa Hashimoto's accidental legacy went from Contra's 30-lives lifeline to a global pop-culture touchstone referenced by Wreck-It Ralph, Family Guy, Facebook, and Juice WRLD.
ZETA DIVISION's longtime VALORANT analyst gya9 gives his first major interview to eSports World, revealing how a LINE data scientist took an esports side gig that grew into a 5.5-year career behind Japan's historic Reykjavík 2022 bronze run. A deep look at the invisible role that powers competitive VALORANT, written for international fans who only see the players.
Ahead of the April 24 Japan release, Shigeru Miyamoto made a surprise appearance at the Super Mario Galaxy Movie Japanese premiere. With $700M global box office and three straight weeks at #1 in North America, Miyamoto joined Mamoru Miyano and the Japanese dub cast on stage. Plus: the long-running fan joke that Nintendo bans Miyamoto from discussing his hobbies because they become the next game.
FromSoftware and Hidetaka Miyazaki's action RPG Elden Ring is getting a live-action movie on March 3, 2028. Alex Garland (Civil War, Ex Machina) directs for A24 (Midsommar, Everything Everywhere All at Once), with Kit Connor, Ben Whishaw, and Cailee Spaeny headlining a star-studded cast. Reportedly A24's most expensive production at $100M+, filmed for IMAX.
Sanrio pivots from licensing to in-house publishing with a new brand, Sanrio Games. First title Sanrio Party Land drops worldwide on Switch in fall 2026, with roughly 10 games planned by 2029. How it connects to the global cozy game boom.
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.