At the "Japan Game Awards 2025 Annual Awards Ceremony" held just a few days ago, Atlus' "Metaphor: ReFantazio" was selected as the grand prize winner as the game that best represents the past year. However, the Japan Game Awards also focused on the "Future" category, which is for games that are expected to be released in the future. On September 28 (Sun.), 2025, the " Japan Game Awards 2025 Future Division Award Ceremony " was held on the main stage of the Tokyo Game Show 2025, where the 11 titles selected by user votes were announced!
Japan Game Awards 2025 "Future Division" results announced!
MC's were Yuka Sakurano and Takaaki Hasama. Titles selected from among all the unreleased titles announced and exhibited at Tokyo Game Show 2025 by user votes were awarded.
Capcom: "Resident Evil Requiem"
First of all, I would like to thank all of our fans, the development team, and all of the companies involved for this prestigious award.
- I am sure this game will be a very scary one, since it is being developed by Mr. Nakanishi, the same developer as "Resident Evil 7.
Mr. Nakanishi: "Resident Evil 7" was said to be extremely scary by everyone, and there were a certain number of people who said it was "too scary to play. So, we exhibited a sample of "Requiem" aiming for "just the right amount of scary"... I'm sorry, it was too scary (laughs). Believe me, the game is designed to be enjoyable even for those who are scared.
- What kind of character is the main character, Grace?
Nakanishi: She is a new character and an FBI analyst. She is actually very scared and probably ranks first in the Resident Evil series in terms of being scared. I think you could feel how scared he was when he encountered the creature for the first time in the test game. However, the appeal of Resident Evil is the sense of accomplishment and catharsis that comes from overcoming scary experiences, so Grace also gains a variety of experiences in the game, acquires weapons, and eventually defeats the object of her fear. I think the appeal of the game is that it grows with the player.
Sony Interactive Entertainment : Ghost of Yōtei
Saiga NAKThank you very much for your vote today. On behalf of the entire Sucker Punch development team, I would like to thank you all. Thank you very much.
- This film is an original story, how did you go about telling it?
Mr. Fleming: This film is also an important turning point in time, several years after the Battle of Sekigahara, but I wanted to tell a more personal story about the main character, Atsushi, a wanderer, which led me to this original story.
- Will the Ghosts of series continue in the future?
Mr. Fleming: We are focusing on the already announced "Ghost of Tsushima: Legends" at this point. I can't tell you what will happen after that, but I hope you can look forward to it.
Namco Bandai Entertainment: Digi MonStory: Time Stranger
Saiga NAKThank you very much for the great honor of receiving the Future Award today. Words cannot express how grateful I am to all of you who voted for this work, and to all of the fans who have loved and supported Digimon content over the years. This work was created over a period of eight years with the love and passion of our development team for Digimon. We hope that Digimon fans will enjoy it and that this title will bring the charm of Digimon to an even wider audience. Once again, I would like to thank all of you who had high expectations for this project and voted for it. Thank you very much for your time today.
- What did you have in mind when developing the first Digimon game in 10 years?
Hara: Our goal was to make a game that could be enjoyed not only as a Digimon game, but also as a JRPG. I think we spent a lot of time thinking about what would make the game fun to play.
- The number of Digimon in this game is an impressive 450.
Hara: It was really hard... even though there are only 450 Digimon (laughs). However, the previous game was designed to be enjoyed on the small screen of the PS Vita handheld device, but this time, with the latest hardware specifications, it can be played on a large screen monitor. We had to make sure that the quality of the game was high enough to withstand such changes, so we had to recreate 450 Digimon from scratch, starting from almost the very beginning of the skeletal structure. We did a lot of work, not only on the battles, but also on the lively movements of the Digimon in the field and the detailed depiction of the digiride that the Digimon can ride, so I hope you will pay close attention.
SEGA: Yakuza Kiwami 3 / Dark Ties
Saiga NAKThank you very much for this wonderful award. We are very honored that our title was chosen from among so many great titles. I would also like to thank all of our fans, staff, team members, and everyone who supported us and helped us to receive this award. I will do my best in the last spurt so that I can properly produce a work that will live up to this award. Thank you very much for your support this time.
- Why did you decide to offer the luxury of being able to play two games in one?
Mr. Horii: "Yakuza Kiwami 3" alone is more than enough for a consumer title, but last year we surprised everyone with "Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii," in which a Yakuza becomes a pirate. We are aiming to meet everyone's expectations while also surprising them, so that's why we have included two titles this time.
- Which of the two games should we play first?
Mr. Horii: Both games can be played from the beginning, so you can start playing from the outside. If you have played the original game, I think you will be able to play either one because you have some knowledge of the original game.
Capcom: Mega Man Star Force Perfect Collection" (Japanese only)
Saiga NAKThank you very much for this wonderful award. Since we just announced this title on September 12, 2025 (Friday), it was not actually on the list of candidates for this year's voting, and you voted for it manually, so I really feel the love and passion of Mega Man fans. Once again, I would like to thank everyone who voted. We will continue to develop this title with renewed respect for the staff who developed the original version 20 years ago. Thank you again.
- What are your thoughts on the development of this title for core fans of the series?
Izumi: We are trying to recreate the deep memories of those days. I think that is the difficulty of remakes, but we are trying to create a game that meets a wide range of needs by simplifying battles and customizing screens to make it easier to play, while keeping the port faithful to the original.
- For those who have not yet played the Mega Man series, please tell us about its appeal.
Shingo Izumi: Mega Man Star Force has a story that is as good as any other Capcom game, and you can enjoy a very moving story. Mega Man is the original hero genre, and I think it's a series that children today can play in a fresh way.
Izanagi Games: AKIBA LOST
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Saiga NAKThank you very much for giving this prestigious award, which I have often seen, to a venture game company like ours. On behalf of the entire cast, filming and development team, I would like to express our deepest gratitude. Thank you very much.
- Please tell us why you chose Hiromitsu Kitayama for the main character and what was your impression of the actual recording?
Mr. Umeda: We worked with NTV on the casting, and I think he is gorgeous, a good actor, and fits the age range, and I think his lifestyle and the challenges he is taking on today overlap with Shinjo in "AKIBA LOST".
- How big is the volume of your work?
Shinsuke Umeda: In the past, "Death Come True" was intended to be a game like a movie. This time, it is a "game," so it will be about 20 hours long, and you will be able to switch between the perspectives of seven characters. We also believe that this will be an opportunity for people who have never played the game to pick it up. We hope that this will be an opportunity for people to enjoy a game with an interesting story.
Naked Rain Studio: Infinity ANANTA
Saiga NAKThank you very much for this prestigious award. The whole team would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support and patronage.
- What kind of game is it?
Ash: It's all about human connections, and the open world allows players to connect with the characters they want to play and get to know. We have created many professions and characters so that they can realize their dreams of living this kind of life.
- Tell us about the techniques and difficulties you faced in creating the beautiful grafics
Ash: The most important aspect of the game development was the character design. We want to show people that these characters really live in this world.
Koei Tecmo Games: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Saiga NAKThank you to all the fans who voted for "Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment". The entire development team is relieved. This title was created with the cooperation of not only Koei Tecmo Games, but also the Zelda team and many people at Nintendo, so we are relieved to receive this award as well. We were able to exhibit "Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment" for the first time. I am glad that we were able to convey to everyone what cannot be conveyed through visuals alone, as we have created this game with an emphasis on the tactile experience that can only be experienced on the Nintendo Switch 2. Thank you very much.
- How many different types of Zonau gear will there be in the new Zonau gear?
Hayayashii: In "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," there was a game where you could combine Zonau Gears, and it would be difficult to incorporate that directly into the Musou series, but I'm sure you'll enjoy combining Zonau Gears in "Zelda Musou: Sealed Warriors. I think you'll have fun with "Zelda Warriors: Sealed Warriors & Quot;as well. How many types of Zonau Gears there are is a secret.
- Is there anything you were able to achieve because of Nintendo Switch 2?
Yosuke Hayayashii: We focused on achieving both a high frame rate and a large number of enemies, which is unique to the Musou series, as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive title. We are looking forward to the release of the game.
Capcom: Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Saiga NAKWe are really, really happy. We are still developing the game, but this award will encourage the development team to work hard until the end. This is the third title in the "Monster Hunter Stories" series, and we really wondered what to do with it. The theme we chose was "more RPG. We exhibited the game at the Tokyo Game Show 2025, and judging from the reaction of users, I think they felt the theme of "more RPGs". We will continue to work hard toward the release of the game on March 13, 2025 (Friday). Thank you very much for the wonderful award.
- The atmosphere has changed a bit compared to the two previous works, hasn't it?
Oguro: There are many things that have changed, but the most obvious changes are in the character head sizes and designs. If the previous works were shonen manga, this work has the atmosphere of a seinen magazine. The scale of the game has also become larger, and it is not just an RPG version of "Monster Hunter," but a JRPG that stands on its own.
- Please tell us about the evolution of the ride action, which is one of the main attractions of the game.
Oguro: Capcom is a company that specializes in action games, and we wanted to make the most of that in RPGs, so we focused on the riding experience. The game feels great to the touch, just like in Monster Hunter Rise, and you can jump around and fly seamlessly. The transition from one Otomon to another is smooth, and we even paid attention to the movements of the Otomon during the transition, so I hope you enjoy the game.
Koei Tecmo Games: Nioh 3
Saiga NAKI am very happy to receive such a wonderful award. On behalf of the team, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. We are now hard at work to finish the game, and we will do our best to create a title that will exceed everyone's expectations. Thank you very much.
- How will the adoption of an open field change the game?
Mr. Shibata: I think the most significant change is that the degree of freedom of attack has been increased. The previous Niou series were also difficult, but we were able to conquer them by strengthening the player and making full use of multiplayer. Now that this title has an open field, you can go a different route when a strong enemy appears, or get new skills and equipment by exploring other locations. I hope you will enjoy even more diversified strategies.
- You are actively incorporating user feedback such as the alpha trial version.
Mr. Shibata: We accumulate know-how as the series goes on, but we also want to hear the real voices of our users, and of course we are the most experienced players of "Nioh 3" in the world at this point, so we can't be objective about some things. We would like to continue the cycle of having many people play the game and making improvements based on the feedback.
Capcom: Pragmata
Saiga NAKI am very honored to receive this award today. Pragmata" is a title that we have been working on since we released the first PV in 2020, and during that time, we have been encouraged by the comments from users such as "What is going on with Pragmata? We have been encouraged by the feedback we have received from our users. We are very happy to receive this award based on the votes of our users. We have been delaying "Pragmata" for a long time, but we are finally making something that everyone will find interesting, so now we are really looking forward to 2026. I hope you will wait just a little longer.
- Tell us about the relationship between Hugh and Diana
Zhao: Hugh, who is human, has a mechanical appearance that at first glance looks like a robot. On the other hand, Dianna, an android, looks like a human girl. We are focusing on the interaction between these two contrasting characters and how they influence each other as the story progresses, so please look forward to it.
- Is there a reason why you decided on a unique game system that combines puzzle and action?
Mr. Cho: In portraying the main characters, Hugh and Diana, the player must control both of them at the same time to defeat enemies.
Oyama: The concept of the game is that the two characters cooperate with each other not only in combat but also in exploration. The game is designed to allow players to enjoy the best aspects of both characters.
Critique by Koichi Hamamura
Tokyo Game Show 2025 was a great success, which was evident not only in the number of visitors but also in the demographic of visitors. In particular, the number of people with children and female fans increased, and I felt this was greatly reflected in the award-winning game titles this year. In the past, many of the award-winning titles were sequels to major IPs or titles that pleased core fans, but this time, in addition to these, there were also titles linked to TV dramas and titles that can be enjoyed by both parents and children. As a fan, it is exciting to see which titles can be enjoyed in which order. Thank you very much to everyone who selected the 11 titles.
