What Akatsuki Games Inc. does

Akatsuki Games Inc. (株式会社アカツキゲームス) is a Tokyo-based mobile and PC game developer and operator established on December 16, 2021 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Akatsuki Inc. (TYO:3932), into which Akatsuki Inc.'s game development and operation business was spun off. The company develops, publishes, and operates free-to-play games with gacha monetization across iOS, Android, Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Apple Arcade, supporting six languages (Japanese, English, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, French) for a global audience excluding mainland China. Development is supported by "Project Akatsuki," a proprietary next-generation game development platform.

The portfolio combines a flagship licensed-IP mobile gacha title — KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME, a turn-based "Kaiju-Slaying Battle RPG" co-produced with TOHO and Production I.G and built around the Shonen Jump+ manga (which has surpassed 19 million copies in circulation per source) — with a premium/original-IP expansion in HYKE: Northern Light(s), a 2D top-down action RPG jointly created with Aniplex and BLAST EDGE GAMES. The company also provides ongoing development and operations for established IP games published by third parties: Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle (publisher BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment) and Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe (publisher SQUARE ENIX). TRIBE NINE was terminated November 27, 2025, indicating active portfolio rationalization.

Akatsuki Games generates revenue primarily through freemium gacha mechanics (Dimensional Crystals, character banners, pickup gacha tickets) for mobile titles, with a per-paid-cost tier of 2,800 JPY (Switch) / 2,750 JPY (PS5) for HYKE: Northern Light(s) and Apple Arcade subscription distribution. It targets two customer types: (1) end consumers (mobile/PC gamers, particularly anime/manga fans, the primary segment per source), and (2) IP holders (TOHO, Production I.G, BANDAI NAMCO, SQUARE ENIX, Aniplex, Too Kyo Games) as co-production and operating partners. KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME achieved 1.6M pre-registrations before its August 31, 2025 global launch. Operating from a headquarters in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, the company has 501–1,000 employees and is led by President and CEO Yuki Totsuka with Executive Officer Yusuke Tanaka.

Name

Akatsuki Games Inc.

Legal name

株式会社アカツキゲームス

Website

https://games.aktsk.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Akatsuki Games Inc., a Tokyo-based wholly-owned subsidiary of Akatsuki Inc., develops and operates mobile and PC free-to-play games including KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME, HYKE: Northern Light(s), Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle, and Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe, serving global anime/manga gaming audiences and major Japanese IP holders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Gaming

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Live-Service & MMO Game Studios (MPAFAAAD)

Keywords

• Mobile game development
• Social games
• Live game operations
• Anime IP games
• Gacha RPG

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Free-to-Play with In-App Purchases: Base game is free-to-play with item-based microtransactions. Players purchase in-game currency (Dimensional Crystals, Gacha Tickets) for character pulls and premium items. Revenue generated through gacha mechanics, limited-time character banners, and seasonal event items.
2. Premium Game Sales (HYKE: Northern Light(s)): HYKE: Northern Light(s) sold as premium title on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 at 2,800 JPY (tax incl.) pricing. Apple Arcade version available via subscription with no additional in-app purchases.
3. IP Game Operations: Operating established IP games including Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle (published by BANDAI NAMCO) and Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe (published by SQUARE ENIX). Company provides development and operational expertise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Akatsuki Games Inc. develops and operates mobile and PC games, primarily free-to-play titles based on popular anime and manga IPs. The company's portfolio includes KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME (co-produced with TOHO and Production I.G), HYKE: Northern Light(s) (joint IP creation with Aniplex), and operating services for established titles like Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle (BANDAI NAMCO) and Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe (SQUARE ENIX). It also provides live operations, ongoing content updates, and multi-platform publishing.

Product overview

Akatsuki Games Inc. operates a portfolio of mobile and PC games, primarily serving as both developer and operator. The core products include KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME, a co-produced Kaiju-Slaying Battle RPG with TOHO and Production I.G released in 2025, and HYKE: Northern Light(s), a 2D action RPG co-developed with Aniplex. The company also distributes established IP games including Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle (Bandai Namco) and Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe (Square Enix), handling operations while publishers manage distribution. Previously operated TRIBE NINE (service terminated November 2025). Development is supported by Project Akatsuki, a proprietary game development platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME (怪獣8号 THE GAME) A Kaiju-Slaying Battle RPG co-produced with TOHO and Production I.G, based on the popular Shonen Jump+ manga series. Features turn-based combat with 4-member teams, original storylines, and character progression systems. Available on iOS, Android, and Steam globally with multi-language support.
• HYKE: Northern Light(s) A 2D top-down action RPG developed as a joint IP creation project with Aniplex Inc. and BLAST EDGE GAMES Inc. Set in a war-torn world, players follow white-haired girl Hyke's journey to trace her mother's footsteps. Available on Apple Arcade, Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5.
• Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle (ドラゴンボールZ ドッカンバトル) A Dragon Ball action RPG mobile game featuring characters from the anime series. Operated by Akatsuki Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Available on iOS and Android with continuous content updates.
• Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe (ロマンシング サガ リ・ユニバース) A mobile RPG operated by Akatsuki Games and published by Square Enix. Features anniversary events, gacha mechanics, regular content updates, and collaboration events. Available on iOS and Android.

Quantifiable outcome

• Kaiju No. 8 manga achieved over 19 million copies in circulation and 700 million views on Shonen Jump+
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aniplex Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2026Joint IP creation project partner for HYKE: Northern Light(s). Aniplex handles publishing alongside Akatsuki Games. Collaborative development with BLAST EDGE GAMES Inc. for the 2D top-down action RPG.
• TOHO CO., LTD.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 August 2025Co-production partner for KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME alongside Akatsuki Games and Production I.G. TOHO handles publicity cooperation and leverages its entertainment IP expertise for the game adaptation of the Kaiju No. 8 franchise.
• Production I.G, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 August 2025Co-production partner for KAIJU NO. 8 THE GAME. The animation studio provides production expertise and authenticity to the game adaptation of Kaiju No. 8 anime/ manga.
• BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher of Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle. Akatsuki Games provides development and operational services for this established mobile IP game.
• SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher of Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe. Akatsuki Games operates and develops updates for this long-running mobile RPG franchise.
• Too Kyo Games Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupervision partner for TRIBE NINE game. Provides creative direction and game design supervision for the brutal action RPG.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cygames: Tokyo-based mobile and PC game studio behind Granblue Fantasy and Uma Musume Pretty Derby. Closely comparable to Akatsuki Games as a Japanese developer of high-end gacha-driven live-service anime RPGs with strong IP partnerships and continuous content updates.
• HoYoverse (miHoYo): Operator of Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Honkai Impact 3rd. Directly comparable as a globally distributed gacha live-service anime-style RPG studio with multi-platform release strategy (mobile + PC).
• KLab: Tokyo-listed mobile game developer specializing in anime IP adaptations such as Bleach: Brave Souls and Love Live! School Idol Festival. Highly comparable business model of licensed-IP mobile gacha games targeting global anime audiences.
• DeNA: Major Japanese mobile and online gaming company (Pokémon Masters, Super Mario Run co-development). Comparable as a large-scale Japanese mobile game developer/operator with similar live-ops expertise and IP licensing capabilities.
• mixi: Tokyo-based mobile gaming company known for Monster Strike. Comparable as a Japanese mobile live-service game operator with strong domestic market presence and ongoing content operation capabilities.
• Colopl: Japanese mobile game developer (White Cat Project/Colopl Nyanko Battle, Disney Tsum Tsum). Comparable as a Tokyo-based mobile game studio focused on free-to-play live-service titles.

Broad incumbents

• CyberAgent: Parent company of Cygames and a major Japanese internet/media conglomerate with significant mobile gaming operations. Comparable as a Japanese listed entity whose mobile gaming division operates flagship anime-IP gacha titles at scale larger than Akatsuki Games.
• Square Enix: Publisher of Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe (operated by Akatsuki Games) and major mobile/console RPG franchise owner. Overlaps as a Japanese publisher-developer with a deep mobile gaming presence and recurring collaboration relationship.
• Bandai Namco Entertainment: Publisher of Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle (operated by Akatsuki Games) and a global anime-IP gaming major. Comparable as a large incumbent in anime mobile gaming with overlapping IP portfolio and recurring partnership.
• NetEase Games: Major Chinese-headquartered global gaming company with significant mobile and anime-style live-service operations (e.g., Marvel Rivals co-development). Comparable as a large incumbent in mobile live-service gaming with similar global ambitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AkatsukiGamesPR
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AkatsukiGames_official
• Facebookfacebook.com/257075040982058
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/akatsuki-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments63 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Akatsuki Games Inc.