Metal Max: Wild West may have been cancelled, but like one of its hardy survivors, the Metal Max series lives on. Granblue Fantasy developer Cygames acquired the rights to the series from Kadokawa Games, announcing the pickup on July 29, 2022. Along with the IP, series creator Hiroshi Miyaoka also moved to Cygames to continue shepherding the brand as a game director. Alongside producer Kenichiro Takaki (creator of Kandagawa Jet Girls and producer on Senran Kagura), Miyaoka will lead development on a new, console-based title in the franchise.
Right now the game doesn’t actually have a name beyond Metal Max Project. Cygames debuted a logo for the for the project that featured pixel-style renditions of the various Metal Max lead characters.
Cygames’ announcement commits to “creating a new future” for the now 30-year-old series. Miyaoka said that the rights transfer represents a great opportunity for Metal Max. He thanked Cygames for picking up the IP, and Kadokawa Games for agreeing to send it off.
At the moment, Miyaoka says that development on the Cygames Metal Max title is still in the “just delusions” stage, but they hope that what they put together will “touch the hearts” of both Metal Max fans and RPG fans in general. For his part, Takagi spoke about his familiarity with the series, dating back to his school days. He feels that the challenge of creating an IP that will be loved and passed down for generations” is an industry-wide challenge, including one faced by Cygames. The acquisition aligns with Cygames’ mission: “To create the best content”.
Metal Max Project is in development at Cygames. The last Kadokawa Games project in the series, Metal Max Xeno Reborn, is available on PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Check out Siliconera’s review.
