Bandai's Gashapon Capsule Prize Machine Now Transforms Into a Robot
We've had backpacks that double as capsule prize machines. And we've had prize machine cosplayers.
Now, Bandai Namco is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Gashapon capsule prize machines with a surprising offering: a Gashapon Station machine replica that transforms into a robot. After teasing the toy last month, Bandai Spirits' Tamashii Nations brand is showing off its Gashapon Station Robo at the Tamashii Nation 2026 event this week. The toy will launch next April under the company's Chogokin brand for 11,000 yen (about US$70), and pre-orders have already begun.
The figure will stand at 100 millimeters (about 4 inches) in its Gashapon Station mode and 160 millimeters (about 6 inches) in its robot mode. It will come with a gun, three capsules, and replacement decal sheet.
This is not the first time Tamashii Nations has turned childhood nostalgia into robots. The premium toy brand released a transformable (but non-solvable) Rubik's Cube figure in October 2024.
Bandai Namco began the Gashapon brand in 1977. At the time, the capsule prize machines offered prizes at a “then unheard of 100 yen.” Since then, it has gone on to create countless beloved capsule prize toys and collectibles.
Sources: Bandai Spirits' Tamashii Nations' X/Twitter account, Tamashii Nations' website, Gashapon's 50th Anniversary website
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