Updated Mar 17, 2026 by Bushiroad
Legal · November 7, 2025
Published by Bushiroad
Bushiroad Inc. has officially announced the return of its international event series with Bushiroad EXPO 2026, marking a significant expansion of the company’s global outreach strategy. Building upon the momentum of previous iterations in 2024 and 2025, the upcoming circuit aims to bring the company’s diverse entertainment portfolio to twenty regions worldwide. This expansion reflects a strategic commitment to strengthening the brand's presence in international markets and engaging directly with a growing global fanbase across multiple entertainment verticals. The 2026 series is scheduled to launch with events in Taipei, Bangkok, and Chicago, serving as the initial anchors for a broader global tour. These exhibitions are designed as comprehensive showcases for the Bushiroad Group’s integrated media mix, encompassing trading card games, console gaming, music, live stage performances, and anime. By hosting these events in diverse geographic locations, the company seeks to provide localized experiences that include hands-on demonstration sessions for card games, exclusive merchandise sales, and interactive stage events featuring various intellectual properties. While specific schedules and detailed content lineups remain forthcoming, the initiative underscores a broader industry trend of Japanese entertainment conglomerates seeking direct-to-consumer engagement on a global scale. The scope of the project highlights the company's transition toward a more aggressive international distribution model, utilizing large-scale physical events to unify its various business segments. This multi-region approach serves as both a promotional vehicle for existing products and a foundational effort to cultivate long-term brand loyalty in key Asian and North American markets.
Friday, November 7, 2025 Bushiroad Inc. (Securities Code: 7803) ★PRESS RELEASE★ Bushiroad Announces “Bushiroad EXPO 2026” Expanding on a Global Scale The international event series returns, kicking off in Taipei, Bangkok, and Chicago Bushiroad Inc. (Head Office: Nakano, Tokyo; President: Takaaki Kidani) is pleased to announce that “Bushiroad EXPO” will return in 2026. Expanding on a Global Scale to 20 regions worldwide. Following the success of the 2024 and 2025 editions, Bushiroad EXPO 2026 will expand to an even greater scale, bringing the excitement of Bushiroad contents to fans around the world. ★2026 logo BUSHIROADEXPO The first three venues will be Taipei, Bangkok, and Chicago. Each location will feature unique exhibitions, stage events, TCG demo sessions, and merchandise sales, offering fans an even more diverse and engaging experience. Further details, including event schedules and featured contents, will be announced at a later date. Bushiroad would like to thank all fans and partners for their continued support and
looks forward to welcoming everyone to Bushiroad EXPO 2026. What is Bushiroad EXPO? Bushiroad EXPO is an exhibition presented by the Bushiroad Group, showcasing trading card games, console games, music, stage events, merchandise, anime, and more, directly to audiences worldwide. 【Inquiries】 E-mail:[email protected]
Bushiroad’s financial performance for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 reflects a period of significant expansion and profitability, characterized by a 12.2% increase in net sales to 13,766 million yen and a 227% surge in operating profit. This growth was primarily catalyzed by the trading card game segment, which benefited from the successful launches of the Godzilla and hololive official card games. Strategic shifts, including the transition to a single reporting segment and reduced research and development costs within the digital games unit, further bolstered the operating profit margin to 12.1%. The geographic scope of operations has shifted increasingly toward international markets, with overseas sales reaching a record 44.5% of total revenue. This global momentum is supported by the strong performance of established titles like Weiß Schwarz and the release of Hunter × Hunter NEN×IMPACT. While merchandise sales saw a slight year-on-year decline due to high prior-year comparisons, the live entertainment division maintained positive momentum through sold-out events in Shanghai and Japan. The company has already achieved 37.1% of its full-year operating profit target, positioning it well to meet annual forecasts. Future growth is anchored in an integrated "IP Developer" and "One-Stop Media Mix" strategy, which seeks to synchronize anime, digital games, and live events to maximize brand value. Key initiatives include the global expansion of the PalVerse brand, strategic investments in production partners like YUHODO and SANZIGEN, and large-scale events such as Bushiroad EXPO 2026. By leveraging cross-company alliances and high-profile intellectual properties like BanG Dream!, the organization aims to solidify its role as a global platform company capable of scaling both internal and third-party content across the entertainment landscape.
Bushiroad Inc. achieved a steady financial performance through the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, reporting net sales of 14,072 million yen for the period and cumulative first-half sales of 27,839 million yen. This 4.6% year-over-year increase reflects a resilient business model that balances traditional entertainment segments with expanding global reach. While the core Trading Card Game segment experienced a minor dip due to a lighter release schedule, the successful launch of the hololive OFFICIAL CARD GAME and a rising overseas sales ratio of 43.5% provided a stable foundation. Growth was further bolstered by high attendance in the Sports segment, particularly for New Japan Pro-Wrestling and STARDOM, alongside a significant foreign exchange gain. The company has already reached 64.6% of its full-year operating profit forecast, supported by the expansion of the PalVerse figure brand and consistent console game releases. Strategic focus remains on the worldwide mobile launch of HUNTER×HUNTER NEN×SURVIVOR in early 2026 and major product updates for flagship titles like Weiβ Schwarz and Cardfight!! Vanguard. Although the third quarter is expected to be a transitional period characterized by higher marketing expenditures and product specification updates, the full-year consolidated forecast remains unchanged. Long-term growth initiatives are centered on international IP utilization and capital efficiency. A strategic alliance with GENDA Inc. aims to accelerate global expansion, while the planned cancellation of 6,000,000 treasury shares in late 2025 underscores a commitment to enhancing shareholder returns. By integrating live events, digital gaming, and physical merchandise across domestic and international markets, the organization is positioning itself to navigate short-term transitional costs while securing a broader global footprint.
Take-Two Interactive enters 2026 positioned for unprecedented growth, driven by a record development pipeline and the strategic integration of its mobile and console divisions. The company’s financial trajectory is anchored by the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI, officially scheduled for November 19, 2026. This flagship title leads a portfolio that includes thirteen franchises with over five million units sold each, supported by a global workforce of over 10,000 employees. Management anticipates a total addressable market of $199 billion by the end of 2026, fueled by a steady 4% compound annual growth rate in mobile gaming and a robust install base of 138 million current-generation consoles. The 2K label continues to provide a stable foundation for recurrent consumer spending, primarily through the NBA 2K franchise, which has surpassed 170 million lifetime units. Recent commercial successes, such as the August 2025 launch of Mafia: The Old Country and the critical acclaim for Borderlands 4, demonstrate the company's ability to maintain momentum across its premium "Immersive Core" segment. Furthermore, upcoming titles like Civilization VII show strong pre-launch engagement, with nearly two million wishlists on Steam, signaling continued demand for established intellectual properties through fiscal year 2028. The acquisition of Zynga has fundamentally reshaped the corporate revenue profile, with mobile gaming now accounting for 51% of the $5.6 billion in net bookings recorded for fiscal year 2025. This segment utilizes a "Bold Beat" live services strategy and a "hybrid+" catalog approach to bridge the gap between hyper-casual accessibility and deep monetization. With over 10 billion lifetime downloads across its mobile portfolio, the company is leveraging established hits alongside new entries like Match Factory! to capture a larger share of the mobile market. This diversified approach balances high-stakes console blockbusters with steady, high-margin mobile revenue.
Nordic Game 2026 serves as a primary hub for the Northern European video game industry, emphasizing a high density of developers and international attendance. The event facilitates business development and networking through a comprehensive speaker program, an expansive expo floor, and the annual Nordic Game Awards, which honors excellence among regional studios. The gathering targets a diverse range of industry professionals, including game startups, established studios, and service providers, with a specific focus on fostering connections between growing companies and global partners. The participant base is heavily weighted toward production and leadership, with developers and artists making up the largest segment at 40% of all attendees. This is followed by professionals in sales and marketing at 12.6%, management at 9.3%, and service providers at 4.3%. Smaller contingents include exhibiting indies and various support roles. In terms of platform focus, PC remains the dominant sector for participants at 57.5%, followed by console development at 34.2% and mobile gaming at 27.7%. Web and other emerging platforms represent a smaller portion of the ecosystem at 6.7%. The event infrastructure is designed to maximize return on investment through scalable exhibition options, ranging from small four-square-meter booths to large custom pavilions. Private meeting facilities are a core component of the offering, providing flexible spaces for four to fifty people to accommodate different business needs, from formal lectures to casual networking. By integrating sponsored content opportunities and specialized events like the Discovery Contest, the conference aims to support the entire lifecycle of game development within the Nordic region and beyond.