Unicorn Overlord director Takafumi Noma announces action RPG DAWNGAZER, launching transmedia fantasy IP IGNISPHERE in 2028

Monochrome Corporation and Good Smile Company have announced DAWNGAZER, a brand-new action RPG set to release in 2028 for PC (Steam), PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2. The game is the debut title from IGNISPHERE Studio, founded by Takafumi Noma, the director of Unicorn Overlord.

DAWNGAZER serves as the first project within IGNISPHERE, an original transmedia fantasy IP designed to expand across multiple mediums. The world features 12 distinct nations and races, each with their own cultures and stories. Noma explained the inspiration behind the name: "The name IGNISPHERE combines 'ignis,' meaning 'fire' in Latin, with 'sphere,' referring to a world or realm. Fire can symbolize conflict and destruction, but at the same time, it illuminates and warms people and helps build civilizations."

The shift to action gameplay represents a return to Noma's roots. "For about ten years after I started working in the industry, I was an action game programmer myself, so I've wanted to make an action game again after quite some time," he said. He emphasized that the game prioritizes accessibility alongside depth. "I believe that with action games, the feeling of 'this feels good the moment I pick it up' and 'it's fun to control' is extremely important. At the same time, I don't want it to be something that can only be enjoyed by people who are good at action games. I also want to emphasize the fun of developing your characters and choosing how to fight depending on the situation."

Beyond games, the IGNISPHERE project extends to light novels published through Kadokawa's Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint, merchandise including figures, and other media. Noma noted this is his first venture into transmedia development at this scale. "I think it's interesting that novels and merchandise can show places, characters, and history that can't be fully depicted in a game," he said. "Rather than having each medium develop separately, I want to create something where people can encounter the same world through various entry points and then enjoy it on a deeper level."

DAWNGAZER will support English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese at launch. While developing this action RPG, Noma indicated he hasn't abandoned his previous work in strategy games. "Just because I'm making an action RPG this time doesn't mean I'm abandoning the kinds of gameplay I've valued up to now. Rather, I think it would be interesting to use this world as a foundation for taking on different genres." Future updates will be published through the official Ignisphere X account.