Tag Archives: Tokyo

Manga Anime, News

Attack on Titan Cafe in Shinjuku Opens 3 September — WIT Studio’s Big Reveal

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WIT Studio’s cryptic “special dinner” teaser from last week has finally served up the answer — and it is, quite literally, dinner. The original studio behind Attack on Titan Seasons 1 to 3 announced today, via Denfaminicogamer (Japanese) and the official WIT STUDIO X account, that it is opening a limited-time themed cafe in Shinjuku, Tokyo: 「そういう時期の進撃の巨人カフェ〜思春期の晩餐〜」 — roughly, That Kind of Phase: Attack on Titan Cafe — The Adolescence Dinner.

As we noted when WIT Studio first teased this reveal, the announcement visual showed Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Levi, Erwin, and Hange all in WIT’s signature art style, hinting at a pre-battle “special dinner.” The theme is exactly that: a Last Supper on the eve of battle, reimagined with an ironic chunibyo (theatrical teenage-edgelord) spin on the Seasons 1–3 cast.

Attack on Titan Cafe in Shinjuku: Dates and Venue

The cafe runs at BOX cafe&space, Lumine Est Shinjuku 2nd Branch (8F, 3-38-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo) from 3 September to 12 October 2026. It is a joint production between WIT STUDIO and event producer LTR. All character artwork is brand-new, drawn by WIT Studio specifically for this collab — the first time the studio has produced original Attack on Titan illustrations since handing off the series to MAPPA.

Attack on Titan Cafe Shinjuku 2026 key visual by WIT Studio featuring Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Levi, Erwin and Hange in the adolescence dinner theme
Image courtesy of WIT STUDIO / ©Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / “Attack on Titan” The Final Season Production Committee
Attack on Titan Cafe Theme PV — via WIT STUDIO on YouTube

The Menu — Pita, Stew, and a Wall You Break Yourself

The food menu leans hard into character symbolism. Three meatball-and-pita sandwiches form the centrepiece, each paired to a character duo:

  • Eren & Mikasa — spicy seaseri meatball pita with daikon pickles representing Mikasa’s red scarf (¥1,990)
  • Armin & Hange — seafood and a lemon “mystery reagent” sauce for two characters who never stopped asking questions (¥1,990)
  • Levi & Erwin — bone-in sausage with two contrasting sauces, for humanity’s strongest pair (¥1,990)
Eren and Mikasa themed meatball pita dish at the Attack on Titan cafe in Shinjuku 2026
Image courtesy of WIT STUDIO / ©Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / “Attack on Titan” The Final Season Production Committee
Levi and Erwin bone-in sausage meatball pita on a black plate at the Attack on Titan themed cafe
Image courtesy of WIT STUDIO / ©Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / “Attack on Titan” The Final Season Production Committee

Sides and desserts include Eren’s Mother’s Stew (¥790) — described as “the taste of a peaceful past” — and the dessert that will make fans lose their minds: the Wall Honey Danish. It is a cube-shaped pastry scored with the Survey Corps star emblem that you crack open yourself to find the honey filling hidden inside. The wall has secrets. You have to break it to find them.

Wall Honey Danish dessert at the Attack on Titan Shinjuku cafe — a cube pastry with the Survey Corps star to crack open
Image courtesy of WIT STUDIO / ©Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / “Attack on Titan” The Final Season Production Committee

Reservations, Bonuses, and Exclusive Merch

Bookings open tonight, 20 August, at 18:00 JST via the cafe’s official website on a first-come, first-served basis. The reservation deposit is ¥660 (tax included) per person, with up to four seats per booking. Reserve in advance and order from the menu, and you receive one random Hunting Licence-style trading card from a set of six (one per character). Spend ¥3,300 or more and you also receive a random drink coaster from a set of seven.

Attack on Titan cafe Shinjuku reservation bonus hunting licence trading cards for Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Levi, Erwin and Hange
Image courtesy of WIT STUDIO / ©Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / “Attack on Titan” The Final Season Production Committee

Original merchandise on sale includes acrylic stands, foil-stamped can badges, clear files, stained-glass-style acrylic stands, and metal charms — all using the new WIT Studio artwork. These will be available in-store and via an online shop on the cafe site, running from 3 September to 12 October.

Attack on LUSH themed layered drink with a titan face topper at the Attack on Titan Shinjuku cafe
Image courtesy of WIT STUDIO / ©Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / “Attack on Titan” The Final Season Production Committee

This is a Japan-exclusive event — no Singapore or Southeast Asia dates have been announced. The September–October window does align with school holiday travel for Singapore fans, and Lumine Est Shinjuku is a five-minute walk from Shinjuku Station, making it a straightforward stop on any Tokyo itinerary. Merchandise from the online shop may also be shippable internationally; check the official site for details.

For more anime news and Japan pop-culture coverage, keep following GameTrader.SG.

Game Industry News, News

The Tenth Mosaic: Persona, NieR, Danganronpa Creators All in Tokyo This September

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Imagine sitting in a room where the full Persona 3/4/5 creative team is on stage together for the first time since Persona 5, while across the hall Yoko Taro is discussing NieR with his longtime composer, and later that afternoon Fumito Ueda — the reclusive creator of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus — is in conversation with Eric Chahi, the Frenchman who made Another World. That is not a fantasy: it is what is happening at The Tenth Mosaic in Tokyo this September.

The two-day gaming culture festival takes place on 22–23 September 2026 at the Institut français de Tokyo (Institut franco-japonais de Tokyo), 15 Ichigaya Funagawaramachi, Shinjuku. Both days fall on Japanese national holidays, making them ideal for SG gamers already planning a September Japan trip. The event celebrates video games as “le dixième art” — the tenth art — and was just announced this week via Famitsu (Japanese).

What Is The Tenth Mosaic?

The Tenth Mosaic is billed as a celebration of game culture — not a trade show, not a consumer expo, but a curated arts-and-ideas festival in the spirit of a European cultural institution. Think TED talks crossed with a game-music concert crossed with a living museum, for about ¥2,000 a day (roughly S$19) as a base entry. Individual talk sessions require a separate ¥3,000 ticket (~S$28) due to limited capacity of 100 seats each.

The lineup is, frankly, remarkable.

The Creator Talks

Persona 30th Anniversary — the Full Team Together

Persona 5 Royal
Image courtesy of Atlus

This is the session Persona fans will clear their September calendars for. Katsura Hashino (director of Persona 3, 4 and 5), Shigenori Soejima (the series’ art director) and Shoji Meguro (composer of Persona 3’s “Burn My Dread,” P4’s “Reach Out to the Truth,” and P5’s “Life Will Change”) are appearing together to mark 30 years of the franchise. They rarely appear together outside Japan. With Persona 6 now confirmed as an Xbox exclusive, expect candid reflection on the series’ evolution and where it goes next.

Yoko Taro and Keisuke Okabe on NieR and Ender Lilies

NieR Replicant
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Yoko Taro and his regular composer Keisuke Okabe take the stage to discuss the interconnected universes of NieR, ENDER LILIES and ENDER MAGNOLIA. Yoko Taro rarely travels, so his appearance alone makes this an event worth flying to Tokyo for. Expect the mask, expect the misdirection, and if his past public appearances are any guide, expect something unexpectedly moving buried inside an apparently chaotic conversation.

The Horror Game Legends Panel

Four genre-defining horror game creators share a single stage: Frédérick Raynal (Alone in the Dark, 1992), Keiichiro Toyama (Silent Hill, 1999; Gravity Rush), Makoto Shibata (Fatal Frame series) and Hifumi Kono (Clock Tower, 1995). For fans of psychological horror in games, this is a once-in-a-generation gathering. Singapore gamers who grew up terrified by the original Silent Hill or Fatal Frame on PS2 will find this especially resonant.

Kazutaka Kodaka and Masafumi Takada on Danganronpa

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Image courtesy of Spike Chunsoft

Kazutaka Kodaka (creator of Danganronpa and The Hundred Line) and Masafumi Takada (the series’ distinctive composer) discuss the world they built and what comes next. With The Hundred Line — Last Defense Academy having recently launched, there is plenty of fresh material to dig into.

Eric Chahi × Fumito Ueda

This might be the most quietly astonishing session of the two days. Eric Chahi, creator of Another World (1991), and Fumito Ueda, creator of ICO, Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian, are two of the most influential minimalists in game history. Both are reclusive. Both shaped the medium’s sense of loneliness and wonder. Hearing them in conversation — apparently for the first time publicly — is not something that happens at a typical gaming convention.

Tetsuya Mizuguchi Masterclass: Rez Turns 25

2026 marks 25 years since Rez arrived on Dreamcast and PlayStation 2, defying every genre expectation and inventing what Tetsuya Mizuguchi called “synesthesia gaming.” Mizuguchi leads a masterclass exploring the game’s origins, its VR evolution in Rez Infinite, and his ongoing experiments with sound, light and motion. If you have ever played Rez in VR — or want to understand why it still matters — this session is unmissable.

Rez Infinite PC Launch Trailer — via Enhance Experience on YouTube

Music, Live Drawing, and More

Beyond the talks, the base ¥2,000 entry covers a live game music concert featuring legendary composers Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage, Actraiser, Etrian Odyssey) and Saori Kobayashi (Panzer Dragoon series), performing works including the complete Rez and Enemy Zero soundtracks. There is also a live illustration session by Katsuya Terada spanning both days, an Indie Legacy Showcase curated by former Sony PlayStation Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida, and special exhibitions covering gaming hardware history and an Enemy Zero 30th anniversary tribute.

Tickets and Getting There

Tickets are on sale now at thetenthmosaic.peatix.com. Entry is ¥2,000 per day (~S$19) for the exhibitions, concerts, indie area and live drawing. Individual talk sessions are ¥3,000 each (~S$28) with capacity capped at 100 per session — they are expected to sell out fast given the lineup. The Institut français de Tokyo is in Shinjuku, well-served by train.

September 22–23 falls during Japan’s autumn holiday cluster, so SG travellers who pair this with a week in Tokyo are not going out of their way. Budget Singapore Airlines and Scoot both fly direct to Tokyo Narita. For Singapore fans of Persona, NieR, Danganronpa, ICO, or any of the franchises represented here, The Tenth Mosaic is probably the most remarkable gathering of game creators that money can buy — and the price is genuinely low.

Event, Game News

UNDERTALE MUSEUM: The World’s First Exhibition Opens in Tokyo and Osaka in 2027

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Announced yesterday by the UNDERTALE MUSEUM Executive Committee, the world’s first large-scale exhibition dedicated to Toby Fox’s cult RPG is heading to Japan in 2027 — and it’s shaping up to be something Singapore fans will want to plan a trip around.

The Underground Comes to Life

UNDERTALE, the 2015 indie RPG by Toby Fox, took the world by surprise with its pixel-art world, jazz-and-chiptune soundtrack, and a combat system where mercy is always an option. A decade on, it remains one of the most beloved games of its generation — and now, for the first time ever, its underground kingdom is being built in the real world.

UNDERTALE opening — two races once ruled over Earth
Image courtesy of Toby Fox / tobyfox

The exhibition concept is described as immersive rather than gallery-style: visitors won’t just look at framed artwork behind glass, but walk through spaces designed to feel like the game’s setting — from the flower-filled Ruins to the cold corridors of Snowdin. Details on specific rooms and interactive elements haven’t been released yet, but with Toby Fox overseeing the creative direction, it’s safe to expect the same care that went into every pixel of the original game.

Dates, Venues, and Where to Go

Two cities, two legs:

  • Tokyo — Sunshine City Exhibition Hall A, Ikebukuro: 19 February to 10 March 2027
  • Osaka — ATC Gallery: 22 April to 9 May 2027

Both venues are major exhibition spaces well-used to large-scale pop-culture events. Sunshine City in Ikebukuro is one of Tokyo’s go-to fan event halls, and the Osaka leg runs right into Golden Week (29 April – 5 May 2027) — prime travel season for Singapore visitors.

No ticket prices or booking windows have been announced yet. Follow @undertale_mus on X for updates as they drop.

Undertale – Release Trailer – Nintendo Switch — via Nintendo of America on YouTube

Inside the Battle System — and Beyond MERCY

For the uninitiated: UNDERTALE’s core hook is a combat system where fighting is one option, but never the only one. Every encounter offers ACT, ITEM, and MERCY alongside FIGHT — and the game’s story changes depending on which path you take. It’s a premise that sounds simple and lands devastatingly well.

UNDERTALE battle screen — Froggit and Whimsun with FIGHT ACT ITEM MERCY options
Image courtesy of Toby Fox / tobyfox

That emotional weight is exactly what the UNDERTALE MUSEUM promises to translate into physical space. The organising committee includes cooperation from 8-4 (the Japanese localization studio behind major Nintendo titles) and Fangamer (the official UNDERTALE merchandise partner). Both companies have deep ties to the property — and their involvement hints at a bilingual exhibition with strong international accessibility.

A Hands-On Toby Fox Production

UNDERTALE was famously made by one person. Toby Fox composed the music, wrote the script, coded the game, and drew most of the sprites — the kind of singular creative vision that rarely survives the transition to a large-scale live event. His direct supervision of the UNDERTALE MUSEUM sets this apart from licensed exhibitions that get the brand right but lose the soul. According to the official announcement (Japanese), the exhibition aims to create “a special space where determination wells up with each step forward” — which is as on-brand a promise as you’ll ever read.

For Singapore Fans: The Windows to Book Around

We covered the UNDERTALE Determination Symphony’s second Singapore night this September — but the museum is a completely different scale. For fans eyeing a Japan trip, here’s how the windows align:

  • Tokyo run: 19 February – 10 March 2027. Late-February Japan can be chilly but uncrowded; cherry blossom season starts right as the exhibition closes.
  • Osaka run: 22 April – 9 May 2027. Golden Week falls squarely in this window, so book accommodation early — flights and hotels fill up months in advance.
UNDERTALE overworld — determination fills you
Image courtesy of Toby Fox / tobyfox

The announcement was made entirely through Japanese-language channels on 30 July 2026 and hasn’t yet been covered in English-language gaming media, so check back for updates as more details — tickets, full exhibition layout, merchandise — are confirmed. We’ll cover them here as they land.

Manga Anime, News

Jump Festa 2027 Set for 19–20 December at Makuhari Messe

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Singapore anime fans, mark your calendars. Shueisha has officially confirmed that Jump Festa 2027 will be held on 19–20 December 2026 at Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall in Chiba, Japan. Doors open at 9:00 AM and last entry is at 4:30 PM both days — and if the past couple of years are any guide, it is going to be one of the biggest weekends in manga and anime this year.

The announcement was published by Famitsu (Japanese) today and is the first official word from Shueisha on dates for the 2027 edition. A dedicated JF2027 page on the official Jump Festa website is expected to follow closer to the event.

What is Jump Festa?

Jump Festa is Shueisha’s annual mega-event, jointly hosted by five of Japan’s biggest manga magazines — Weekly Shonen Jump, Shonen Jump+, V Jump, Jump SQ., and Saikyō Jump. Every December it takes over Makuhari Messe — the same sprawling convention complex that hosts Tokyo Game Show — with franchise stage shows, world-premiere trailers, voice-actor appearances, exclusive merch, and enough announcement firepower to keep the anime internet buzzing for weeks.

JF2027 will occupy Halls 1–9 and Hall 11, keeping the expanded footprint that the event has used since 2026.

What to Expect in December

Shueisha hasn’t confirmed the franchise lineup for JF2027 yet — that information typically drops through individual Jump magazine announcements and the official JF website in the months leading up to the event. But based on what’s currently airing and in production, Singapore fans will almost certainly be watching for news on:

  • Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle Part 2, with the first film having already become a generational event for SG fans
  • Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol, which has been teased in Jump magazines
  • Kagurabachi and Sakamoto Days, two of the hottest ongoing Shonen Jump manga currently in production as anime
  • One Piece — always a centrepiece of Jump Festa — now deep into the Elbaph arc
  • Haikyu!! theatrical releases
Chainsaw Man International Assassins Arc anime visual
Image courtesy of Shueisha / MAPPA

It’s worth noting that Jump Festa regularly springs genuine surprises. The Chainsaw Man: International Assassins Arc, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run anime premiere date and Black Clover Season 2 were all confirmed at Jump Festa 2026 — none of them were in the pre-event speculation lists. Expect at least one or two out-of-nowhere reveals this December.

Jump Festa 2026 Anime Heaven in Tokyo – ジャンプフェスタ2026 [4K 60fps ASMR] — via Kaibear Explores on YouTube

What Jump Festa 2026 Delivered

Jump Festa 2026 (held December 20–21, 2025 at Makuhari Messe) set a high bar. Alongside the announcements above, Shueisha used the event to drop a first trailer for the fourth and final arc of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, confirm the Elbaph arc premiere date for One Piece, and reveal a Dan Da Dan Season 3 key visual. The main Jump Super Stage was livestreamed globally — Singapore fans watching from home at 9 AM were refreshing their feeds just as fast as fans queuing at Chiba.

One Piece Elbaph arc key visual revealed at Jump Festa 2026
Image courtesy of Toei Animation / Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha

Shueisha has confirmed all three stages — Jump Super Stage, Jump Studio, and Jump Station — will return for 2027, though a full schedule and performer lineup will only be revealed later in the year.

Planning Your December Trip from Singapore

December 19–20 sits right at the start of Singapore’s year-end school holidays, which makes it a realistic travel window for families and students alike. Makuhari Messe is in Chiba — roughly 30 minutes from central Tokyo on the JR Keiyo Line — so it pairs naturally with a wider Japan year-end trip.

Singapore Airlines, Scoot, and Jetstar all fly direct Singapore to Tokyo (Narita or Haneda). Narita is marginally closer to Makuhari Messe via the JR Sobu Line or Keisei Skyliner connection. Accommodation in the Makuhari area books out fast for Jump Festa weekend, so if you are seriously considering attending in person, now is not too early to start watching flight and hotel prices.

Dan Da Dan Season 3 key visual revealed at Jump Festa 2026
Image courtesy of Shueisha / Science SARU

If you are not making the trip to Japan, the Jump Super Stage livestream is your best bet — Shueisha has streamed it globally in recent years, with some regional restrictions that have historically not affected Singapore. We will post the official stream links as they are confirmed.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Steel Ball Run anime visual from Jump Festa 2026
Image courtesy of Shueisha / David Production

Keep an eye on our manga and anime coverage — we will track every official JF2027 stage and franchise announcement as they drop in the lead-up to December.

Event

Fate/Grand Order Exhibition Opens in Tokyo — 11 Years of Chaldea Come to Roppongi Hills

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Eleven years of Fate/Grand Order — the servants, the singularities, the heart-wrenching event stories, and the climactic conclusion of Part 2 — have been distilled into a single Tokyo exhibition that opened its doors this morning. Fate/Grand Order Exhibition: Stargazer’s Corridor (Japanese: 星見の回廊) is now running at Mori Arts Center Gallery on the 52nd floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, and it runs through 14 September 2026. If a Japan trip is anywhere on your radar this summer, this is the pilgrimage.

Fate/Grand Order展 -星見の回廊- チケットCM — via 【公式】Fate/Grand Order チャンネル on YouTube

Seven Zones Trace the Whole Chaldean Journey

Organised by Aniplex, the exhibition lays out the breadth of FGO’s decade-plus lifespan across seven distinct zones that you walk through in sequence. The highlight — Zone 4, Chaldea’s Journey — features a 17-metre ceiling painting that frames Mash Kyrielight’s arc from debut to the finale of Part 2: Cosmos in the Lostbelt, accompanied by newly commissioned illustrations that were made specifically for this venue. Zone 5, the Stargazer’s Corridor itself, uses video projection to put you inside the final battle, and it’s the centrepiece the title promises.

Fate/Grand Order Exhibition Stargazers Corridor floor map showing all 7 zones
Image courtesy of TYPE-MOON / FGO PROJECT

The remaining zones are equally worth your time. Zone 1 opens with a premiere video made for the exhibition only. Zone 2, the Production Materials Room, surfaces the scripts, storyboards, and concept illustrations that shaped every chapter — rare stuff that FGO’s overseas player base has never had a chance to see in person. Zone 3 archives items and motifs from the event stories, while Zone 6 wraps up with a Memorial Message wall signed by the staff who built the game. Zone 7 is the FGO Store, selling event-exclusive goods bearing the newly commissioned main visual artwork.

Mash at the Centre — and the Art Tells the Story

Mash Kyrielight in Shielder armour holding a crystal star, FGO exhibition visual
Image courtesy of TYPE-MOON / FGO PROJECT

The main visual — illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi and finished by Hiroyoshi Koyama — foregrounds Mash standing in a field of flowers, and that choice telegraphs the exhibition’s emotional angle: this is FGO’s story told through its characters as much as its lore. Every zone loops back to the human (or quasi-human) relationships that made the writing land.

Mash Kyrielight in a white dress beside an ornate embroidery wheel, FGO exhibition art
Image courtesy of TYPE-MOON / FGO PROJECT

All visitors receive a booklet and a random bookmark — one of 12 designs — on entry. A weekly rotating set of A5 cards (14 designs in total) is also given out, so fans who visit more than once across the run have a reason to return.

Collab Café, In-Game Bonus, and What FGO Singapore Players Can Grab Now

Close-up of Mash Kyrielight's face in warm orange tones, FGO exhibition art
Image courtesy of TYPE-MOON / FGO PROJECT

A collaboration café called THE SUN & THE MOON operates on the same 52nd floor throughout the exhibition run (17 July – 14 September, 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM). A valid exhibition ticket or Roppongi Hills Tower entry ticket covers access — no separate booking, just show up. Menu specifics have yet to be detailed in the materials available, but expect FGO-themed drinks and desserts in line with the exhibition’s aesthetic.

For Singapore players who can’t make the trip: the official FGO game is running a commemorative in-game campaign (Japanese) tied to the opening. If you play the JP server, check the campaign page — there’s a pickup gacha and login-bonus rewards live now.

Practical Info: Tickets, Hours, and Getting There

Venue: Mori Arts Center Gallery, 52F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Dates: 17 July – 14 September 2026
Hours: 10:00 AM – 8:30 PM (last entry 7:30 PM)
Access: Direct from Roppongi Station via the underground concourse (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line or Toei Oedo Line)
Tickets (day-of): ¥3,800 standard / ¥6,800 with merchandise bundle (layered acrylic block) — children of preschool age and under, free
Timed entry is in effect; book your slot via Mori Arts Center Gallery’s site or E-plus

Singapore fans flying to Japan this northern summer already have a packed itinerary — the Dragon Quest the DIVE exhibition is also running in Harajuku through early September. Two major Tokyo exhibitions in one trip is entirely doable.

Check out other events on GameTrader.SG for more Japan pop-culture coverage.

Game News

Overwatch Season 3 Launches: Shion, Neon Junction and YOASOBI

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Overwatch Season 3: Into the Tiger’s Den went live on 16 June 2026, and it’s one of the game’s meatiest updates in a while — new Damage hero, brand-new Tokyo Hybrid map, a packed seasonal event, and a YOASOBI music collaboration dropping at the end of the month.

Season 3: Into the Tiger’s Den Official Trailer — via PlayOverwatch on YouTube

Meet Shion: Overwatch Season 3’s New Damage Hero

Shion, Overwatch Season 3 new hero, in her signature red coat
Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

Hero #52 is Shion, a Damage-class Omnic and the fearsome head of the Hashimoto Clan. She’s the first human-faced Omnic in Overwatch’s roster — designed to look close enough to human that you might not immediately clock her as a robot, which feels very intentional given her background as an infiltrator who was once captured and used as a training bot before escaping and clawing her way to the top of one of Tokyo’s most dangerous criminal organisations.

Blizzard describes her kit as built around “terrifying confidence and a taste for excess” — which, in gameplay terms, means a high-mobility, high-risk playstyle.

Shion’s Ability Kit: Dual Pistols, Dashes, Throwable Motorcycle

Shion riding and launching her motorcycle in Overwatch Season 3
Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

Here’s what Shion brings to a fight:

  • Dual Pistols — a three-round firing cadence tuned for precise target-switching rather than spray-and-pray
  • Dashes — rapid weaving through combat to maintain aggressive pressure
  • Motorcycle Launch — ride across the battlefield and convert the bike itself into a high-impact projectile weapon

Think Cassidy’s gunslinger energy but faster and with a vehicle she can throw at your face. Per the official Season 3 announcement on overwatch.blizzard.com, Shion “arrives on a motorcycle. Which you can throw at your opponents.”

Neon Junction: The New Tokyo Hybrid Map

Neon Junction — Overwatch Season 3's new Tokyo Hybrid map at night
Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

Neon Junction is the season’s new Hybrid map, set in a fictional Tokyo district packed with arcade cabinets, capsule toy shops and neon storefronts — including in-world landmarks Hobby World, Capsule Hunt Go, and the Zuiko-za theatre. As you push the payload (an ANDROMEDA III spacecraft from the fictional in-universe series Super Cosmic War: Star★Infinite), the route transitions from bright public streets into the darker backstreets where the Hashimoto Clan runs things.

It’s a strong visual design, and the payload conceit — Pia piloting a mech from a fictional tokusatsu series — is a lot of fun. Expect this one to become a fan favourite quickly.

Anima Strike: Three Weeks of Story Events

Running 16 June to 6 July, Anima Strike is a narrative event built around Neon Junction that unfolds through daily and weekly challenges. Players uncover secrets tied to the Hashimoto Clan, the Yokai underground, and the city’s subway network, with 50+ themed rewards on offer. A Prestige path unlocks after you clear the main progression track.

YOASOBI Collaboration Drops 30 June

The headline collab of the season: YOASOBI — the Japanese duo behind “IDOL” (Oshi no Ko) and countless other hits — are partnering with Overwatch in an event live from 30 June. It includes an original song, an animated music video, a short story, and dedicated cosmetics for Kiriko, Genji, Hanzo, and others.

For Singapore’s anime-and-gaming crossover crowd this is a genuine treat. YOASOBI’s music is already a constant presence at local ACG events, and seeing them officially tied into Overwatch gives fans something to look forward to as we head into the July school-holiday stretch.

Ultra Skins, Mythics and Battle Pass

Season 3 introduces a new cosmetic tier sitting above Legendary: Ultra Skins. The first two are Nyan Cafe Kiriko and Nyan Cafe Sierra, each with custom sound suites and visual effects. On the Mythic side there’s Ascendant Phoenix Illari (four-tier evolution with wing and colour customisation) and the Tokyo Rebel Hanzo Weapon Skin (ronin-themed bow with holographic dragon kill effects).

Battle Pass skins include Cyber Biker Shion (Ultimate tier) alongside Matsuri Junkrat, Vigilante Genji, and Street Rebel Lucio among the seasonal Legendaries. The Pass also unlocks up to 80 Mythic Prisms. A separate Community Crafted event (30 June to 13 July) brings creator-designed gameplay experiments for Reinhardt, Baptiste, Ashe, and Sombra.

Stadium and Hero Balance

The Stadium competitive mode gets a full roster refresh: major reworks for Hazard, Tracer, Kiriko, Sojourn, and Doomfist, grouping restrictions removed from Ranked, and a new Oasis University map added to the pool. The hero selection screen has also been redesigned with role filters, larger portraits, and one-click skin access.

Last words

Between Shion’s flashy toolkit, the Tokyo-flavoured Neon Junction, and a YOASOBI collab on the horizon, Overwatch Season 3 has something for almost everyone in Singapore’s gaming and anime scene. The season is live now across PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox — free to play as always. Check the full rundown on the official Blizzard blog and mark 30 June on your calendar for the YOASOBI drop. For more gaming coverage see our Game News section.

Event

METAL BUILD EXPO: Inside Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

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If you grew up wanting your Gundam to be made of actual metal, Bandai Spirits just built a whole event around that itch. The METAL BUILD EXPO is a single-brand showcase running at the Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo in Akihabara, and we dropped by to see every die-cast hero the line has to offer under one roof. Here’s our walkthrough — plus what it means for collectors back home in Singapore.

METAL BUILD EXPO event poster showing dates 27 March to 6 July 2026
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

What is the METAL BUILD EXPO?

METAL BUILD is Bandai Spirits’ premium line of pre-painted, fully-articulated figures that mix die-cast metal with plastic for real heft and a satisfying clink. This is the first time the brand has been given its own dedicated event, and it pulls together the latest releases across Mobile Suit Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion, the EX PROJECT line and more.

The essentials:

  • Where: Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo, 1-1 Kandahanaokacho, Chiyoda-ku — a one-minute walk from JR Akihabara Station (Electric Town Exit).
  • When: 27 March – 6 July 2026, daily from 10:00 to 20:00.
  • Admission: free — the storefront sign literally reads nyujo muryo (free entry).

Gundam SEED takes centre stage

The headline wall belongs to Gundam SEED. The Strike Freedom Gundam anchors the display in full die-cast glory, wings of light fanned out the way every SEED fan remembers it.

METAL BUILD Strike Freedom Gundam with wings of light spread
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

Bandai is using the expo to relaunch the figure: the METAL BUILD Strike Freedom Gundam <Revival Ver.> hits general retail in June 2026 with a refreshed package and an added support stand. Alongside it, the store is selling new store-limited Sword Striker and Launcher Striker packs that clip onto the Strike Gundam (Heliopolis Roll Out Ver.) to rebuild the Sword and Launcher loadouts.

METAL BUILD Strike Gundam striker pack displays with price tags
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
METAL BUILD Force Impulse Gundam on display
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

A glass cabinet near the back lines up the SEED roster side by side — Strike, Strike Freedom, Destiny and friends — so you can see how the sculpts have evolved over the line’s run. If you want a sense of scale and finish, this shelf is the one to study.

Shelf comparing multiple METAL BUILD Gundam SEED figures
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

Tucked into the exclusives corner are the Astray frames — the Gold Frame and Red Frame — wearing “ON SALE HERE NOW!” tags, the kind of store-only stock that makes the trip worth it for serious collectors.

METAL BUILD Gundam Astray Gold Frame and Red Frame exclusives in a display case
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

The commemorative Hi-ν Gundam

Every Tamashii store event gets a commemorative piece, and this one is the METAL BUILD Hi-ν Gundam [METAL BUILD EXPO]. It’s based on the 2022 Hi-ν, but repainted from the novel’s purple-and-white into the official blue-and-white scheme, with a new fin funnel hanger so you can display the funnels stowed or deployed. It’s a Premium Bandai item that needs a CLUB TAMASHII MEMBERS registration to order.

METAL BUILD Hi-Nu Gundam in blue and white on display
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

00, Evangelion and a Toho surprise

The Gundam 00 corner shows off GN-001 Gundam Exia and the 00 Gundam, GN blades catching the spotlights. Staff had an Exia out of the case for a closer look — the inner-frame detail on these is genuinely absurd.

METAL BUILD Gundam 00 figure on display
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
METAL BUILD GN-001 Gundam Exia held up close
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

Beyond Gundam, EVANGELION Unit-01 represents the line’s wider reach, posed mid-lunge off its launch rail.

METAL BUILD Evangelion Unit-01 figure
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

And the one that stopped us in our tracks — a fully die-cast Toho mecha from the Godzilla universe, all spines and silver plating, licensed TM & © Toho Co., Ltd. Not what you expect at a Gundam-heavy show, and all the better for it.

METAL BUILD Toho Godzilla-series mecha figure
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

Hatsune Miku gets the METAL BUILD treatment

The most unexpected booth is a snow-globe diorama built for METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku — yes, the Vocaloid icon reimagined as a mecha-suited figure, posed across a starry, checkerboard stage. It’s a reminder that METAL BUILD isn’t only about war machines.

METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku banner at the expo
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
METAL BUILD 初音ミク SPECIAL PV — via BANDAI SPIRITS on YouTube
METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku figure posed in a starry diorama
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku figure detail
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku figure with weapon
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo
METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku figure close up
Photo: GameTrader.SG at METAL BUILD EXPO, Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo

What this means for Singapore collectors

METAL BUILD figures don’t get a regular shelf presence in Singapore — they’re a Premium Bandai and Tamashii web-store world, so most SG collectors import via Bandai’s online stores or specialist hobby shops. The catch with an event like this: the store-limited Striker packs and the commemorative Hi-ν are tied to the Tokyo store and the Tamashii web store, so they’re not something you’ll casually find at a local mall.

If you’re heading to Tokyo before the expo wraps on 6 July 2026, the Akihabara store is a one-minute walk from the station and free to enter — easily worth an hour even if you’re only browsing. On the tags we spotted, figures ranged from the low ¥10,000s up past ¥40,000 (the Force Impulse Gundam was tagged ¥41,800), so factor that in if you plan to buy rather than just gawk. For more on-the-ground coverage, check our other events reports.

Full event details are on the official Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo page.