Established 75 years ago and renowned for its films and TV dramas, Toei officially launched its game business brand “Toei Games” this April, announcing its entry into the gaming industry. Now this new brand is about to hold its first major public event—Toei Games will make its debut appearance at “TOKYO GAME SHOW 2026,” held from September 17 to 21, 2026, at Makuhari Messe, showcasing three new titles developed in collaboration with independent creators and game studios both in Japan and overseas.
This year’s Tokyo Game Show coincides with its 30th anniversary, and for the first time the exhibition period has been extended to five days, making it larger than ever. According to data released by the organizers, TGS 2026 features 759 exhibitors (484 from Japan and 275 from overseas), with a total of 3,946 booths. At an event of this scale, Toei Games chose to make its debut as a brand-new entity, and all three titles it showcased were original IPs rather than adaptations of Toei’s existing film and television content, reflecting the veteran media company’s fresh strategic approach to the gaming industry.
Toei Games: A New Cross-Industry Starting Point from Film and Television to Gaming
Toei Games was established in April 2026 as a new business brand under Toei Co., Ltd. According to Toei President Fumio Yoshimura, the games business is clearly positioned as a “new pillar” following film, television, and events. Toei’s mid-to-long-term vision, “Toei New Wave 2033,” aims to bring the “stories” created by Toei to the global market, and games are the core vehicle for realizing this vision.
Unlike the common approach of film and TV companies branching into games, Toei Games emphasizes that it will not directly reuse Toei’s existing IP, but instead create entirely new intellectual property from scratch. Initial titles will be mainly for PC (Steam), with future plans to expand to console platforms such as PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. For Toei Games’ brand logo, the company specially invited Kairosoft to design it; Kairosoft even produced a pixel-animated version of Toei’s classic opening “Aranami no Iso”, reinterpreting the veteran film company’s opening logo in a game style.
TGS Exhibit Lineup: 3 All-New Original Games
Toei Games’ booth at TGS 2026 will be designed around the themes of each game’s world, allowing attendees to immerse themselves more deeply in the game atmosphere. Below are detailed introductions to the three titles on display.
HINO: A Dark World Drawn in Ballpoint Pen
An adaptation of a world setting drawn by artist Yatara in ballpoint pen. The story follows a girl named HINO who awakens in an abandoned kindergarten in a world ruled by darkness, and regains her vitality after obtaining an “electric ball staff.” Together with her peculiar companion, the “Moni Moni Skeleton,” who craves canned café au lait, she sets out on a journey to find a place to rest in peace. As they traverse a world overrun with monsters, the two gradually draw closer to the truth of their own identities. An “alternate story” not found in the original will unveil a shocking revelation. Developed by UnGloomStudio, the game is planned for PC (Steam), with a release date yet to be announced.
KILLA: A Mystery Adventure in a Puppet-Theater World
“Kill LA.” — These were the only dying words left by her master. Having lost her orphanage to the flames of war and wandered the wilderness alone, the solitary girl Valhalla had once been granted the light of “life” by her master, and the bond between them transcended family. After her master was brutally murdered, Valhalla was led to a mysterious island to attend a “tea party” that could grant any wish. Gathered there were nine suspects whose names contained “LA.” Players must use the “resonance” ability to dive into the suspects’ memories and piece together dream fragments to weave the truth. Developed by Taiwanese game studio Black Tangerine, this is a dark fantasy mystery adventure game presented in a puppet-theater style. Release date TBD.
“DEBUG: Nephemi”: A Debugging Journey Operating 4 Screens
This world is eroded by anomalous phenomena known as “Bug,” and the beings inhabiting it are called Nephimi. A destined mission, lost memories, and precious friends—players will set off on a journey to “Debug (debugging)” the world on the brink of destruction alongside Nephimi, accompanied by a multi-tasking battle system that operates across 4 screens. This game is being developed by Nephemee Studio, with release date yet to be determined.
Booth activities and TGS forum speech
In addition to special trial versions of three games, Toei Games will also set up a specially made crane game at its booth. Lucky visitors who win can take home an original mug exclusive to TOKYO GAME SHOW 2026. Quantities are limited and will be given out daily until supplies last. Meanwhile, the people in charge of each title will also do their best to be present to interact face-to-face with players and answer related questions.
During TGS business days, the head of Toei Games will also speak at the TGS Forum, with the theme “Challenges from Across Industries: Sanrio, PARCO, and Toei on the Goals of Game Publishing,” sharing the stage with the heads of Sanrio Games and PARCO GAMES. The session is scheduled from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM on September 17 at the International Conference Hall of Makuhari Messe. Bringing together three companies from different industries—Sanrio, PARCO, and Toei—this talk will explore strategies and goals for expanding into game publishing. For industry professionals tracking crossovers from film/TV and retail into gaming, it is a forum worth watching during TGS.
Steam demo released simultaneously
In conjunction with the TGS exhibition, Toei Games also announced that the latest demos for 3 titles will be released on platforms such as Steam. However, the release timing for each title differs:
- DEBUG: Nephilim:September 10, 2026 (Thu)
- 《HINO》:September 17, 2026 (Thursday)
- 《KILLA》: Available only at the TGS venue.
In other words, players who can’t make it to TGS can at least play the latest demos of “DEBUG: 涅菲米” and “HINO” on Steam. As for “KILLA”, it’s currently only planned for an exclusive showcase at the venue, so anyone interested in this mystery adventure game should catch it at TGS.
Source: KOCPC Chinese