What is Gundam Rogue Orbit anyway?

Gundam Rogue Orbit is being designed as a narrative-driven, single-player action game first and foremost, the duo told Polygon during an interview at Summer Game Fest. Tomiyama said that he hopes that existing Gundam fans "will find that very fresh," but stressed that for newcomers, deep knowledge of five decades of Gundam lore isn't necessary.

In Gundam Rogue Orbit, humanity must fight for survival against an unknown alien threat. Players will take on the role of RE-X (pronounced "Rex"), who pilots the high-mobility suit Gundam Helix in battles against massive, heavily armored creatures. Aiding him in his battle is the adorable Gundam mascot Haro "Vii," Sofia, and a "rag-tag crew of unsung soldiers" still to be revealed. Bandai Namco promises deep connections with the game's characters through its human-centered, dramatic story.

The reveal trailer for Gundam Rogue Orbit drew comparisons to action-focused series like Armored Core, Monster Hunter, and Devil May Cry. Asked if those comparisons were accurate, Tomiyama said, "It's hard for us to make any direct comparisons to other titles, but one thing we were really focused on is the seamless manner that the player can go from air combat to ground combat."

"We were really focused on having the experience as though you really are the pilot of the Gundam and that your in-game actions will be reflected directly," Tomiyama said. "You're able to control the Gundam exactly how you really imagine it, and with that control, you're able to feel the real tension of what it would be like in the cockpit fighting these massive enemies. We feel that this is a unique experience that isn't in a lot of other games."

Tomiyama added, "Our main focus is that we really wanted the action to feel good, and the weapons and the Gundam's movements all come from that philosophy. Because the game was developed as an action game first, that will lead to Gundam actions that are maybe a little bit a departure from the norm."

Tomiyama and Satake stressed during the interview that Gundam Rogue Orbit is being developed by a team at Bandai Namco Studios that has "decades of experience creating Gundam games" and knows how to make playing as a Gundam feel "appealing and real."

"When we were revealing the game, we were very excited, but also feeling anxious at the same time," Tomiyama said. "One big point that we'd like to tell existing fans is that this [game] depicts a battle between humanity and this unknown adversary in a harsh world. Our characters will have to make very difficult decisions. There will be human drama that I think will resonate with existing Gundam fans.

"Because this is the first time we're creating a Gundam series with a video game first, we really wanted [to capture] the feeling that the player is becoming a Gundam pilot — some of the most powerful beings in that world. To put yourself in that role is something that we really wanted the players to feel, and we really hope that existing Gundam fans will embrace that experience."

Satake and Tomiyama are, unsurprisingly, Gundam fans themselves. Satake said he grew up watching the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ anime series as they were originally airing on Japanese television. Tomiyama found his way to Gundam through SD Gundam model kits as a child. Both say they have since enjoyed many more Gundam stories over the years.

"Your first experience really stays with you," Tomiyama said. "It really resonates, and Gundam Rogue Orbit is one of those Gundam stories that was designed to be the first experience for a lot of people. We really hope that many fans worldwide will think fondly of Gundam Rogue Orbit the way we think of our first Gundam titles."

Gundam Rogue Orbit is due out sometime in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.