Bandai Namco is reinventing Gundam with a new universe built across anime, games and Gunpla
(Image credit: Namco Bandai) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Gundam Rogue Orbit has just been announced, and the new game shakes things up more…
(Image credit: Namco Bandai) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Gundam Rogue Orbit has just been announced, and the new game shakes things up more than expected. You see, Gundam has been around for almost 50 years; it's one of the best anime series, and releasing a new entry has always been the same – a new anime launches with a new generation of mobile suits, we snap up the model kits that follow, and eventually a game gives us the chance to step inside the universe and play a new story.But Rogue Orbit spins it all around, as Bandai Namco looks to develop its new world in a Marvel-like connected universe way. Instead of taking an established Gundam story and adapting it into a game, the publisher is creating a brand-new corner of the franchise where the anime, game, Gunpla model kits and card game are all being developed as connected parts of the same world from the start.The project, called the RG Project, links the upcoming anime Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO with Gundam Rogue Orbit through a shared timeline. The two won't simply repeat the same story across different formats either. The anime establishes one part of this new era, while the game takes place beyond those events, putting players in the cockpit as a Gundam pilot during humanity's fight for survival.Latest Videos FromCreative BloqWatch full video here: Image 1 of 5 (Image credit: Namco Bandai) (Image credit: Namco Bandai) (Image credit: Namco Bandai) (Image credit: Namco Bandai) (Image credit: Namco Bandai) Image 1 of 5 View Original Image 2 of 5 View Original Image 3 of 5 View Original Image 4 of 5 View Original Image 5 of 5 View Original Created by director Kenji Kamiyama and author Toh Enjoe, the RG Project introduces a completely new timeline built around a mysterious Autonomous Interstellar Object that arrives from another galaxy and gives humanity three revolutionary discoveries: gravity control, faster-than-light communication and cognitive materialisation.For a while, it looks like humanity has entered a golden age. Civilisation expands throughout the solar system, new colonies appear, and the future seems limitless. Then, naturally, everything falls apart. But less than ten years after its discovery, the object begins producing an aggressive, self-replicating ecosystem that threatens humanity's existence. The conflict becomes known as the Apocalypse, forcing humanity to abandon Earth and begin counting time from A.A. 1 – the first year After Apocalypse.By A.A. 45, a new generation has grown up on the Moon and in space colonies, never knowing life before the Apocalypse. That's where Gundam Rogue Orbit begins, following a new story that explores what happens when humanity is pushed to the edge of extinction. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Namco Bandai) (Image credit: Namco Bandai) Image 1 of 2 View Original Image 2 of 2 View Original The interesting creative decision here is that Bandai Namco is building a world-building framework that different teams can create within. The same world has to work as an anime, a fast-paced action game, a physical Gunpla kit and collectable card artwork. That means every creative choice matters, whether it’s a mobile suit design that has to look good moving in animation, feel exciting to control in a game, and translate into a plastic model that fans actually want to build.Get the Creative Bloq NewsletterSign up to Creative Bloq's daily newsletter, which brings you the latest news and inspiration from the worlds of art, design and technology.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsThat broader world-building is happening from the very beginning too, as alongside the game announcement, Bandai Namco revealed the HG 1/144 Gundam Helix Gunpla kit, an exclusive Collector's Edition version, and a promotional card for the Gundam Card Game featuring the game's key artwork.Whether Gundam Rogue Orbit becomes a new favourite remains to be seen when it launches in 2027, but the bigger story is the way Bandai Namco is approaching one of anime's biggest universes. After decades of expanding Gundam through new timelines, this could be the franchise experimenting with a more connected, world-first approach to storytelling. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Namco Bandai) (Image credit: Namco Bandai) (Image credit: Namco Bandai) (Image credit: Namco Bandai) Image 1 of 4 View Original Image 2 of 4 View Original Image 3 of 4 View Original Image 4 of 4 View Original Gundam Rogue Orbit will release in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. TOPICS Ian DeanEditor, Digital Arts & 3DIan Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5. View More You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Logout LATEST ARTICLES 1 The ultimate advert quiz: think you know your 1960s ads? 2 Jimothy the Raccoon is the art world’s latest obsession 3 How Avatar: The Last Airbender made water, earth and air appear to bend 4 Pixar fans wanted one thing from Incredibles 3, but they're not going to get it 5 How I turned the four pillars of hip-hop into a playable deck of cardsSource: Creative Bloq AI — Published — Category: Image AI