SEGA CORPORATION and Animate Co., Ltd. have officially announced a major global collaboration project that will bring several of SEGA’s franchises to Animate stores worldwide through exhibitions, themed cafés, merchandise, and interactive fan experiences.
This collaboration is huge because Animate is the biggest retailer of anime, video games, and manga in Japan. The year-long initiative marks the first collaboration between SEGA and Animate on a global level, which will be covering multiple IPs across SEGA, ATLUS, and Rovio Entertainment portfolios.
According to the announcement, more than 140 Animate locations across Japan and overseas regions will participate in the campaign. The featured franchises include: Sonic the Hedgehog, Puyo Puyo, HATSUNE MIKU: COLORFUL STAGE!, Persona series, and Metaphor: ReFantazio under ALTUS, Yakuza/Like a Dragon, Angry Birds under Rovio, and Sakura Wars, to name a few.
The collaborations will roll out in phases starting from June 2026, with each franchise receiving dedicated “ONLY SHOP” events and fair, merchandise campaigns, gameplay stations, and Cafe Gratte will provide themed graphic latte featuring character prints.
The project will span multiple countries and regions, including Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Major locations include Animate stores in Tokyo, Shanghai, Taipei, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, London, and Seoul.
A Strong Push to SEGA’s Transmedia Strategy
The collaboration is an indication that SEGA continues pushing its transmedia strategy. The company specifically noted that it wants to expand its IP presence not just through games, but also through video content, live music events, merchandise, retail experiences, and collaborations that connect with fans across different forms of entertainment, something they want with Rovio as well.
This is becoming a major direction across the gaming industry now. More publishers are trying to turn successful franchises into larger entertainment brands that can exist beyond the game itself through anime, toys, fashion, cafes, collectibles, and offline experiences.
SEGA already has some of the strongest globally recognized gaming IPs in the industry, and collaborations like this show how companies are increasingly trying to keep audiences engaged through different experiences rather than just having game releases.
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