Anthem#9 is releasing on February 5, 2026, announced publisher Shueisha Games. Read on to find out more about the release date announcement, its developer koeda, and its major updates.
Anthem#9 Release Date Announcement and Update
Releases on February 5, 2026
Anthem#9 will drop on Steam on February 5, 2026 as announced by Shueisha Games. The publisher also revealed a few snippets of the game’s updated UI visuals, new endgame content, and an upcoming talk with its solo developer, ‘koeda’.
The game is a strategic roguelite where playersmatch gems to use skills and chain combos against enemies under a time limit each turn.
Players must venture into randomly generated dungeons to collect Attack Skills and "Blessings" and build a configurable deck. These decks will then be used in battle against certain foes, which vary from moving puppet hands to priests.
There are three playable agents of the secret organization ANTHEM#9: the cunning dagger-wielding Rubit, the heroic and young martial artist Beni, and the gun-toting gambler Phannie. Each character has their own ability, with some being capable of changing the color of gems on the board, casting shields and buffs, or splitting gems.
The game garnered a following on Twitter after koeda began posting updates on his progress on the project in 2021, where it started as a series of prototypes and character concepts.
It would eventually gain the support, both financial and technical, of Shueisha Games after winning the publisher’s Game Creators Camp contest in the No Demo Category.
An Office Worker’s Debut Indie Game
Having impressed the people in Shueisha Games, it's quite surprising that the developer had no prior experience in game development when he began working on Anthem#9. He was an office worker by day and the strategic roguelite’s solo developer by night, filling in any gaps he had as someone with no background in programming.
"This is the first time that I’ve ever taken part in game development," koeda told Automaton in an interview last August 2025. "Originally, I was only just a huge fan of games, but when I entered my 30s, I realized I actually wanted to make them. So I studied hard, night and day, and began developing."
Before teaming up with Shueisha Games, the once-unknown developer had to think of a way to be recognized on social media. He eventually settled on using bold colors and images to catch people’s attention, even if it was for only a few seconds.
Some comments from curious viewers on both the game’s YouTube Channel and Shueisha Games’ Twitter even noted that the game’s visuals strikingly resemble those of Persona 5, one of Atlus’ premier RPG titles.
Now partnered with an assistant producer, he would continue work on Anthem#9 and collaborate with the game’s publisher for localization, quality assurance, and debugging.
Along with the release date announcement, Anthem#9’s creatorwill be hosting a special talk and Q&A session on January 30, 2026, at 8:00 PM JST / 3:00 AM PT / 6:00 AM EST, via the game’s official Discord server.
Besides answering questions from viewers, the roundtable discussion will also share behind-the-scenes development stories, which will be broadcast in both Japanese and English.
Overhauls to UI Visuals and New Endgame Content
Anthem#9 also provided screenshots of its major UI visual overhauls, which were redesigned based on community feedback from the game’s demo last October 10, 2025. The developer shared that the redesign was meant to be more understandable and stylish, but adjustments will continue to be made based on what the players think.
Moreover, new endgame content called "Extra Mission" will be available after clearing the game’s main campaign. These missions will contain stronger enemies, new restrictions, exclusive charms, and abilities.
Anthem#9 is an upcoming 3D gem-matching roguelike game slated to release on February 5, 2026, for Steam.
Sources:
ANTHEM#9 launches February 5, 2026! High-difficulty endgame content "Extra Mission" information and latest screenshots released!
Shueisha Games to release ANTHEM#9 on February 5. The award-winning debut work of a Japanese office worker turned game dev
Anthem#9 Developer Interview with Automaton
Anthem#9 Steam Page
ANTHEM#9 Release Date Announced | Steam
