Now that it's already the end of September, only one notable ga has been released this month—Armored Core from Team IZAN. With the successful completion and launch of that project, Zaboru has already handed them a new directive. Their next major responsibility will be to develop titles for the upcoming ZGBA handheld, effectively shifting one of their focus away from console developnt for the ti being. This marks a significant transition for Team IZAN, as they begin adapting to the different technical demands and gaplay expectations of handheld developnt.
In addition to this new ZGBA assignnt, Team IZAN still has a few remaining console commitnts. Their next big release is Resident Evil 2, which is scheduled for launch in October of this year. Following that, their final planned project for this cycle is The Cowboy Samurai, a highly anticipated title expected to release in February 1999 for the ZEPS 3. These titles will round out the team's console responsibilities before they fully commit to the handheld platform.
Next, the four new teams within ZAGE have been officially established. First are the two Japanese teams, both composed entirely of newly hired talent. These teams have been nad KODO and FUMA. Despite being new, they are already organized into structured units with clear leadership and goals. What surprised Zaboru the most, however, was that among the fresh recruits were nas that rang familiar from his previous life. As usual, so of these individuals were born slightly later than their counterparts in his original world, but their talents were still unmistakable.
The most notable among them was Masahiro Sakurai. In Zaboru's original world, Sakurai had already been making waves by this age. Here, he was born in 1974, making him currently 24 years old—four years younger than in the tiline Zaboru once knew. Despite the age difference, Sakurai's potential had not diminished. He had already proven himself as a gifted ga designer and was working as a team leader within one of ZAGE's 3rd-party developers. When he caught wind that ZAGE was hiring for new internal teams, Sakurai wasted no ti. He applied imdiately, passed the evaluation process with flying colors, and was promptly accepted. Now, he would take on a new challenge as one of the core leaders of Team KODO.
Zaboru felt a surge of optimism knowing that soone like Sakurai would be shaping the future of ZAGE from within. With that kind of talent leading one of their newest teams, the possibilities seed even more promising. It was a clear sign that the new generation of developers was already rising, and ZAGE's foundation was only getting stronger.
Next is Toshihiro Nagoshi, known in Zaboru's previous world as the creator of the Yakuza series. In this tiline, he was born in 1968—making him roughly three years younger than his counterpart from Zaboru's old life. Now in his early thirties, Nagoshi already boasts a deep well of experience in the video ga industry. He previously worked at Sonaya, where he gained valuable insight into AAA ga developnt during his ti as a designer and project lead.
Eventually, he transitioned out of Sonaya and joined BANZ, one of ZAGE's trusted third-party developnt studios. At BANZ, he proved himself once again by rising to a leadership position and overseeing multiple successful projects. His sharp instincts for narrative direction and gaplay chanics made him stand out among his peers.
When ZAGE announced the formation of new internal teams, Nagoshi was among the first high-profile figures from third-party circles to be invited. His leadership abilities, industry experience, and proven results made him a perfect fit for a central role. Now, he has been officially appointed as one of the core leaders of Team FUMA. With his background in crafting mature, grounded, and emotionally resonant titles, Nagoshi is expected to bring a unique edge to the team's future projects. Zaboru, impressed by his growth and adaptability, personally approved his leadership role—eager to see how Nagoshi's vision would shape FUMA's creative direction going forward.
These two teams consist mostly of entirely new recruits, fresh faces who have recently joined the ZAGE family. As of now, each team has a total of 50 mbers, carefully selected to bring a mix of raw talent and untapped potential. However, these numbers are only the beginning—ZAGE fully intends to expand both teams over ti as developnt ramps up and the need for additional roles becos clearer.
Understanding the importance of a strong foundation, Zaboru has taken it upon himself to personally guide and ntor these teams. He plans to ensure they beco fully familiar with ZAGE's internal workflow, tools, and developnt philosophies. From ga design principles to communication pipelines, Zaboru's hands-on approach will help instill ZAGE's core culture into every new mber. Training will be intensive but highly structured, modeled after the successful onboarding process used for the Dynasty team in ZAGE Korea.
Over the course of the next two months, these teams will undergo a comprehensive internal training phase, and building team chemistry. By the end of this period, KODO and FUMA will be ready to take on their first major assignnts, with confidence and clarity in their roles within the broader ZAGE ecosystem.
Similar to the Japanese teams, ZAGE also expanded its operations in the United States by adding two new developnt teams, although with a slightly different approach tailored to the existing infrastructure in that region.
Rather than forming entirely new teams from scratch, the fresh recruits in the U.S. branch will be integrated into ZAGE's two pre-existing Arican developnt teams—Team Enigma and Team Tempest. These new hires will begin their journey by shadowing experienced developers and contributing to ongoing projects within these established teams. This thod allows them to beco familiar with ZAGE's expectations, developnt environnt, and collaborative culture while actively supporting the production pipeline.
After a rigorous two-month training and integration period, these new team mbers will officially branch off to form two fully independent units. These new teams have already been designated with nas that reflect their dynamic and strategic role in ZAGE's future lineup—Team BLAZE and Team FROST. The goal is to cultivate highly capable teams that can carry the sa montum and creative spirit that Enigma and Tempest have established, all while contributing their own innovation and ideas to the larger ZAGE ecosystem.
Zaboru devised a distinct plan for the two new Japanese teams, tailoring their missions based on their strengths and the broader goals of ZAGE. Team KODO would be assigned a highly specialized role: developing gas based on ZAGE's Japanese intellectual properties beyond traditional gaming franchises. This ant creating titles inspired by popular ani, tokusatsu series, and related Japanese dia. These gas would encompass well-known formats like Kan Rider, Super Sentai, and Ultraman, all that owned by ZAGE banner. In addition, they would also be responsible for adapting hit ani series into interactive experiences. Franchises such as ZAGE Gundam, One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach—which were currently airing on ZAGE's own YaDo subscription channel—would serve as fertile ground for a new wave of engaging, visually striking, and action-packed gas. Zaboru saw KODO as the team that would bridge the gap between Japan's massive dia properties and ZAGE's gaming expertise.
As for Team FUMA, Zaboru envisioned a different trajectory. Initially, their task would be to assist with the developnt of farewell titles for both the ZEPS 2 and ZGB platforms, effectively delivering a proper send-off to the systems that had carried ZAGE through its earlier years. Once that phase was complete, FUMA would pivot its focus entirely toward the future—becoming one of the primary developers for the ZGBA handheld. Their responsibility would be to push boundaries in portable ga design, ensuring ZAGE maintained its edge in the handheld market and continued setting new standards across all formats.
For Team USA, Zaboru had carefully mapped out distinct roles for the newly ford teams, aligning their direction with ZAGE's broader dia strategy. Team Blaze, in particular, would take on a mission similar in scope to Japan's Team KODO. However, instead of focusing on Japanese intellectual properties, Team Blaze would concentrate on ZAGE's expansive collection of Western cartoons and film franchises. This included beloved animated films and TV properties such as Toy Story, Hercules, Transforrs, and many more that fell under ZAGE's growing entertainnt empire. Zaboru saw enormous untapped potential in this segnt—ZAGE's are owned Nickelodion
Team Frost, anwhile, was given a hybrid role that reflected the growing needs of ZAGE's core developnt platforms. Zaboru will assigned them to function as a versatile support and innovation team that could contribute to both ZEPS 3 console developnt and PC ga developnt. In the current setup, Team Tempest remained fully dedicated to PC-exclusive projects, while Team Enigma focused exclusively on ZEPS 3 titles. Frost, therefore, would act as a dynamic bridge—providing manpower, experintation, and cross-platform flexibility.
These teams, though still early in formation, were already showing signs of promise. Zaboru was confident that under his leadership and with the right nurturing environnt, both Team Blaze and Team Frost would beco key pillars in ZAGE's Western expansion strategy. As ZAGE's ambitions continued to grow globally, these teams would play a crucial role in the company's future, helping Zaboru shape the next era of entertainnt and gaming innovation.
Not to ntion, one of his most useful reincarnation abilities—Aura of Influence—significantly enhances the learning abilities and determination of employees while they are working within ZAGE's office environnt. This unique passive effect subtly boosts the rate at which team mbers absorb new skills, adapt to unfamiliar tools, and maintain focus on their work. As a result, it will undoubtedly play a crucial role in helping the newly ford developnt teams rapidly level up their capabilities and align more quickly with ZAGE's high production standards.
With the release of Armored Core, the ga is already generating significant excitent and making waves among players across the industry. And now one of the Tri Soft leaders is really excited with this ga.
To be continue
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