Unicorn Overlord Director Announces Action RPG DAWNGAZER for Switch 2, PS5, and PC - News
by William D'Angelo , posted 2 days ago / 2,277 Views
Publisher Good Smile Company and developer Monochrome Corporation led by Unicorn Overlord director Takafumi Noma have announced new fantasy intellectual property IGNISPHERE, as well as the first game set in that universe.
The game is an action RPG titled DAWNGAZER. It is in development for the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and will launch in 2028.
View the teaser trailer below:
Read details (via Gematsu) below:
Introducing IGNISPHERE, a New Intellectual Property
As it celebrates its 15th anniversary this month, Monochrome has partnered with Good Smile Company to establish IGNISPHERE, a new intellectual property and fictional universe.
IGNISPHERE is an entirely original, expansive world woven together by numerous nations and races. It is also the name of the game studio led by creator Takafumi Noma.
Noma has worked as a programmer on numerous successful games. As director of Unicorn Overlord, he was involved in every stage of development, including the story and character design. For IGNISPHERE, he aims to bring that hands-on approach to building a cohesive, immersive world.
Beginning with games, IGNISPHERE will expand across a variety of media.
Official IGNISPHERE Twitter Account Launches
The official IGNISPHERE Twitter account launched today, Friday, September 25. It will share the latest news about IGNISPHERE and DAWNGAZER with audiences around the world. Stay tuned for further updates.
Teaser Video Released as Development Begins on DAWNGAZER
Monochrome and Good Smile Company have begun joint development of DAWNGAZER, the first game set in IGNISPHERE. The title is being developed as an action RPG.
Music by Yoshimi Kudo
Yoshimi Kudo will compose music for the game. The teaser video features a piece composed and arranged by Kudo, whose credits include Unicorn Overlord and Elden Ring. KOCHO, whose credits include vocals for the main theme of the television drama Unnatural, handled vocals and singer coordination.
IGNISPHERE Teaser Music Credits
- Composition and Arrangement: Yoshimi Kudo
- Vocals: KOCHO, SAK., Maki Takimoto
- Cello: Wataru Mukai
Exclusive Interview with Takafumi Noma Published
An exclusive interview with Takafumi Noma, creator of IGNISPHERE and director of DAWNGAZER, is now available on Dengeki Online and Famitsu.com.
The interview explores how IGNISPHERE came to be and shares stories from the development of DAWNGAZER.
Joint Intellectual Property Expansion, with Good Smile Company Handling Merchandising
Monochrome and Good Smile Company will work together to expand IGNISPHERE beyond games, including merchandise such as figures. Good Smile Company will serve as the point of contact for merchandising opportunities.
Multiple Light Novel Projects Underway with Kadokawa Corporation
Multiple light novel projects set in IGNISPHERE are in development with Kadokawa’s Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint. Further details will be announced at a later date.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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Make a standout tactical rpg, and then just f*** off to make something else.
Why drop what put you on the map?
ah not the same company, they tricked me, well hope it is good :)
Cool! Never played Unicorn Overload, but I’ve only heard good things about it.
Unicorn Overlord is a great game and Vanillaware is a great studio. But I think it’s important to note that despite this not being a Vanillaware game, Takafumi Noma was much more than just a director. In most videogames studios I’m aware of, the director is less a creator and more of a task manager and facilitator between the different developmental entities (departments, pods, etc…).
Takafumi drove creative on Unicorn Overlord. He holds several of other titles in the credits including:
Writer
Programming Lead
Character Designer
Artist
And a few minor roles like “Recording Assistant”
So, even without Vanillaware, this game will probably feel a lot like Unicorn Overlord. As a note though, Unicorn Overlord wasn’t the most character driven story, it came more from grand political narratives driven by populations. Individual characters were often just cogs in that with personalities being more related to interactions with the hero. Given the lower character drivers of plot, it’s quite a bit different from a Yasumi Matsuno game (Ogre Battle, Tactics Ogre, Vagrant Story, FFT)… and yet very familiar to those who knows Matsuno’s stuff. Either way, I had a lot of fun with Unicorn Overlord.
nice!
