CTW Expands U.S. Engagement and Highlights Growing Pipeline of Anime IP-Based Browser Games
CTW (CTW) detailed expanded U.S. anime market engagement and a growing slate of anime IP-based browser games on its G123.jp platform following its role as an official registration sponsor at Anime NYC 2026.
Rhea-AI Summary
CTW (CTW) detailed expanded U.S. anime market engagement and a growing slate of anime IP-based browser games on its G123.jp platform following its role as an official registration sponsor at Anime NYC 2026.
Across the four-day convention, which drew more than 170,000 attendees, CTW engaged with North American fans and met anime IP holders and publishers. The company highlighted a major update to WIXOSS Multiverse that will shift the game to an idle-style battle RPG with newly illustrated designs for over 60 characters, an OVERLORD collaboration event in Arifureta: Rebellion Soul, and pre-registration plus a teaser trailer for Skeleton Knight in Another World SKULL BRAVE. CTW also pointed to recent launches including HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD DAY 0 and The Apothecary Diaries Palace Chronicles, which surpassed 200,000 pre-registrations before its June 15, 2026 release.
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Market reaction after game portfolio update: CTW -4.84%
Following this news, CTW has declined 4.84%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction. The stock is currently trading at $2.36.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus (15 min delayed). Upgrade to Gold for real-time data.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27 | Investment conference | Neutral | -6.6% | Management announced participation in two September investment conferences in New York. |
| Aug 03 | Anime sponsorship | Positive | -4.0% | CTW announced official sponsorship and participation at Anime NYC 2026. |
| Jun 11 | Investment conference | Neutral | -2.8% | CFO Patrick Liu was scheduled to present at Planet MicroCap Las Vegas. |
| May 13 | Earnings report | Negative | -0.3% | First-half results included a net loss despite higher segment profit and adjusted EBITDA. |
| May 12 | Name change | Neutral | +0.0% | Shareholders approved the CTW corporate name change and related charter amendments. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
CTW's recent expansion and investor-engagement announcements were followed by declines, while the earnings report and corporate name change produced aligned negative and flat reactions.
Key Terms
roguelike technical
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Company deepens relationships with North American anime fans and industry stakeholders while expanding and refreshing its G123 game portfolio
TOKYO, Sept. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CTW (Nasdaq: CTW) (“CTW” or “the Company”), a leading game platform company providing global access to web-based games through its flagship platform, G123.jp, today provided an update on its growing engagement with the U.S. anime market following its participation as an official registration sponsor at Anime NYC 2026, while highlighting recent and upcoming additions to its G123 game portfolio.
Over the course of the four-day event, CTW engaged directly with the U.S. anime fan community, showcased recent and upcoming additions to its G123 game portfolio and met with anime IP holders, publishers and other industry participants. Anime NYC is one of the largest anime conventions in the United States, bringing together fans, creators, studios, IP holders and other industry stakeholders. Organizers reported that the 2026 event, the 9th annual gathering of the convention, welcomed more than 170,000 attendees to the Javits Center, up from 2025’s 148,000 attendees
“Anime NYC gave us a valuable opportunity to engage directly with North American fans and better understand the anime IP and games that resonate with this audience,” said Ryuichi Sasaki, Founder, CEO, and Chairman of CTW. “It also provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships with IP holders, publishers and other industry participants as we continue to expand CTW’s presence in the U.S. market.”
Recent and Upcoming Additions to the G123 Portfolio
CTW highlighted several recent and upcoming titles and content updates on G123.jp, including:
- WIXOSS Multiverse: CTW confirmed a major update will reposition the title as an idle-style battle RPG featuring parties of up to six members, alongside newly illustrated character designs for more than 60 characters. The WIXOSS franchise has spanned anime, card games and mixed media since 2014. The update is intended to refresh the title's gameplay and content while expanding its appeal to both existing and new players.
- Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest – Rebellion Soul: A collaboration event with the anime OVERLORD ran from August 13 through September 2, 2026, spanning the Anime NYC weekend. The event introduced OVERLORD characters including Ainz, Albedo, Shalltear, and Aura & Mare, along with crossover skins and limited-time event quests.
- Skeleton Knight in Another World SKULL BRAVE: CTW released a teaser trailer for this upcoming idle isekai adventure RPG and opened pre-registration. The game is based on the light novel series with more than 3.5 million copies in circulation, whose television anime adaptation began its second season in July 2026.
Momentum from Recent Launches
CTW also highlighted two titles launched on G123.jp earlier this year:
- HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD DAY 0: A roguelike tower defense game based on the manga and anime series by Daisuke Sato and Shouji Sato, launched in April 2026 and is available in Japanese, English and Traditional Chinese, with Korean planned. The title represents the first official IP content from the beloved series in more than a decade and is already seeing strong user growth from Western and global audiences.
- The Apothecary Diaries Palace Chronicles: A simulation game based on The Apothecary Diaries, a franchise with more than 45 million copies sold worldwide. The title surpassed 200,000 pre-registrations ahead of its June 15, 2026 launch. The anime franchise continues to expand, with a third season scheduled for October 2026 and a film scheduled for December 2026.
“Our approach is to work with established anime and manga IP and make those properties accessible to players through G123’s browser-based platform,” added Mr. Sasaki. “Opening our New York office earlier this year brought that model closer to U.S. players. Our participation in Anime NYC builds on that local presence and gives us another avenue to engage with fans and industry partners in North America.”
CTW expects to continue expanding the G123 portfolio with additional officially licensed titles and content updates, while strengthening its relationships with anime and manga IP holders and growing its engagement with players in the U.S. and other international markets.
Additional information about CTW’s games is available on g123.jp and through the Company’s social media channels.
About CTW
CTW is a leading game platform company providing global access to web-based, free-to-play games inspired by popular Japanese anime IP, including So I’m a Spider, So What? Ruler of the Labyrinth, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest – Rebellion Soul, and Queen’s Blade Limit Break. CTW delivers these games through its globally accessible flagship platform, G123.jp, which has accumulated paying users in over 180 countries since its 2018 launch. Founded in Tokyo in 2013, CTW partners with anime and manga IP holders to bring officially licensed titles to players around the world with no downloads or account registration required.
For more information, visit www.ctw.inc or G123.jp.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," "targets," "guidance" and similar statements. CTW may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Any statements that are not historical facts, including statements about CTW's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: CTW's growth strategies; its future business development, results of operations and financial condition; its ability to distribute successful and engaging games with high "playability" on its platform; its ability to efficiently attract and retain end-users who come to play and make in-game purchases; its ability to achieve positive return on investment on user acquisition efforts; its ability to establish and maintain relationships with game developers; governmental policies and regulations relating to CTW's industry; and general economic and business conditions globally and in Japan and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in CTW's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and CTW undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
Contacts
Media Contact:
CTW Press Team
corpcomm@ctw.inc
Investor Relations Contact:
Patrick Federle | Head of Investor Relations
investor@ctw.inc
FAQ
What did CTW (CTW) announce about its U.S. anime market engagement?
CTW reported increased engagement with the U.S. anime market after serving as an official registration sponsor at Anime NYC 2026. The company met fans, IP holders, publishers and other industry participants as it works to expand its presence and G123.jp browser game offerings in North America.
Which new and upcoming G123.jp titles did CTW (CTW) highlight in this update?
CTW highlighted updates and titles including a revamped WIXOSS Multiverse, the collaboration event in Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest – Rebellion Soul, upcoming RPG Skeleton Knight in Another World SKULL BRAVE, and recent launches HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD DAY 0 and The Apothecary Diaries Palace Chronicles.
What changes are coming to WIXOSS Multiverse on CTW’s G123 platform?
WIXOSS Multiverse will be repositioned as an idle-style battle RPG that supports parties of up to six members. The update will also introduce newly illustrated character designs for more than 60 characters, which the company said is intended to refresh gameplay and broaden the title’s appeal.
What is the OVERLORD collaboration event in Arifureta: Rebellion Soul mentioned by CTW (CTW)?
CTW ran an OVERLORD collaboration event in Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest – Rebellion Soul from August 13 through September 2, 2026. The event added OVERLORD characters such as Ainz, Albedo, Shalltear and Aura & Mare, plus crossover skins and limited-time event quests.
What did CTW (CTW) reveal about Skeleton Knight in Another World SKULL BRAVE?
Skeleton Knight in Another World SKULL BRAVE is an upcoming idle isekai adventure RPG on G123.jp. CTW released a teaser trailer and opened pre-registration. The game is based on a light novel series with over 3.5 million copies in circulation and an ongoing anime adaptation.
What are the recent G123.jp launches HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD DAY 0 and Apothecary Diaries Palace Chronicles?
HIGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAD DAY 0, launched in April 2026, is a roguelike tower defense game available in Japanese, English and Traditional Chinese, with Korean planned. The Apothecary Diaries Palace Chronicles is a simulation game that exceeded 200,000 pre-registrations before its June 15, 2026 launch.
How is CTW (CTW) expanding its North American presence beyond Anime NYC 2026?
CTW stated that it is deepening North American engagement by combining Anime NYC participation with a New York office opened earlier in 2026. The company aims to work with established anime and manga IP and expand officially licensed titles and content updates for players in the U.S. and other markets.