Marvelous announced on May 25 that Tencent will buy 20% stake in the Japanese studio, thus owning 20% of the studio. Tencent, which is China’s biggest gaming company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Image Frame Investment, will spend around 7 billion Yen ($65 million) on Marvelous. This will allow Marvelous to expand its existing IPs and launch new ones in the next three years.
Tencentrecently invested in Japanese studio Platinumgames. As it’s already owningFortnite, Tencent aims to furthermore spread its influence on the gaming market with Japanese games. Marvelous is the studio behind farming RPGsStory of SeasonsandRune Factory,sexual fanservice shinobi gamesSenran Kagura, and anime mecha gameDaemon x Machina,to cite some of its franchises.
Marvelous is also heavily tied in with anime production in Japan. The company is often part ofanime production committees. These are groups made of various companies each contributing money for the anime’s production, to mitigate risks. The amount of money each company puts on the table is different, and obviously never made public, but you can globally tell by the order of the company listing in the anime’s Opening or Ending credits. In particular, Marvelous is always on the anime production committee for the yearlyPrecuremovies by Toei. Marvelous also works in the production of many stage plays including the adaptations ofPrince of Tennis.
Marvelous currently announced multiple games in development. Some were announced in great style likeRune Factory 5.Others were revealed in a more discreet way.Like the nextStory of Seasonsgame on Switch.Marvelous also works onSenran Kagura 7Even. Kenichiro Takakisaid the game should be finished. Who knows when it’ll happen though. Kenichiro Takakiwho now works at Cygames,and Marvelous, recently collaborated onKandagawa Jet Girls.
The latest upcomingStory of Seasonsgame in the west is theFriends of Mineral TownSwitch remake, launching on August 21, 2025 in USA.Rune Factory 5isscheduled to launch in 2020 in Japan on Swtich.Though I personally expect it to be delayed to 2021 seeing the Covid-19 pandemic slowing down development.
