It’s hard to believe that Gundam turns 50 in 2029, but in anticipation of its golden anniversary, Gundam franchise executive producer Naohiro Ogata teased several new projects in their fully-attended San Diego Comic Con showcase Thursday. The two projects slated for release in 2027 include a new anime series titled Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARZ-Zero and a video game series titled Gundam Rogue Orbit.
The two will take place 100 years apart from each other, in an era where humanity struggles to persevere in the age of silicon lifeforms that can evolve and adapt in a blink of the eye. The protagonist of the anime is an orphaned Gundam pilot named Ray Azumi, who panelist animator Kenji Kamiyama described as a character who questions his place in the war.
Speaking through a translator, Kamiyama explained that at the center of the Gundam universe is an anti-war message. As they started work on this title, a new war broke out, and it made them think about how an individual like Ray would experience it. The character was born out of thinking about how an individual would fare, and they wanted to have someone like this during the war.
Moderator Christopher Sean, video game producer Shinya Satake and producers Joseph Chou and Yasufumi Kobashi joined Ogata and Kamiyama onstage to talk about their excitement and perspectives on the new series, including thoughts on the design of the new Gundam suits and the world’s apocalypse antagonists.
Kobashi asked (through Joseph Chou as translator), “What makes Gundam Gundam?” He and the team wanted something representative of the world but at the same time something that’s new and distinctive. They were focused on the face most of all, making sure it was the coolest face that ever existed in the design of Gundam.
Eiichi Shimizu, known for creating the Ultraman manga Kamiyama previously adapted into anime, designed the mobile suits for RG XARX-Zero. For Rogue Orbit, producer Shinya Satake described aiming for a photorealistic universe that’s simultaneously gorgeous and terrifying, populated by sleek, human-like Gundam designed to feel like an extension of the player’s own body.
In addition to the anime and video game, Bandai will be releasing new Gunpla that includes a HG-1/144 Ark-10 Gundam Helix, Gundam Miximize, Gundam Cross, and Gundam Zero action figure. A new Gundam card game is being road-tested at booth 3829, and fans will receive a new promo card for giving the game a go. The panelists announced a series of Gundam Base cons coming to Westfield Southcenter in Seattle and Minneapolis’ Mall of America this fall. Finally, the group teased an exclusive that will available starting at noon tomorrow.
Stay tuned to The Beat for more news from SDCC ’26.
