Bandai Namco Summer Showcase 2025: My Hero Academia Game, Tekken 8, and More!

Bandai Namco is throwing its own event this summer to join the gaming chaos. It's called the Bandai Namco Summer Showcase 2025, and it will happen on July 2, 2025, at 12:00 PM PT, 3:00 PM ET, 8:00 PM UK, and 9:00 PM CEST. If you like My Hero Academia, Tekken, or Little Nightmares, there's still a lot to look forward to, even though there won't be as many announcements as Nintendo Directs.

Here's the main tease: the news, or at least a hint of a brand-new My Hero Academia game. This could be fun for people who have watched the anime for a long time (it's like X-Men with teenage chaos and power fantasies). Or another miss-hit.

To be honest, Bandai Namco has had a lot of bad luck with this IP. It was fun to fight in the arena in My Hero One: Justice and its follow-up, but they weren't as polished or powerful as the anime's high-energy stories and character work. Who will win the My Hero Ultra Rumble battle royale? Let's just say it shouldn't be brought up.

So far, not much is known about this game. We don't know if it will have a real story, be a rebooted fighter, or be (please don't be) another battle royale. We're crossing our fingers that whatever is teased this time is true to the series' spirit and has good gameplay to back it up.

It's not just Deku and his friends in the showcase. Bandai Namco will be highlighting a number of games that have already been announced. These will probably have new trailers, release dates, or in-depth looks at the gameplay. These games are likely to be there:

• Everybody's Golf / Hot Shots
• Little Nightmares III
• Patapon One + Two Replay
• Shadow Labyrinth
• Super Robot Wars Y
• Tekken 8
• Code Vein 2: The Blood of Dawn Walker
• Death Note: Killer Within

Some of these like Tekken 8 with new updates, Code Vein 2, and Little Nightmares III, already have a lot of footage out there, but any new footage is still great. Many of these games are also said to be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, so if you're interested in that next-gen hybrid, this show might be worth a look.

There has been talk about a possible Switch 2 version of Tekken 8, but nothing has been confirmed yet. You shouldn't expect Bandai to officially say it here, but keep your ears open in case they do.

This, however, is not a Nintendo Direct, which needs to be said again. There won't be a bunch of "world premieres" or shocking news. Bandai Namco's summer showcase is more of a marketing event meant to highlight and promote games you've probably already heard of. There may also be a few new announcements thrown in for good measure.

It's kind of like a long collection of trailers with some developer commentary. You might be let down if you expect big surprises like in Elden Ring 2 or Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3.

In fact, the host of the video warned viewers not to have too high hopes, pointing out that fans got too excited for the Arc System Works showcase and were let down. As a third-party publisher and not a platform owner, Bandai Namco's showcase will only include games they want to sell and not an event meant to make headlines.

So, should you watch it? Of course. If you like Bandai Namco series, this is still a good chance to see new footage and news. Whether you can't wait to see more of Little Nightmares III or are interested in seeing if Code Vein 2 can be better than the first one, this is worth your time.

But go into it with realistic goals. The most "new" thing is the My Hero tease, but it's still only a maybe. What about the rest? A good collection of well-known games that have been given a new marketing look.

Remember July 2, but don't expect fireworks unless Bandai has been hiding a real surprise.