For fourteen long years, fans of the rolling puzzle franchise have survived almost entirely on remastered ports. That predictable cycle officially broke on March 18, 2025. Bandai Namco used the 21st anniversary of the original PlayStation 2 launch to announce an avalanche of new physical merchandise and confirm the upcoming release of the first original console entry in over a decade.
Time Travel Replaces the Standard Remaster Formula
The upcoming console release abandons modern Japanese living rooms for historical eras. Titled Once Upon a Katamari, the game introduces time-travel mechanics that roll through historical eras like the Jurassic Period and the Ice Age. It marks the first new original console entry in 14 years, completely sidestepping the recent trend of simply upgrading older titles for modern hardware.
Development duties were handed to RENGAME, and the title is scheduled to hit the PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series consoles, and PC on October 24, 2025. The studio expanded the core gameplay loop beyond the standard single-player collection mechanics. According to the official Once Upon a Katamari announcement page, the development team prioritized chaotic multiplayer experiences alongside the standard campaign.
The new entry brings several structural changes to the classic formula:
- A dedicated four-player competitive mode called KatamariBall
- Time-hopping stages that alter the types of objects players can collect
- Access to 68 different cousins for extensive player customization
Mobile players get their own separate experience much earlier in the year. Katamari Damacy Rolling Live launches exclusively on Apple Arcade on April 3, 2025. This strategy gives the publisher a dual-pronged approach, capturing casual smartphone users in the spring before targeting dedicated console audiences in the autumn.
Crane Games and Capsule Toys Feed the Merchandise Machine
You cannot celebrate a gaming anniversary in Japan without a flood of physical collectibles. Bandai Namco outlined an aggressive retail strategy alongside the software announcements. The push starts with new Nuigurumi Keyholders featuring the Prince and his cousins Miso and Ichigo. These small plush keychains run between 1,760 and 1,925 yen – roughly 11 to 13 dollars – and are available for pre-order through the Natalie Store with global shipping support from WorldShopping.
Arcade visitors in Japan have a much larger target to chase. In late April 2025, Bandai Spirits will release a giant 27-centimeter crane game prize through its Mechamofugutto line. The oversized plush replicates the franchise’s signature textured ball, but players will need to rely on claw machine skills rather than their wallets to secure one.
Here is a helpful video showing the trailer for the upcoming 2025 original game entry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnceUponAKatamariTrailer
Vending machines are getting a similar restock. Gashapon machines across Japan will dispense Narabundesu capsule figures starting in April. As detailed in the recent 21st-anniversary merchandise reveals, the initial capsule lineup features five specific characters:
- The Prince
- Miso
- Ichigo
- Opeo
- Huey
For fans who missed out on older items, the publisher is working with retail chain Village Vanguard. They are opening a brief pre-order window from March 19 to March 30, 2025, to restock specific merchandise originally released during the 2025 New Year season.
The Original Creator Watches From the Sidelines
The man who designed the original game is not involved in any of the 2025 anniversary projects. Original creator Keita Takahashi left the corporate structure of Bandai Namco years ago to pursue independent development. He currently runs Studio Uvula, maintaining a comfortable distance from the franchise that defined his early career.
During an interview with Japanese outlet Game*Spark in March 2025, Takahashi explained his reasoning for walking away from the publisher. He stated that he did not want to be limited to only working with the existing staff at the company. By going independent, he hoped to collaborate with international developers and gather fresh perspectives on game design.
“I wish I had the Katamari Damacy IP 🙂 Anyway I’m glad that the game and characters are still loved today. In many ways, I have some interesting ideas for Katamari Damacy that only I could come up with.”
Despite his departure, he clearly still thinks about the rolling mechanics he pioneered. In a late 2025 interview with GamesRadar+, Takahashi admitted he wished he still owned the intellectual property rights to his creation. The smiley face in his quote softens the sentiment, but it highlights the common industry friction between creative directors and corporate publishers.
Bandai Namco Banks on Multi-Generational Nostalgia
The motivation behind this sudden surge of content comes down to corporate financials. The publisher’s Toys and Hobbies segment has become a major revenue driver over the last few quarters. In fiscal year 2024, Bandai Namco reported record net sales of 1.05 trillion yen, largely powered by licensing classic intellectual properties across multiple generations.
Physical merchandise is highly profitable when attached to established characters. According to the global gaming merchandise market forecast for 2025, the industry is projected to reach 385.9 million dollars globally. Bandai Namco is positioning itself to capture a significant share of that market, even as external economic factors complicate production.
Manufacturing these collectibles does come with new hurdles this year. United States tariffs of 10 to 20 percent on Chinese-origin goods introduced in early 2025 have directly impacted cost structures for gaming merchandise manufacturers. These trade policies force companies to carefully balance their international shipping costs against retail prices for items like plushies and capsule toys.
| Product Release | Platform or Availability | Launch Window |
|---|---|---|
| Katamari Damacy Rolling Live | Apple Arcade Exclusive | April 3, 2025 |
| Narabundesu Capsule Figures | Japanese Gashapon Machines | April 2025 |
| Once Upon a Katamari | PS5, Switch, Xbox Series, PC | October 24, 2025 |
The strategy seems to be working. Early physical sales data for the Switch version of Once Upon a Katamari in Japan showed a debut week of 17,289 units – a solid start for a quirky puzzle game that has not seen a fresh entry in over a decade.
After relying entirely on the Reroll remasters in 2018 and 2023, the franchise finally has forward momentum again. The 21st anniversary proved that the publisher still sees value in the strange, sticky ball that rolls up everything in its path. Whether you plan to explore the new time-hopping console entry this autumn or just want to import some #GamingMerchandise for your desk, the #KatamariDamacy property is rolling faster than it has in years.
