Hello Kitty creator Sanrio has launched its self-published game brand, Sanrio Games.
Sanrio Games plans to release ten games over the next three years. Bloomberg reports several are already in development or pre-production.
The first game, Sanrio Party Land, is set to launch in autumn 2026 for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The second game is expected to arrive in March 2027.
According to Bloomberg, Sanrio has planned at least six upcoming titles and intends to invest approximately ¥10 billion ($62.9 million) in development and marketing during this period.
Sanrio Games will lead planning and development, managing everything in-house. The company aims to create new intellectual property through its games to expand its portfolio.
“To date, many game titles featuring Sanrio characters have been released under licensing agreements,” said Sanrio. Recent titles include Hello Kitty Adventure, developed by Sunblink for Apple Arcade and later ported to other platforms.
“While these licensing initiatives will continue to expand, the company is launching its own publishing label as a new way of connecting its character IP with fans around the world, further broadening its entertainment experiences.”
Sanrio CEO Tomokuni Tsuji added: “Games provide an opportunity to expand a range of characters into the North American market. This will have significant value for our licensing business going forward.”
Sanrio is not the only Japanese company moving into in-house game development. Toei Company also recently established Toei Games to create new IP for Steam and home consoles.
