Bandai Namco Says Digimon’s Game and TCG Surge Delivers Best Year in 2025
Bandai Namco has revealed that Digimon is entering one of its most profitable stretches in years, driven by the combined momentum of its video game releases and its card game ecosystem. The shift comes as the company reported a standout result for its first fiscal quarter, and it highlights how the franchise—originally conceived in 1997—has found a steadier rhythm across multiple platforms.
Digimon Story: Time Stranger was already known to have performed strongly in the near term, selling over one million copies within just two months of launch. However, the broader takeaway for Bandai Namco is that the entire Digimon line is currently in a peak phase of its history. That assessment was delivered by Nao Udagawa, president of Bandai Namco Entertainment, who tied the franchise’s surge to performance across both mediums.
In an interview with Famitsu, Udagawa said the franchise recorded the highest profits in its history for the group, surpassing the earnings generated around the 2000 anime release. She specifically pointed to the “combined success” of the video game and the card game as the key factor behind Digimon’s unusually strong financial showing—an outcome that represents a marked turnaround for a brand that, in the past, had often been more uneven when it came to game adaptations.
That “new breath” is now reflected in what’s next for the franchise. Following the release of Digimon Story: Time Stranger ports on Switch and Switch 2 in July, Bandai Namco has announced a major expansion planned for 2027. The company has also expanded the mobile lineup with Digimon Up, which launched in July.
Beyond Time Stranger, Bandai Namco also highlighted the performance of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and its sequel, stating that the pair has now surpassed more than three million total sales. Earlier in 2026, the game’s producers suggested that the next entry in the Digimon Story series would not take as long to arrive as it did with Time Stranger—signaling that the franchise’s improved momentum may also affect its release cadence.
