Sanrio, the company behind wildly popular character brands like Hello Kitty, launched its own game brand Sanrio Games.
The division’s first title, Sanrio Party Land, is set to launch simultaneously worldwide in the fall of 2026 for Nintendo Switch 1 and Switch 2.
The upcoming title is a party game set in a town occupied by Sanrio characters. Players will create their own avatars and play minigames and board games with Sanrio characters.
Other games are in pre-production or development. Over the next three years, Sanrio plans to launch 10 games “as a new point of connection linking Sanrio’s character IP with fans around the world,” the company said.
Sanrio’s recently launched an anime show Netflix — My Melody & Kuromi. It also has a Hello Kitty movie set for 2028. And fellow Japanese company Toei Animation, owned by Manga Productions in Saudi Arabia, also announced Toei Games today.
Guided by its founding philosophy of Minna Nakayoku (or “Getting Along Together”), Sanrio has created more than 450 character IPs, including Hello Kitty.
In May 2025, Sanrio announced its long-term vision, “A lighthouse guiding everyone to smiles,” and set out to evolve into a global IP platformer. One of the core pillars supporting this vision is its game business, the company said.
To date, many games featuring Sanrio characters have been released globally through licensing partnerships. While Sanrio will continue to expand these initiatives, it is also launching a self-published game brand as a new way to connect its IP directly with customers around the world, further broadening and enriching its entertainment experiences.
Under the Sanrio Games brand, Sanrio will take a leading role in planning and development as it enters the global gaming market.
Through self-publishing, Sanrio will strategically design a diverse range of game experiences, from titles featuring a wide variety of characters to games that deeply reflect each character’s unique world, as well as projects across multiple genres. Looking ahead, Sanrio will also explore the creation of new IP originating from games, expanding its IP universe with gaming at its core.
In addition, by linking games with Sanrio’s existing services, such as its membership program Sanrio+, retail shops, and theme parks, Sanrio will create new forms of entertainment value and experiences.