Sanrio has launched an internal gaming division called Sanrio Games

Sanrio, the company famous for creating Hello Kitty, has introduced Sanrio Games, its own division for game publishing.

Within the next three years, Sanrio Games is set to roll out ten games, with Bloomberg noting that several are already underway in development or pre-production stages.

The inaugural release, "Sanrio Party Land," is scheduled for fall 2026 and will be available on the Nintendo Switch and its successor, Nintendo Switch 2. A second title is anticipated to drop in March 2027.

Reports from Bloomberg also indicate that Sanrio is getting prepared to launch at least half a dozen new projects while committing around ¥10 billion (approximately $62.9 million) on development and promotional activities.

The planning and creation of these games will primarily be handled internally by Sanrio Games, which is also looking to generate new intellectual properties to widen its range of products.

In the past, numerous games featuring Sanrio's beloved characters have come out through licensing deals. One recent example is "Hello Kitty Adventure," brought to life by Sunblink for Apple Arcade before making its way to more platforms.

Despite the continuation of these licensing strategies, Sanrio is now venturing into direct publishing to engage fans globally, enhancing its entertainment offerings.

Sanrio's CEO, Tomokuni Tsuji, remarked that games present a key opportunity for growing their array of characters, particularly in the North American market, which could greatly boost their licensing operations.

This move mirrors a broader trend among Japanese firms like Toei Company, which recently started its own label, Toei Games, to develop new titles for Steam and other home gaming systems.