Nintendo is partnering with mobile games company Cygames on a new action RPG for phones. The game, Dragalia Lost, will be released in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau this summer, with subsequent launches to follow in North America and Europe. Nintendo says it will “jointly operate” the title with Cygames, “bringing to life the shared vision of a new gaming experience with worldwide appeal.”
Cygames is best known for Granblue Fantasy, one of the most popular mobile games in Japan. Like many other Japanese mobile RPGs, it uses a “gacha” system for randomly unlocking new characters through in-game currency bought with real money, a controversial mechanic that Western games have emulated in the form of “loot boxes.” (Nintendo already does the same thing with Fire Emblem Heroes.) Nier Automata and Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames is working on a spin-off title for the PlayStation 4.
Outgoing Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima revealed Dragalia Lost following the company’s earnings presentation, where it announced a year-on-year profit increase of more than 500 percent. As part of the Dragalia Lost partnership, Nintendo is acquiring a 5 percent stake in Cygames.
