Tokyo, Japan – 6th March, 2025 – Kakehashi Games and Don Yasa Crew are excited to announce that Japanese hip hop biopunk action title, SONOKUNI, is coming to Nintendo Switch.
SONOKUNI will arrive on Nintendo Switch soon after the previously announced PC (Steam) version, and a demo is playable this weekend at the Tokyo Indie Games Summit.
Winner of VGC’s Game Of The Show’ award at Bitsummit 2024, as well as that show’s ‘Excellence In Sound Design’ award, SONOKUNI is a Japanese hip hop-infused biopunk action game developed by the musical collective Don Yasa Crew.
In SONOKUNI, players take on the role of Takeru, a lone assassin tasked with raiding a surreal superpower empowered by biotechnology. Join in her struggle to balance the morality of extreme violence against the defence of her own people, in a story inspired by real-life Japanese mythology (with every moment punctuated with a visceral soundtrack from Japanese developer and hip hop group, Don Yasa Crew).
About Don Yasa Crew
Don Yasa Crew is a 7-person Japanese hip hop group who in 2020 – during the height of Covid pandemic lockdown in Japan – decided to make a game. With live performances impossible, their aim was to convey their particular have-not-hip-hop style through Sonokuni – a world and story infused with raw energetic music and a fresh biopunk take on Japanese mythology.
About Kakehashi Games
Founded in Tokyo in 2013, Kakehashi Games is a boutique publishing team that strives to build bridges between East and West. Over the last decade they have helped release over 300 of the most acclaimed indie titles in Japan, including Hollow Knight, Sea of Stars, Dead Cells, Eastward, and more. As of 2023, Kakehashi Games has become a worldwide publisher as well, with a focus on bringing the best indie games from Asia to the rest of the world. Check their website for more information.
Enhanced version of iconic 80s action adventure out now on Steam
London, U.K. – March 6th, 2025 – SpecNext is pleased to announce that its enhanced version of iconic 80s classic, Head Over Heels: Deluxe is available now on PC via Steam with a 25% launch discount. The game will be coming to Nintendo Switch later this year. Originally released on the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC in 1987 and renowned as one of the era’s most iconic titles, Head Over Heels was given a new lease of life by SpecNext with an enhanced remake created for the ZX Spectrum Next in 2024, winning rave reviews from the likes of Crash (94%) and Retro Gamer (90%). With this enhanced version debuting now on PC and, later, on Switch, SpecNext is making the game accessible to the millions of players that played it across various systems in the 80s.
Join the eccentric duo of Headus Mouthion (Head) and Footus Underium (Heels) – two halves of a whole who have been separated and imprisoned by the tyrannical Emperor. Each character possesses unique abilities to master and combine: Head’s remarkable jumping prowess and handy headshots pave the way over daunting obstacles, while Heels’ speed, carrying power, and snappy waddle keep the team nimble and resourceful. Reunite them to unlock even more powerful moves as you traverse fantastical worlds full of bizarre enemies, smart puzzles and secret passages waiting to be uncovered.
This faithful (and fresh!) remake elevates everything fans love about the original classic. Soak in beautifully updated isometric levels, re-engineered controls that feel snappy and precise, and a brand-new soundtrack that perfectly captures the whimsical — and sometimes devious – nature of the puzzle realms. For retro purists, optional “classic mode” graphics and sound settings are on hand to recreate that authentic 8-bit nostalgia, while newcomers will appreciate upgrades such as improved save systems, helpful hints, and quality-of-life updates that never compromise the game’s classic challenge.
“Head Over Heels is one of the most loved and awarded games from the 80s, and its fiendish gameplay still holds true today,” said Henrique Olifiers, Director at SpecNext. “If you are looking for a game challenge with soul, this is the game for you.”
Key Features
Over 500 majestic locations
Multiple save points (trust us, you’ll need them)
Wonderful music throughout by Space Fractal
Chickens! (Yes, these weren’t in the original… Blame Mike ‘Flash’ Ware for them)
A complete new area (because more is better)
New enemies and objects (there’s a new area after all)
SpecNext was born as a project to keep the ZX Spectrum alive, realised through the creation and release of the ZX Spectrum Next computer. The studio also backed remakes of classic ZX Spectrum games for the Spectrum Next, which it is now bringing to modern platforms such as PC Steam and Nintendo Switch.
A young woman on holiday in Rome finds herself caught in a web of danger, intrigue and romance
Torrance, Calif. — March 6, 2025 — Embark on a thrilling adventure in Despera Drops, the highly anticipated romantic visual novel available now for Nintendo Switch™. Mika Amamine is wrongly accused of murder and needs to evade both the police and a group of mysterious assailants along with six other fugitives.
A special edition of the game featuring the full Despera Drops OST on two CDs is available only through the Aksys Online Store. Additionally, fans who purchase Despera Drops from the Aksys Online Store will receive an exclusive set of 7 character cards.
Mika Amamine, studying abroad at a university in Bologna, Italy in the summer of 2028, visits Rome for a short trip with a friend to celebrate the end of exams. However, during that trip, she encounters a murder incident and is subsequently arrested as a suspect. While being transported in a police vehicle, it suddenly overturns in an accident, freeing Mika along with six other criminals and they all become fugitives. Mysterious attackers appear, targeting the unique powers that Mika possesses, and the group finds themselves pursued by both the police and yet another nefarious party. The secret behind Mika’s powers, the identity of the attackers, and the truth behind the murder incident that started it all… Can they unravel these mysteries and reclaim a normal life?
Despera Drops has been rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB. For more information, please visit www.aksysgames.com/desperadrops/. To stay up to date on all the news, follow Aksys Games on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at @AksysGames, and join our Thursday livestreams on Twitch at AksysGames, with stream highlights and trailers on our YouTube channel.
About Aksys Games
Aksys Games Localization, Inc. is a Metacritic Top Ten video game publisher committed to publishing unique and high-quality interactive content for all current-generation platforms since 2006. The company was a pioneer in localizing otome games for Western audiences, including the award-winning Code: Realize and Collar X Malice series. Its lineup of games features the wildly successful BlazBlue, Under Night In-Birth, and Guilty Gear franchises, Little Dragons Café, and the award-winning Spirit Hunter: Death Mark and Spirit Hunter: NG adventures. Aksys Games and its unique products can be found on the company’s website, www.aksysgames.com.
First Content Update Introduces Skadi – Mistress of Ice and Precision
Košice, Slovak Republic – 6th March 2025 – Grindstone and Games Farm today launched a content update for Jötunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, introducing the harsh realm of Jötunheim and frost goddess Skadi. The update is now available on Steam and Epic Games Store, with a limited time discount.
Jötunnslayers can now venture into Jötunheim, a primordial tundra landscape dominated by towering basalt columns and magical bridges connecting treacherous plateaus. This hostile realm challenges players with environmental hazards including fierce winds and storms, while facing both ancient giant civilisations and swarms of colossal insects. New challenges await with venomous elementals, insect invasions, and enhanced Nithstangs, alongside a unique storm-focused Curse system.
The update welcomes Skadi, Goddess of winter and mountains, introducing the new Seal gameplay mechanic that lets players lock preferred skills during level-ups. Her frost-focused abilities and enhanced Banish and Reroll capabilities add new strategic depth to the game.
“This content update represents our commitment to both expanding Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel and implementing community feedback during Early Access,” said Matej Hudak, Publishing Director at Grindstone. “This addition significantly increases the value and paves the way for future content updates, including new maps, gods, characters, weapons, and an endless mode arriving in time for the 1.0 launch.”
This update also delivers a number of improvements:
UI improvements across Skill Shop, Trophy Room and Reroll systems
Expanded language support
5 new trophies to collect
Various performance improvements and hotfixes
The Grindstone and Games Farm team will be attending GDC, and are available for media interviews upon request.
About Games Farm
Games Farm is an independent game development studio with a team of more than 50 people, headquartered in Kosice, Slovakia. It specialises in developing premium cross-platform titles for PC and consoles with a portfolio of over 20 titles released to date. From a small unknown studio, Games Farm has evolved into a globally recognised RPG developer with renowned brands like the Heretic Kingdoms franchise and an ever-increasing roster of quality titles.
About Grindstone
Grindstone is a videogame production and publishing company with a strong background in game development based in Slovakia. It was founded in 2017 as a spin-off from the well-established Slovakian development studio Games Farm to create new opportunities and support game developers in delivering creatively and commercially viable games that can compete on global markets.
The boat game, entirely developed on a boat, is finally getting ready to leave its port soon.
6 MARCH 2025 – Lente, the developer who lives on a boat herself, is excited to announce that Spilled!, her wholesome clean-up game, is releasing on Steam on March 26th, for just $6.99 (regional prices may vary).
Spilled! is a short, relaxing and satisfying cozy game in which you clean up oil spills with a boat. Recycle, earn coins, upgrade your boat, repeat! Explore and clean up new areas with more waste and new challenges!
Lente began developing Spilled! at the end of 2022, after leaving school to pursue her dream of living on a small boat, and continuing the maritime lifestyle she grew up with. Although progress was slow initially, the game began to gain traction. In early 2024, Lente’s Kickstarter campaign was a huge success, raising 31,600 euros—316% of her original 10,000 euro goal.
The tiny cozy indiegame is now ready to achieve some big goals and already amassed over 65.000 wishlists, thanks to a positively received demo
Spilled! will also be featured in the Women-Led Games showcase shortly after this press release, so look forward to celebrating many other impactful women in the games industry soon! + There is also a Women’s Day Sale on Steam!
About Spilled!
Spilled! is a short, relaxing and satisfying cozy game in which you clean up oil spills with a boat. Recycle, earn coins, upgrade your boat, repeat! Explore and clean up new areas with more waste and new challenges!
Key Features
Short but satisfying – Move through 8 areas, each bigger in size and with more waste. No rush, take as long as you want. Spilled! is a short yet cozy game that you can finish in 1 hour, but you can use the level select to go back to any area if you just want to relax!
Recycle & earn coins – Clean up a whole area to move on to the next! The water gets clearer the more you recycle, revealing underwater life that is different for each area!
Upgrade your boat – Prepare for the next area: tackle bigger oil spills with a bigger collector, hold more oil with an upgraded tank and cover larger distances with upgraded speed!
Find & rescue animals – Each area has 2 different animals to find and rescue, for a total of 16! See which ones you’ve already saved in the options menu. Or which ones you’ve missed!
Face new challenges – Each area has a new challenge to overcome! Push plastic to the recycling centre, wash oil from the cliffside, help retrieve lost items to other boats, put out wildfires or go magnet fishing
Explore new biomes – While cleaning up the environment, you move through 4 biomes: grass, rock, sand and snow!
For Lente’s developer and boat life story, follow her on Twitter/X!
About Lente
Lente is a solo gamedev from the Netherlands who lives and develops her games on a boat. She grew up on a ship and that has always stayed with her. She and her mother renovated the boat, making it one of the most original game studio locations! She’s currently working on Spilled!, her first commercial game.
Cozy base builder Time to Morp’s 1.0 release adds fishing, farming, and more.
Bristol, United Kingdom — March 6, 2025 | Indie studio Team HalfBeard officially releases their cozy base-building game Time to Morp after a successful Early Access period and 82% positive reviews on Steam. From fishing to new quest lines, all polished off with a dazzling new look, version 1.0 of Time to Morp is the perfect game to escape into and leave the world’s stresses behind.
Players will embark on a fully-realised journey as an intern in this brightly-coloured world, befriending the different characters in their crew and uncovering the secrets of an unknown planet. They’ll work to uncover the source of an SOS signal that brought them there in the first place, helping adorable creatures in need known as Morps along the way.
This delightful cross between Satisfactory and Slime Rancher brings an extra dose of multiplayer mayhem, giving players the freedom to care for Morps solo or curate a whole city with up to three friends. Unlike other titles in this genre, Time to Morp is designed with co-op in mind, because when dealing with these mischievous Morps eight hands are sometimes better than two.
Team HalfBeard has already demonstrated their commitment to expanding Time to Morp during the game’s Early Access period by delivering major updates like “Double the Fun” — which introduced a variety of in-game toys and new ways to interact with creatures. As part of version 1.0, players can expect heaps of recipes to craft, quests to fulfil and characters to meet.
The full release brings with it exciting new world events, the ability to go fishing, additional cooking recipes, and over 100 new decor items to customize cities and homes. And that’s not all — the developers have even more updates planned to continue expanding the game’s content after release. In a recent blog post published on the game’s page, a detailed roadmap outlines future updates and exciting new features coming to Time to Morp in the months ahead.
Team Halfbeard, known for their previous project Dude, Stop, was inspired by their combined love for both automation games and the cozy genre, adding a co-op experience to create a unique and relaxing adventure. Having partnered with Bristol-based publisher Yogscast Games, the Latvian developers have been excitedly working on the full release of Time to Morp for some time, stating:
“The support and feedback we’ve received during Early Access have been invaluable in shaping the game. We are truly grateful to every player who provided feedback and reported any issues they encountered in Time to Morp. A big thank you to all the playtesters as well, whose input helped us to identify and address key game design problems. We can’t wait to bring even more content in the future — the journey ahead looks bright!”
Time to Morp is now available on Steam with a 30% launch discount. To keep up with the latest updatesmorp-dates, you can check out their Steam news hub or join the Discord server.
About Yogscast Games
Yogscast Games was established in 2017, with a simple goal: to work with small teams to develop and publish games which are as fun to watch as they are to play. Its most recent releases have included poker-powered deckbuilding game ‘Aces &Adventures’, the wickedly amoral ‘Trolley Problem, Inc.’ and the wildly successful restaurant management roguelike ‘PlateUp!’.
About Team HalfBeard
Team HalfBeard are young enthusiasts from Latvia who successfully created “Dude, Stop” and decided not to stop! We are growing and developing, and Time to Morp is our new beloved project we are passionate about.
When it comes to heartwarming and charming visual novels focused almost entirely around female romance, Studio Élan has become one of the go to western developers for fans of the genre. Ever since their first release back in 2016 with Highway Blossoms, the studio has regularly been releasing new stories for yuri fans throughout the years and now one of their latest titles, Please Be Happy, has arrived on Xbox. With a fair share of fantasy elements and two primary routes with four total endings, is Please Be Happy as comfy and enjoyable as the developers claim?
Story
An unknown time ago in Korea, a human stranger stopped in the woods and during his rest, found a wild fox living in the forest. Despite the fox’s wary nature, the man fed the animal and began a routine of returning to the forest everyday to feed the fox to the point that it would eventually wait in the open and play around with the stranger. Unfortunately, one day the stranger told the fox that he would be leaving soon and after that, the fox never saw the man again. That hasn’t stopped her from searching the world though, as not only has the fox transformed into a “Fabled,” the in-game world for fantasy creatures that walk among humans, but she has become a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox capable of transforming into a human herself.
The problem is, this fox girl has no basis for who she is or what she even wants and this is thanks to a mysterious power that accompanies her ability to shapeshift between human and fox, and that is that anyone who meets her forgets who sshe is the very next day. As such, the fox has spent decades traveling the world, stealing and scamming her way through life when she needs to spend time as a human or simply digging out a den and living as a fox, in a search that has blended into simply surviving and adventuring across the globe with the fox girl taking a new name every time she enters a new country. This time around, she has chosen the name Miho and has traveled to Wellington, New Zealand after hearing that it was a lovely place.
While Miho gets herself settled in, transforming to zip away from immigration, lockpicking to steal food, and slumbering in a dugout fox den in the local forest, she makes a few encounters along the way. The first seems innocent enough, a chance meeting at a library and later at a coffee shop with a human named Aspen that dreams of being an author, while the second has a stranger feeling to it as not only does this other girl, named Juliet, offer Miho a place to stay at that very library, but even doubles-down on that same offer after being robbed by none other than Miho herself. While these chance encounters are simple enough for a fox that has lived for perhaps over a century, what isn’t is the fact that both of them manage to remember her name the next day. This chance encounter with Juliet and Aspen begins Miho’s journey from searching for a long lost memory to instead finding out what it is to be human and perhaps love on the way.
Please Be Happy is something of an interesting romance visual novel in the way that while it does feature romance and two separate routes, one featuring the human Aspen and the vampire Juliet, that each have two endings of their own, this really isn’t a story about romance. True, there is romance and feelings that clearly develop between Miho and her chosen companion and a slew of differences between the two routes as the progress through the second half of the visual novel, the actual core aspect of the story feels like it is more about making Miho a member of society, someone that can function beyond simply living on the edges of people’s minds.
Perhaps this is because this visual novel is written in a manner meant to be more slice-of-life and comfy rather than anything else, but it is clear that there is a certain level of optimism and sincerity through even the most simple of interactions between characters that the writers knew what they were doing here. This makes not only the slice of life parts work, but the romantic moments as well, nevermind how impactful they happen to be on the more poignant scenes that crop up here and there. These are Fabled creatures living amongst humans after all, and with a potential vampire love interest, the signs of potential tragedy are all there. This level of depth even appears in some of the side-characters’ storylines as well. Outside of interacting with Aspen and Juliet, Miho will also have time to spend with Tommy, a human that can see a particularly small plant-like Fabled that has taken a liking to him through his parents’ divorce, an energetic Swan-hybrid named Lena that is trying to set herself apart from expectations, and the odd Mr. Kim feels like the simplest of the bunch.
That being said, while it is evident from the getgo the overall tone for Please Be Happy was meant to be more cozy with elements of fantasy mixed in, it would have been nice to see some more tension and stakes raised from time to time. The few issues that do arise are quickly resolved to the point that they are seemingly nonsensical problems in the first place, especially involving Miho’s unconscious ability to be forgotten, and while it is again only touched upon lightly, it would have been nice to see more elements of the Fabled and humans interacting with one another and what the actual history was there given more depth. While this is by no means a short visual novel, clocking in at around eleven hours depending on reading speed for a single route, some extra details here and there to build the world these characters are living in would have been nice.
Gameplay
Please Be Happy plays similar to what anyone who has experienced a visual novel should expect. There is an option to auto-play dialogue, skip previously read text, a backlog to re-read something, and even the ability to rewind scenes if needed. As mentioned, Please Be Happy is not a static visual novel as there is not only the choice that players make that set Miho down either Aspen or Juliet’s path but also choices that will determine what ending players will receive as well. It is also interesting to note that there are times that Miho is given free time to explore Wellington on her own and can select from various locations to visit. Some of these locations will be empty while others may have a character portrait with them that feature the aforementioned side characters Lena, Tommy, and Mr. Kim. It is worth noting that while players can try to focus on clearing a side-character’s storyline in one run, it is impossible to clear all three. That being said, given players have at least two routes to play through, this replayability is a plus.
There are various other aspects such as unlocking background music that players can listen to in the menu as well as CGs in the gallery as they progress, but it is worth noting that the UI can be a bit finicky, especially involving the “quick bar” that players can pull up during gameplay. Often, when pulled up even by accident, the only way to make the quick bar properly close was simply to select something, either quick save or auto being the best choices. One thing that is rather nice about Please Be Happy is also the way it isn’t afraid to change up its presentation from time to time, going from that of a more standard visual novel to novel-esque instead, usually reserving these for longer scene-setting pieces of exposition or describing an event in detail rather than skimping on smaller elements for the sake of brisk pacing.
Audio & Visual
Please Be Happy may be a visual novel at heart but it isn’t afraid to experiment with different presentation styles at times. Sure, characters and their sprites will occasionally simply sit on screen talking to one another with their character portraits shifting, but there are also many times that scenes are displayed with full blown CGs or altered angles to give players a better and more dynamic look at the interactions that are happening. It also helps that the seemingly hand-drawn soft looking artwork is absolutely gorgeous, whether it is the character artwork or even the backdrops, every visual element in the game shines thanks to how much effort Studio Élan has put into the game.
In some rather interesting fashion, all dialogue is voiced in English in Please Be Happy, including faceless NPCs that simply speak from the sidelines and are never given proper names. This level of dialogue is nice and the voice actresses for Miho, Juliet, and Aspen deserve a ton of praise for their efforts in showing the emotions these characters go through throughout the story. As for the soundtrack the title features a beautiful collection of background music that remains mostly calm and comfy throughout and features a couple of really catchy background tracks but isn’t afraid to put on some more dire sounding tunes during the rare dramatic moments throughout the story.
Overall
Please Be Happy may be a bit of a slow to grow romance visual novel that doesn’t quite explore as much of its plot and worldbuilding that it could have, Studio Élan’s latest efforts to try something different has worked out incredibly well. By tying together romance that is slow to develop while focusing more on solving the issues involving the main character herself, this slice-of-life style visual novel excels at making Miho and most of the rest of the cast highly entertaining and easy to fall in love with, though if we had to pick a favorite, we’d go with Juliet.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
The world’s greatest thief returns in a game developed right here in Queensland!
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – March 6, 2025 – Gameloft Brisbane and HarperCollins Productions are proud to announce that Carmen Sandiego is now available on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®5 (PS5®), PlayStation®4 (PS4®), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. Developed right here in Brisbane, this thrilling new adventure lets players take on the role of the scarlet super thief as she races across the globe to outsmart VILE.
Marking a major milestone for both Carmen Sandiego and Australia’s games development industry, this project was undertaken with support from Screen Queensland, reinforcing the state’s growing reputation as a hub for world-class game development. The game brings the legacy of Carmen Sandiego into the modern era while remaining true to its roots, blending the classic detective gameplay that fans know and love with new stealth mechanics and puzzles.
“Creating Carmen Sandiego at Gameloft Brisbane has been an incredible experience for our team. As longtime fans of the franchise, we’ve worked hard to craft a game that feels both nostalgic and fresh, bringing Carmen’s globe-trotting adventures to life like never before,” says Manea Castet, Studio Manager at Gameloft Brisbane. “It’s a proud moment for us to launch a game developed here in Queensland to a global audience.”
Queensland on the Map
While Carmen Sandiego spans iconic destinations worldwide, the game includes local nods to Australia, featuring Brisbane’s South Bank and the Great Barrier Reef among the many global locations players will visit on their adventure.
“Screen Queensland has proudly supported Gameloft Brisbane for many years now, and it’s fantastic to see them deliver such an iconic game,” says Screen Queensland CEO, Jacqui Feeney. “Not only does Carmen Sandiego place Queensland’s famous destinations directly on the map, but it also demonstrates the immense talent and creativity of our local game developers.”
A Special Deluxe Edition & Throwback Mode for Longtime Fans
For fans looking to dive deeper into Carmen’s world, Carmen Sandiego also features The ACME Files, an additional game mode presented in 2D pixel art as a loving homage to the classic Carmen Sandiego games of the past. In this mode, players must think quickly, travel the globe, and outsmart VILE before time runs out.
A special Deluxe Edition is also available, which includes:
Where in the World – an exclusive anniversary caper in The ACME Files that flips the script, placing players in pursuit of Carmen and her crew, just like in the 1985 classic.
Two digital cosmetic skins – Motorcycle Carmen and Classic Carmen.
A digital artbook featuring concept art and behind-the-scenes insights.
The full game soundtrack, accessible in-game.
Carmen Sandiego – Where to Play
Carmen Sandiego is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. A physical 40th Anniversary Edition will release on April 24, 2025, at retailers including EB Games, JB Hifi, and Amazon.
Carmen Sandiego is supported by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Digital Games Incentive.
About Gameloft
Leader in the development and publishing of games, Gameloft® has established itself as a pioneer in the industry, creating innovative gaming experiences for over 20 years. Gameloft creates games for all digital platforms, from mobile to cross-platform titles for PC and consoles. Gameloft operates its own established franchises such as Asphalt®, Dragon Mania Legends, Modern Combat and Dungeon Hunter and also partners with major rights holders including LEGO®, Universal, Illumination Entertainment, Hasbro®, Fox Digital Entertainment, Mattel®, Lamborghini®, and Ferrari®. Gameloft distributes its games in over 100 countries and employs 3,400 people worldwide.
About Screen Queensland
Screen Queensland is the state government-owned agency investing in locally made digital games, films and series. Support for the games sector includes the industry-leading 15 per cent Digital Games Incentive, Games Grants for local developers and start-up studios with project lifecycle funding of up to $300,000, and the first-of-its-kind Games Residency program to accelerate the careers of emerging developers over a 12-month period. Supported games include BAFTA-winning Unpacking, Capes, Cities: Skylines – Remastered, Go-Go Town!, Max Mustard, Momento, Mowing Mazes, My Little Pony: Mane Merge and Servonauts.
Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment will Bring the First Film of the Epic Trilogy to Cinemas in Australia on September 11,2025
Crunchyroll, the ultimate home for anime worldwide, announced today the North American and International theatrical dates for the highly anticipated Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle. The first film in the epic trilogy from famed animation studio ufotable will come exclusively to cinemas on September 11, 2025in Australia. The film will be available in both Japanese with English subtitles as well as dubbed in English.
International release dates include (with additional dates announced later):
August 14: Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan
August 15: Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam
August 20: Philippines
September 11: Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Caribbean (Jamaica, Aruba, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Curacao), Central America, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Netherlands, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland (Italian-speaking), Syria, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates
September 12: India, Mongolia, Spain, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Kenya, Latvia, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Romania, Southern Africa, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States
September 17: Belgium, France, French-speaking Africa, Luxembourg, Switzerland (French-speaking)
September 18: Moldova
September 25: Austria, Germany, Switzerland (German-speaking)
The story begins when Tanjiro Kamado, a boy whose family is killed by a demon, joins the Demon Slayer Corps to turn his younger sister Nezuko back into a human after she is transformed into a demon. The series has captivated audiences worldwide with its tragic tale of humans and demons, riveting sword fights, charming characters, and comical scenes.
The three-part cinematic movie represents the final arc and culmination of the hugely popular award-winning anime shonen series. The film will be distributed by Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide, excluding Japan and select Asian territories.
Film Synopsis:
Tanjiro Kamado – a boy who joined an organization dedicated to hunting down demons called the Demon Slayer Corps after his younger sister Nezuko was turned into a demon.
While growing stronger and deepening his friendships and bonds with fellow corps members, Tanjiro has battled many demons with his comrades – Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira. Along the way, his journey has led him to fight alongside the Demon Slayer Corps’ highest-ranking swordsmen, the Hashira, including Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku aboard the Mugen Train, Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui within the Entertainment District, as well as Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito and Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji at the Swordsmith Village.
As the Demon Slayer Corps members and Hashira engaged in a group strength training program, the Hashira Training, in preparation for the forthcoming battle against the demons, Muzan Kibutsuji appears at the Ubuyashiki Mansion. With the head of the Demon Corps in danger, Tanjiro and the Hashira rush to the headquarters but are plunged into a deep descent to a mysterious space by the hands of Muzan Kibutsuji.
The destination of where Tanjiro and Demon Slayer Corps have fallen is the demons’ stronghold – the Infinity Castle. And so, the battleground is set as the final battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and the demons ignites.
Credits: Original story by Koyoharu Gotoge (JUMP COMICS / SHUEISHA). Directed by Haruo Sotozaki. Screenplay and produced by ufotable.
About Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba:
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is based on the manga series by Koyoharu Gotoge, published in SHUEISHA’s WEEKLY JUMP from February 2016 to May 2020. The series has captivated audiences worldwide with its tragic tale of humans and demons, riveting sword fights, charming characters, and comical scenes. The manga consists of 23 volumes and has published over 150 million units.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba first premiered in April 2019 with the Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc, followed by the feature film Mugen Train in October 2020, and the TV series Mugen Train Arc and Entertainment District Arc from 2021 through 2022. In 2023, the Swordsmith Village Arc debuted on Crunchyroll, shortly after the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Swordsmith Village- theatrical release. In 2024, the Hashira Training Arc debuted, shortly after the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To Hashira Training- theatrical release. The animation production is by ufotable.
The latest films – Mugen Train, -To the Swordsmith Village-, and -To the Hashira Training- – have received both commercial and critical success. Mugen Train currently holds the record as the highest-grossing Japanese anime movie of all time and the highest-grossing Japanese film at the global box office, garnering over 500 million USD to date. It currently ranks as the second-highest grossing Japanese anime film in U.S. box office history. It also garnered a 98% critic score and 99% audience score (with 10,000+ verified ratings) on Rotten Tomatoes.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
About Aniplex Inc.
Aniplex Inc. (ANX) is a diversified entertainment company operating worldwide with focus on the planning and production of anime video and music content, its distribution in theaters and broadcast syndication as well as their respective physical and digital products, development of related game apps and merchandise such as figurines and apparel, stage production of musicals and live events, and operating the online store “Aniplex Online” which provides hand-picked items for sale.
About Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group.
Films distributed and marketed by Crunchyroll—domestically and internationally—have a proven track record of both box office and critical success. Crunchyroll’s theatrical team has been behind 10 of the Top 20 best-performing anime films in U.S. box office history, including Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Swordsmith Village-, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training-. Not only have Crunchyroll films seen box office success, but have also been recognized with numerous awards and accolades and been accepted and screened at international film festivals around the globe.
TOKYO — March 5, 2025 — Jelly Troops, the lightning-fast pick-up-and-play RTS for everyone developed by Nukenin Co., Ltd. and published by Phoenixx Inc and winner of Bandai Namco Studios’ 2nd GYAAR Studio Indie Game Contest), brings skirmishing slimes to the Nintendo Switch eShop in 2025. Go hands-on with the latest balance updates during this weekend’s playtest on PC via Steam beginning Thursday, March 6th at 5 PM PST.
Resource management? Nope. Complex species with hyper-specific unit matchups? Negative. Complicated maps with one-off advantages? *Un-check*. Outsmarting the enemy by concocting satisfyingly slimy strategies in highly-replayable, rock-paper-scissors style battles? Yes, yes, and yes. Jell yeah!
Jelly Troops whittles down complex RTS gameplay to its core elements. Outnumber, outwit, and outscore opponents by performing three basic tasks: grow a gelatinous army of slimes, redirect advancing enemies with clever wall placement, and capture flags to score.
Move quick and think fast: each match can end in a flash if not careful. Go all-in on brute force, railroad enemies into traveling long distances to reach the flag, and sneak through fog-of-war for clandestine capture. Win three matches to be crowned the victor.
Join the Discord and predict the Jelly Troops Japan Championship winner before Saturday, March 8th at 7:00 PM PST for the chance to win a Steam gift card with 500 points (JPN). Enjoy guest appearances during the tournament from Jelly Troops developer waken, eSports commentator Shohei Taguchi, voice actress Yuu Sasahara, and streaming group Indie Life Streamers.
“Jelly Troops’ development process continues on a firm foundation of community feedback,” said waken, solo developer at Nukenin Co., Ltd. “Previous playtests have informed development, and the next iteration is ready for another feedback gauntlet. Please try out the latest version on Steam. We also look forward to further testing with attendees at TOKYO INDIE GAMES SUMMIT!”
Jelly Troops is currently in development for PC via Steam. For more information, please follow the official Nukenin Co., Ltd. Twitter / X account, and follow Phoenixx on X / Twitter, and YouTube.
About Nukenin Co., Ltd.
Nukenin Co., Ltd. is a solo-developer studio based in Kyoto, Japan run by waken, who began their career as a programmer with Nintendo for 10 years. Nukenin specializes in creating both imaginative indie games such as Godzilla Voxel Wars and Cat Painter, as well as puzzle games, such as Solokus and Divide.
About Phoenixx
Established in 2019 by industry veterans, Phoenixx aims to support innovative and creative developers from Japan and around the world. Its mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one creator, one game, and one community at a time.
