Video game developer and publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment America announced that its "Summer Showcase" panel will return at this year's Anime Expo in July.
The "Bandai Namco Summer Showcase" panel will be held on July 5th and will feature an hour's worth of programming filled with announcements, reveals, and first looks at highly anticipated anime games. While specifics are under wraps, the showcase promises to unveil "exciting news and updates for Dragon Ball, Gundam, Sword Art Online, and more, with surprises in store."
In addition to the panel, fans who attend Anime Expo can visit the Bandai Namco booths (#2300 and #2600). Here they will be presented with photo-ops, collectibles, and gameplay demos. Fans can go hands-on with Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream, and Gundam Breaker 4 (booth #2406).
Bandai Namco previously announced that Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero will be released on October 11, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The newest entry in the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series lets players get into epic battles alongside legendary characters from the series. Bandai Namco actually just recently held a virtual showcase for Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, diving deeper into the gameplay and revealing two brand-new modes: Episode Battle and Custom Battle.
Back in May, Bandai Namco announced that Gundam Breaker 4 will launch globally on August 29, 2024. The first number entry in the fan-favorite mech series in more than six years, Gundam Breaker 4 lets players create and customize their own powerful Gunpla to take into action on thrilling missions. For those unfamiliar with the series, its main draw is the customization loop of "break, battle, and build." As an aspiring Gunpla hobbyist, players mesh together their own mecha creations by using parts from more than 250 iconic Mobile Suits from the Gundam series, and can then test their creations on a virtual battlefield with up to three players in co-op multiplayer.
Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream doesn't yet have a release date, but does have a 2024 launch window. In this online co-op action game — featuring content that spans the IP's anime (S1-S3) and movie series – players enter a distorted version of the Sword Art Online. Players pick their roles in the form of various characters from the anime. Each character belongs to a unique fighting class with its own attributes. Once select, players engage in co-op action with up to 20 players from around the world, completing dungeon raids against large mobs and big bosses. The game is set to release on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Any announcements or reveals made at Anime Expo 2024 during the Bandai Namco Summer Showcase will, at some point, wind up online, so keep it tuned to AnimeMojo.com for all the latest!