Nexon Games has launched its full-scale push into the global market with the first-ever public showcase of a 10-minute playable demo and an interactive booth for Fareidolia, its new anime-style game currently in development, at Tokyo Game Show 2026 (TGS 2026).
As Tokyo Game Show 2026 (TGS 2026)—considered one of the world's top three gaming trade shows—kicked off, Fareidolia, developed by RX Studio under Nexon Games' IO Division, was revealed to global players in playable form for the first time. Fareidolia has drawn early anticipation from subculture fans as the newest title from the IO Division, which built a massive dedicated fandom through Blue Archive. The event takes place over five days from September 17 to 21 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, where Nexon Games set up a booth at Hall 7, C04, featuring a life-sized recreation of Tasogare Hall, the game's core location.
The game's world is set at the Revitalization Center in "Anima City," an alternate world that closely resembles reality. Players take on the role of the director of the Revitalization Center and administrator of "Tasogare Hall"—a dormitory for public servants—spending daily life alongside "Mates," girls with special abilities, while resolving urban issues. The gameplay loop is structured around setting out from Tasogare Hall for exploration and combat before returning home, allowing players to build bonds with characters based on their choices. Combat features a "Live Turn Battle" system, where players strategize by tracking action times and turn order in real time.
The on-site demo build lasts approximately 10 minutes, tightly packing in the game's core systems. Attendees can step inside Tasogare Hall—which has turned into a dungeon due to anomalous phenomena—and control a three-person party consisting of Minie, Ohana, and Shami. The game features dynamic combat where players predict enemy movements to attack within a time limit and utilize a boost gauge to move up a Mate's turn order. Additionally, interactive features such as conversing with characters or calling out to Mates using a voice recognition system have also been implemented.
Inside the booth, a 12-seat hands-on demo area along with spatial elements of Tasogare Hall—such as a large grandfather clock and an elevator—were installed to enhance immersion. In addition, an interactive "Mates Rock-Paper-Scissors" zone allows visitors to connect with the characters, and completing stamp missions awards TGS 2026 limited-edition merchandise. First unveiled in 2024 under the working title Project RX, Fareidolia was showcased at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles, USA, this July before locking in its official title on August 24.
Min-seo Cha, Producer at Nexon Games' RX Studio, said, "Following Anime Expo, we are thrilled to showcase Fareidolia at TGS." He added, "We will do our utmost so that the alternate world and Mates of Fareidolia feel genuinely tangible to players, and we promise to continue showing our ongoing growth and improvement."
