Gundam: Rogue Orbit is built around making you feel like an actual Gundam pilot

Gundam: Rogue Orbit – revealed at Summer Games Fest – is the first time a new Gundam universe has been introduced through a video game rather than an anime or manga. Main producer Yuya Tomiyama and chief producer Shinya Satake spoke to IGN about what that means for the project and why it changes how they approached the whole thing.

Tomiyama says the core design goal is simple: make players genuinely feel like they're piloting a Gundam. That means the action has to feel good first – tight, responsive, satisfying – because the emotional connection to the Mobile Suit flows from the controls, not the cutscenes. The trailer already showed something unusual for the franchise: instead of Gundam-vs-Gundam combat, the player is fighting large monsters. Tomiyama explains that enemy design was built backwards from the weapons – the Gundam's physical armaments are enormous, and the team asked themselves how to design enemies that make using those weapons feel as satisfying as possible.

Rogue Orbit is a new world built specifically with game design in mind, not adapted from an existing series. That's a meaningful shift for Bandai Namco, which has produced plenty of Gundam games before but always within established continuities. Starting from scratch means the team can shape the lore, tone, and story beats around what works in an action game rather than retrofitting an anime narrative.

The interview was cut short in the source, so details on story, platforms, and release window weren't covered. What's clear is that Bandai Namco is treating Rogue Orbit as a genuine franchise entry point for players who've never watched a single episode – and the pressure to deliver both great action and the emotional weight Gundam is known for sits squarely on this game's shoulders.