EDIT: You can view more information about all of the announced titles here: compileheart.com/ch_titlelineup2023_2024/
As of October 1, Compile Heart has revealed a new management structure. Naoto Tominaga has been appointed as the president, while Hikaru Yasui will take on the role of director. Additionally, the company has exciting news to share, with the announcement of seven new titles currently in development.
Naoto Tominaga, a former member of Compile and is very experienced, he brings a bunch of industry knowledge with his new role as president, with a prestigious track record at renowned companies such as Capcom, TAITO, Eidos, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts, Tominaga has led various aspects of game production and development, marketing, new business development, and management both in Japan and overseas.
Since joining Idea Factory in 2020, the parent company of Compile Heart, Tominaga has demonstrated his versatility by taking on diverse responsibilities within the organization.
Hikaru Yasui, known for his expertise in RPGs and simulation games as a producer at Sting. He has contributed to the development of notable titles such as Blaze Union: Story to Reach the Future and Hexyz Force.
After his tenure at Sting, Yasui ventured into the social games industry before joining Idea Factory in 2020. Notably, he took on the roles of producer and director for Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters and Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution, showcasing his talents with these projects.
Under its newly established management structure, Compile Heart is committed to its longstanding pursuit of “niche” markets. However, the company also has ambitious plans to broaden its horizons by venturing more into overseas markets instead of just Japan by embracing multiplatform development.
Compile Heart aims to diversify its game offerings by exploring a wider range of genres than ever before, this new strategic approach reflects the company’s dedication to growth and innovation in the gaming industry through the announcement of half a dozen new game projects.
New projects such as a new installment of the Madou Monogatari (Puyo Puyo) franchise, with the long since forgotten dungeon-crawling JRPG making its return after a thirty year absence being the most surprising announcement to come from Compile Heart today.
Madou Monogatari 4 (Working Title) will be developed by Sting Entertainment with additional staff members from the original Compile in cooperation with IP holders D4 Enterprise and apparently the game will be co-licensed with SEGA allowing the full use of characters from Puyo Puyo and apparently is set to release sometime around summer 2024 in Japan.
Secondly there is an untitled “shoot ’em up” game that will be developed by M2 who are notorious for making a lot of shmups, they tend to do a lot of port jobs for various other publishers too.
The untitled shoot ’em up also has a slated release for summer 2024 (in Japan), further details are yet to be announced, though it should be said that M2 was recently responsible for GG Aleste 3 as apart of the Aleste Collection.
The third and forth games announced by Compile Heart are: Death end re;Quest Code Zion and Death end re;Quest 3. While there is no available information on Death end re;Quest 3 at the moment, Death end re;Quest Code Zion is set to be a spinoff that takes place between the events of re;Quest 1 and re;Quest 2.
This spinoff promises to introduce new elements and features to the series, providing fans with a fresh and exciting experience.
The release of Death end re;Quest Code Zion is like the other games revealed is also set for summer 2024, with the platforms yet to be announced. On the other hand, Compile Heart has not provided a specific launch date for re;Quest 3. However, they have confirmed that re;Quest 3 will be released after the Code Zion spinoff.
The fifth announcement is Todokero! Tatakae! Calamity Angels, a themed JRPG centered around mail delivery.
This humorous game will showcase a delightful cast of characters with charming designs by Kei Nanameda. The story and gameplay will revolve around a variety of personality types, including moe and airheads, offering a playful and lighthearted experience. Players can expect a combination of comedy and cute elements as they embark on an adventure of delivering mail.
Todokero! Tatakae! Calamity Angels will launch (you guessed it) in summer 2024, however the difference being that this particular title has been confirmed for release on Sony PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles, alongside a release on Nintendo Switch and on PC via Steam, unfortunately the PC release won’t be coming under after summer.
The sixth title announced is a new mainline installment of the Hyperdimension Neptunia franchise, given Compile Heart’s interests in venturing out in terms of multiplatform support it certainly bodes well considering how Neptunia usually has been exclusive only to Sony’s censorship ladled PlayStation systems usually, no information has been given unfortunately.
As Compile Heart’s flagship series, they are dedicated to Neptunia’s development process, ensuring that every aspect of the game is carefully crafted. Over the course of two years, key staff members including producer Naoko Mizuno and illustrator Tsunako have been diligently working to shape the game’s content. With Compile Heart stating that a clear direction has just been established.
Lastly Compile Heart have announced Touhou Spell Carnival, a tactical RPG developed by Sting.
The game’s storyline centers around an intense 30-day Spell Card Battle, featuring the participation of numerous iconic Touhou characters, the game will alternate between thrilling battles and engaging story segments.
The game will seamlessly blend the intense action of the iconic bullet hell shoot ’em ups that Touhou Project is notorious for, alongside strategic battles. This unique combination will feature elements familiar to shoot ’em up enthusiasts, including the use of high-powered bombs, the battles will take place in real-time adding an extra layer of excitement to the gameplay.
Additionally, the game will showcase illustrations of Touhou Project characters, infused with a distinctive “Compile Heart-like aura” skillfully created by Katsuyuki Hirano.
Players can anticipate an immersive experience that combines strategic battles with an enchanting narrative, brought to life by the unique artistic style of the renowned illustrator, and unlike the other games revealed that have an intended release date, Touhou Spell Carnival will apparently arrive a little bit earlier in spring 2024.
Fans can look forward to more updates from Compile Heart regarding the additional information and release plans for these games at a later date.
