Bandai Namco Entertainment introduced Digimon Story: Time Stranger last year, marking the first new standalone game in the Digimon Story series in nearly a decade. Excitement for the title was already high prior to its release, and within two months, it had sold over 1 million copies, making it the fastest-selling title in the series.
During a recent interview with Famitsu, Bandai Namco Entertainment CEO Nao Udagawa discussed the company’s achievements over the past year, which included a significant resurgence for the Digimon franchise.
According to Udagawa, 2025 was the most profitable year for the Digimon intellectual property: “Thanks to the combined success of the digital game and the card game, the Digimon IP has recorded highest ever profits for the Bandai Namco Group, surpassing the profits of the 2000 anime.”
The Digimon IP shows no signs of slowing down, as Time Stranger is set to receive a major DLC in 2027, following this year’s Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 port release. Building on this momentum, Bandai Namco Entertainment launched the Digimon Up RPG for mobile in July. Additionally, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth also received a surprise Steam release in Japan last week, after being region locked for nearly 7 years.
Digimon’s success appears to extend beyond the domestic market. Udagawa noted that approximately 90% of Bandai Namco Entertainment’s overall console game sales come from overseas markets.
Udagawa outlined her personal objectives for Bandai Namco Entertainment, which include implementing the three mid-to-long-term core strategies: “promoting our game portfolio, reinforcing development capabilities, and expanding and taking on new challenges with our IP-based businesses.” While the specifics of how the Digimon franchise will align with this plan remain unclear, earlier this year in January, the Digimon Story development team hinted that a new series entry might be coming sooner than anticipated.
Digimon Story: Time Stranger is currently available for PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.