Toei Company, the Japanese entertainment giant behind Dragon Ball, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Digimon, Kamen Rider, and Super Sentai, officially launched its own in-house game publishing brand this April 21: Toei Games. The brand’s first title will be announced this Friday, April 24, and games will launch primarily on PC via Steam in 2026, with plans to expand to PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch in the future.
The announcement comes as part of Toei’s broader long-term strategy called “TOEI NEW WAVE 2033,” which aims to deliver Toei’s stories to audiences around the world. President and CEO Fumio Yoshimura stated that the company intends to firmly establish gaming as a “new pillar” of the business, alongside its core sectors of film, TV, and events.
“Games are an extremely global form of entertainment that continues to spread beyond language and national borders,” Yoshimura said in the press release. For a company that has been shaping pop culture for almost 80 years, Toei was officially established on October 1, 1949, this is a significant new direction.
Original IPs only, No Dragon Ball, No One Piece, at least not yet
Here’s the detail that’s going to surprise a lot of fans: Toei Games will not be developing titles based on the company’s existing franchises. No One Piece game, no Dragon Ball title, no Kamen Rider action game, at least not to start. Instead, the initial lineup will consist entirely of brand-new intellectual properties created by talented developers from Japan and abroad.
Yoshimura was clear about the intent: “Toei Games aims to create entirely new IPs from scratch, rather than simply utilizing existing IPs. We will leverage the technology and expertise we have cultivated through video production into our new game business, delivering Toei’s unique entertainment experience to players around the world.”
It’s a bold call. Toei is sitting on some of the most valuable entertainment IP in history, and they’re choosing to build something completely new. But it makes sense strategically, entering gaming with a Dragon Ball or One Piece title means immediately competing with decades of established games in those franchises, and meeting expectations that are nearly impossible to satisfy. Going in with fresh, original IPs gives Toei full creative control and zero baggage.
Industry analyst Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Japanese games consultancy Kantan Games, offered context on why major Japanese media companies are making this move right now: “One major driver is the belief that the IPs that Toei, Sanrio, and Shueisha are sitting on are more popular abroad than ever and that these IPs can be further monetized via gaming. This is also actively supported by the Japanese government.”
Toei isn’t the only Japanese entertainment giant making moves into gaming either. Toho, the studio behind Godzilla, recently announced it would also be strengthening its game business, with both console and mobile titles planned. There’s clearly a larger trend at play here.
Kairosoft designed the logo, and that detail matters
Even the branding choice behind Toei Games is worth paying attention to. The logo was designed by Kairosoft, the Japanese studio behind the beloved Game Dev Story series, who also created a pixel animation version of the iconic “Waves on the Rough Shore” opening sequence that has appeared before Toei films for decades. It’s a smart collaboration: pixel art, a nod to gaming culture, and a reimagining of one of the most recognizable studio intros in Japanese cinema history.
The Kairosoft connection has already sparked speculation online. Since the logo designer was revealed to be a game studio and not a design agency, some outlets have suggested a Kairosoft title may be part of the first announcement on April 24. Nothing has been confirmed, but it wouldn’t be a surprising way to launch, a charming, pixel-style simulation game published under the new Toei Games banner would fit the brand’s aesthetic perfectly.
What we do know for certain is that the first Toei Games title will be revealed this Friday. The company’s official website and social media accounts went live today, though details remain scarce ahead of the announcement. Whatever the game turns out to be, this Friday is shaping up to be one of the more interesting gaming news days in a while.
What this means for the gaming industry
Toei entering gaming as a publisher is not a small event. This is a company with almost 80 years of storytelling history, a catalog that spans some of the most iconic anime, tokusatsu, and film franchises ever made, and a CEO who has publicly committed hundreds of millions of dollars to expanding Toei’s global presence. Gaming is now officially part of that plan.
The strategy of starting on PC via Steam before moving to consoles is a practical one, it’s lower risk, allows for faster iteration, and lets Toei build a gaming identity before committing to the larger investments console publishing requires. It’s the same approach many modern publishers have taken, and it makes sense for a company entering a new space.
Whether Toei Games eventually taps into its existing IPs after establishing the brand remains to be seen. Fans are already asking for a proper Sailor Moon game, a new take on Digimon, or a definitive One Piece RPG. For now, those will have to wait. But with the resources, the legacy, and the ambition Toei is bringing to this venture, it’s hard not to be genuinely excited about what comes next.
Friday can’t come soon enough.
Are you excited about Toei jumping into gaming, or were you hoping they’d start with Dragon Ball or One Piece? Tell us in the comments!