The Digimon franchise shows no signs of slowing down on the gaming front. In a recent 4Gamer interview, Digimon Story: Time Stranger producer Ryosuke Hara and director Yusuke Tomono expressed optimism about the future and coming out with more titles, they also highlighted Bandai Namco's commitment to collaborative development with Toei Animation and other partners.
Digimon Story: Time Stranger, released in late 2025 after eight years of development, has been a critical and fan darling. The RPG casts players as a covert operative thrust into a Digital World civil war, boasting deep storytelling, strategic battles, and over 40 hours of main content (60-80 for completionists). It holds a 94% positive rating on Steam and a perfect 100% on OpenCritic, outperforming Pokémon Legends: Z-A in reception which is a rare feat against the monster-collecting giant.
Hara highlighted Bandai Namco's focus on sustained partnerships: "We plan to continue producing games collaboratively." While acknowledging areas for improvement in Time Stranger, he noted the team's expanding scale and streamlined systems, suggesting shorter gaps between future releases. Tomono added nuance on direction in the interview, emphasizing the recent games' ties to anime lore to engage adult longtime fans while aiming to attract newcomers unfamiliar with the franchise's 10 series and 20 films. This dual approach could help to broaden appeal for players beyond nostalgia.
The Digimon gaming library spans nearly 60 titles since the late '90s, from RPGs like the seven-entry Digimon Story series (kicked off in 2006, with Cyber Sleuth a 2015 standout) and Digimon World (latest in 2017) to fighters like Rumble Arena. Time Stranger's success reinforces RPGs as the core pillar, though variety remains possible.
Originating from virtual pets in 1997, Digimon has endured through anime waves and gaming highs/lows. The recent resurgence fueled by Time Stranger, ongoing anime like Digimon Beatbreak on Crunchyroll, and merchandise helps to position it strongly against Pokémon. Bandai Namco's collaborative stance signals sustained investment, likely prioritizing Story-style narratives with a modern polish.
No announcements have came just yet, but fans can replay classics or dive into Time Stranger while awaiting news. With the franchise's 30th anniversary looming, momentum favors exciting developments ahead.
Digimon Beatbreak Synopsis: Tomoro Tenma lives in a world where human thoughts and emotions known as “e-Pulse” power AI devices called Sapotama. But when Digimon begin materializing from Sapotama and feeding on e-Pulse, society begins to fracture. After Gekkomon appears from his device, Tomoro joins Glowing Dawn, a secret team investigating rogue Digimon and the dark truth of a system both fueled and corrupted by emotion.