Sega and Atlus are taking eight major franchises on a global Animate tour

Sega, Atlus, and Rovio are teaming up with Animate for a year-long global collaboration project featuring eight major franchises. The lineup includes Sonic the Hedgehog, Puyo Puyo, Project Sekai Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku, the Persona series, Metaphor: ReFantasio, Yakuza, Angry Birds, and Sakura Wars. And I am here for it.

This massive merchandise and exhibition tour spans domestic Animate stores in Japan and international locations. Fans in Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, Taipei, Bangkok, Seoul, and several other cities will see rotating events over the next twelve months. The campaign includes exclusive store exhibitions, new merchandise lines, and Animate's signature Gratte cafes, which serve drinks and cookies printed with character art.

Unlike other events I've posted about recently, this one does have an online component. But the site isn't available yet.

Angry Birds and Sakura Wars in the same room

The franchise selection highlights the sheer breadth of Sega's current corporate umbrella. Sega acquired Rovio in 2023. Now, the birds from a 2009 mobile physics game are sharing promotional billing with Kazuma Kiryu and the cast of Metaphor: ReFantasio. Seeing the Angry Birds lined up next to a 1996 steampunk tactical romance simulator is a surreal milestone in corporate synergy.

Metaphor: ReFantasio is the newest addition to this tier of Sega properties. The fantasy RPG launched in late 2024 and quickly cemented itself as a pillar for Atlus alongside Persona. Its inclusion in a year-long global merchandise tour confirms Sega views it as a permanent flagship franchise.

It is also a rare treat to see Sakura Wars get global merchandise attention in 2026. The series has a dedicated fanbase, but it usually takes a backseat to heavy hitters like Persona and Yakuza during international events. Grouping these eight properties together guarantees foot traffic from entirely different gaming demographics.

A history of cafes and acrylic stands

Sega and Atlus are no strangers to Animate partnerships. Atlus frequently takes over Animate cafes for Persona anniversary events to serve themed curries and sell limited character badges. Sega has run massive standalone fairs for Project Sekai and hosted dedicated Like a Dragon pop-up shops to coincide with new game launches.

What makes this 2026 project different is the unified, cross-franchise approach. Instead of a single game getting a two-week promotional window, this is a coordinated global rollout. The companies are leveraging Animate's entire international retail network to push a rotating slate of their biggest games for a full year.

The rollout starts with Sonic

The schedule breaks the franchises into dedicated promotional windows. Sonic the Hedgehog kicks things off with a fair. The event runs from June 6 to June 28, 2026. Select locations will even have game demo stations set up during the first two weeks.

The initial Sonic merchandise leans heavily into classic artwork. The lineup includes clear posters, masking tape, foil-stamped badges, and large acrylic stands of Sonic, Shadow, and Silver. Prices range from 440 yen for masking tape to 4,400 yen for the oversized acrylic figures.

After Sonic wraps up, the tour moves to Project Sekai on August 1. The puzzle game Puyo Puyo is currently scheduled for February 2027. The Gratte cafe schedule is just as staggered as the merchandise drops.