Gundam: Rogue Orbit Is A Fresh Start For The Franchise That Still Feels True To The Mech's Roots

Published Sep 13, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT

Brandon Zachary is a Lead Writer for Screen Rant's New Movie Team. He also writes or has written for Comicbook.com, CBR, That Hashtag Show, Just Watch, and TVBrittanyF. Brandon is an Emerging Screenwriters Semi-Finalist, co-writer of a Screencraft Quarter-Finalist, a seasoned on-screen interviewer, and a MASSIVE nerd. You can reach him at bs.zachary@gmail.com

Gundam is nearing its 50th anniversary, and Bandai Namco is giving fans the perfect present. Gundam: Rogue Orbit is an explosive new take on the material that still stays true to the source. It does this through a solid mix of call-backs and reimaginings, all while giving players the feeling of being a Gundam pilot themselves.

During an interview with Screen Rant at GamesCom 2026, Gundam: Rogue Orbit producer Yuya Tomiyama and director Yoshiyuki Serizawa of Bandai Namco Studios sat down to discuss taking the franchise in a new direction, how they approached combat design, and how the game was designed with new and old fans in mind.

How Gundam: Rogue Orbit Diverges From The Franchise Staples

Gundam: Rogue Orbit is set in a new continuity, drawing on broader sci-fi concepts and introducing hordes of alien enemies for players to fight. The game is set in an offshoot of the established lore. The story focuses on RE-X, a unique (and artificially created) pilot who may be the key to fighting back against a monstrous alien race known as the Apocalypse.

Along the way, RE-X befriends other pilots and works with different organizations, while the supporting cast of fellow pilots and factions hints at a more complex story than a simple black-and-white "humans vs. aliens" narrative. Still, the inclusion of aliens might surprise series purists.

It's a far cry from the usual shades-of-grey conflicts at the core of the franchise, but the developers were quick to note the game would still retain those morally grey elements. It's a departure from the typical approach, which is a tad easier for newbies to sink their teeth into, but something the duo wanted to lean into without losing sight of the moral complexity that has long defined the franchise.

"The fundamental reason behind this is we wanted to make this an entry point for Gundam to go to a wider audience who is not familiar with the franchise," Tomiyama explained. "This is a 100% original storyline, an original universe. At the same time, we have to make an exciting action game that feels true to Gundam. That was a very hard task."

Luckily, the team Serizawa noted that "we balanced it out because most of the team had worked on previous Gundam projects. They've got knowledge and experience. Their teamwork really helped... It's a new interpretation of an old-school Gundam. We wanted to discover that old-school Gundam style of war, mobile suits, and human drama, where you become the ace pilot and experience the world firsthand.

Take Flight And Bring The Fight

Gameplay is fast-paced without being too chaotic. Players have plenty of options when it comes time to upgrade and customize their Gundam, including a wide array of close-combat options, ranged weapons, and tactical assault methods. During the demo made available to the press at GamesCom, there were three distinct weapon loadouts available.

There's the all-around effective Assault Sword, the close-quarters Sword Lance, and the ranged Whip Sword. Each style offers a different approach to combat, emphasizing either maneuverability or damage output. Regardless of the weapon choice you make, the game does a terrific job of recreating the feeling of piloting a Gundam.

The battles are fast-paced without being overwhelming, emphasizing outmaneuvering enemies through quick dodges or counters, with engaging moments of strategy. One of the bosses present in the demo was a massive alien dragon that could dish out massive amounts of damage -- if it could land a hit.

We wanted to make the player feel like they are the hero. We wanted them to feel like this is their Gundam.

Playing properly and targeting the creature's specific appendages lets the player whittle down its defenses and reduce its offensive capabilities for a time while it heals. In this sense, the game does a terrific job at recreating the feeling of being a Gundam pilot -- you have all this power at your disposal but have to be specific with how you use it, or you'll crumble under the weight of enemy attacks.

It's a fitting reimagining of the concept, something the team was very adamant (and proud) of accomplishing. "It took months of development to create that sense of action in a way that didn't lose the heaviness of the mechs. We wanted to find the balance of that power and that weight and speed with the Gundams," Serizawa revealed.

All that hard work has paid off, though. Having played through some of Gundam: Rogue Orbit, it's easy to say that it's one of the most instantly rewarding Gundam experiences I've ever found in gaming, an almost instantly rewarding mix of grand scale and tight action that reflects the power of the Gundams compared to other mechs.

While the pair admits they cut some ideas and that plans for future content still aren't defined, their focus remains on delivering the best possible Gundam gaming experience. "No one expected to get such a mix of close-combat [with the ranged options]," Tomiyama noted. "I think that's exciting for new players and old players alike. You get to create your own Gundam and make it your own. The challenge for us was making the foundations strong enough for everyone to have fun. I think we achieved that."

Gundam Rogue Orbit

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