Japan Report #7

Japan Report #7 brings a colorful mix of news from the Japanese industry. Konami has shown a new trailer for eBaseball: PRO SPIRIT 2026, Jaleco arcade classics are returning through two major collections, Astrolabe Games is taking on the publishing of the fast mecha action title OMEGA PHENEX COMMENCED PROJECT SIX, and Square Enix has confirmed the end of service for Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis. Additionally, Good Smile Company has showcased a new trailer for Mobile Police Patlabor the Case Files and opened the second round of pre-orders for the Special Edition.

eBaseball: PRO SPIRIT 2026 gets an official trailer

Konami has released the official trailer for eBaseball: PRO SPIRIT 2026, as well as a longer gameplay video dedicated to the 2026 World Baseball Classic mode. The showcased gameplay features former professional baseball players Yoshio Itoi and Kenshi Sugiya, which is a logical marketing move for a game targeting a more serious baseball audience, especially related to the Japanese scene.

eBaseball: PRO SPIRIT 2026 will be released on July 16, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. The game will be globally available digitally, while in Japan and Asia it will be released both physically and digitally. Interestingly, the Japanese and Asian versions will support the English language and include the 2026 World Baseball Classic mode, while the global version will not have it.

Jaleco Arcade Collection Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 coming this winter

Gravity Game Arise has announced that Jaleco Arcade Collection Vol. 1 and Jaleco Arcade Collection Vol. 2 will be released this winter for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. Each collection brings 16 arcade games developed by Jaleco during the 1980s and 1990s, meaning this is not just a small retro package, but a rather substantial archival release.

The collections will include modern options such as gameplay rewinding, saving progress in multiple slots, button customization, rapid-fire settings, and the choice between Japanese and overseas versions of certain games. Among the titles are 64th Street: A Detective Story, City Connection, P-47: The Freedom Fighter, Saint Dragon, Avenging Spirit, Earth Defense Force, Rod Land, Soldam, and other Jaleco classics. For fans of arcade heritage, this could be one of the more interesting winter retro packages.

OMEGA PHENEX COMMENCED PROJECT SIX gets a publisher

Astrolabe Games will publish OMEGA PHENEX COMMENCED PROJECT SIX, a fast 3D mecha action game developed by Surume Game Koubou. The game is planned for PC via Steam and an unnamed console, but the release date has not yet been announced. The project has been in development for eight years and uses Unreal Engine 5, which explains why it appears more ambitious than the average niche mecha title.

In the game, we take control of the mecha unit Icarus, designed for extremely fast combat above the sea and sky. The gameplay relies on high mobility, flight, projectiles, readable enemy attacks, and combat that aims to be fast but not necessarily inaccessible. There are plans for over 30 missions, various types of tasks, Arena Mode, and extensive customization of the appearance and performance of the mecha unit. An Open Beta Test is already available on Steam, supporting English, Japanese, simplified Chinese, and traditional Chinese languages.

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is shutting down on October 7, 2026.

Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis will cease operations on October 7, 2026, at 15:00 Japan time, or October 6, 2026, at 23:00 Pacific time. The sale of the paid currency Red Crystals ended immediately after the announcement, while the existing currency can be used until the game shuts down.

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis originally launched on September 7, 2023, for iOS and Android, and the PC version via Steam arrived in December of the same year. The game was designed as a free-to-play RPG that reinterprets parts of the Final Fantasy VII compilation through an episodic format, but it evidently failed to sustain a long-term model that would make sense for Square Enix. Events in the game will continue to be released until the end of service, but after the shutdown, account data will be deleted once all necessary procedures are completed.

Mobile Police Patlabor the Case Files received a third trailer

Good Smile Company has showcased the third official trailer for Mobile Police Patlabor the Case Files, an upcoming 3D action game for PlayStation 5 and PC set to release in the summer of 2026. The new trailer highlights the main game modes, including Main Mission, Another Side Mission, and Simulator Mode, with a focus on scenes featuring members of Special Vehicles Section 2 Division 2.

The game will allow players to relive iconic moments from the Mobile Police Patlabor series, manage over 20 Labors, including Ingram, Griffon, and Type Zero, and play from the perspective of the police unit as well as the opposing side. Good Smile Company has also opened a second round of pre-orders for the limited Special Edition, which includes the MODEROID Griffon the Case Files: Color Ver. plastic model, an original soundtrack CD with 30 songs, and the game itself. Supported languages will be Japanese, English, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and Korean, and the trailer will also be shown at the Anime Expo 2026 event in Los Angeles.