This year, Japanese developer Nihon Falcom announced their new action RPG Kyoto Xanadu – the Blooming Phantom –, scheduled to launch on July 16, 2026, for PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. The game is an official sequel to the studio’s 2015 action RPG effort Tokyo Xanadu, this time taking the story to Japan’s old capital of Kyoto. Ahead of the release, Nihon Falcom unveiled some of the new features that players can expect in the game, including the character bonding events.
Please note that, as Kyoto Xanadu will not offer English language support on launch, the translations of Japanese in-game terms in this article are unofficial.
Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, Kyoto Xanadu will also feature special character interaction events. This time around, there will be two types of bonding systems for players to experience, both very “Japanese-sounding” to fit in with the traditional aesthetic of the game. These events will be triggered as you explore the city of Kyoto and the Hirasaka Academy, and if you earn enough interaction points through them, you’ll be able to learn more about your friends and other characters appearing in the game.
Specifically, Tankasho, roughly translating to Ballad Excerpts, will let you interact with characters involved in the main story, while Kien Kobanashi, meaning Anecdotes of Strange Coincidences, will give you a glimpse into the lives of the many side characters.
Another very Kyoto-esque feature will be the fictional Oniwaka Tenjin Shrine, located in the city’s popular Shijo Street. There, players can buy charms for removing curses from “cursed armors,” which can be obtained while exploring the labyrinths of Xanadu.
Nihon Falcom also unveiled two new characters appearing in the main story. Wyatt Warren is a sharp-minded third year student who works as the receptionist at the Hirasaka Academy research building, and loves performing shady scientific experiments, to which he sometimes invites protagonist Rei to participate in. On the other hand, Marina Yuino is a clumsy but sincere 15-year-old working at the Hirasaka Academy praying grounds. She reveres Luana, her superior, and is working hard towards achieving her goal of becoming a full-fledged nun.
As for the colorful cast of characters appearing in the Kien Kobanashi scenarios, we have the hero-obsessed Mitsutaka Kino, the posh girl Sayuri Shinozuka, and the bubbly foodie Komachi Takigawa. Nihon Falcom also unveiled Soshi Akizome, a lonely boy possessing a demon-hand artifact, Rikiya Nito, the surprisingly stoic gym bro, and Tomoe Furube, the squeamish bookworm.
Kyoto Xanadu – the Blooming Phantom – will launch in Japan on July 16, 2026, for PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5.
