Bandai Namco confirmed the release date for Hatsuboshi Gakuen: The Idolmaster. The new mobile game, which also forms the sixth “brand” in The Idolmaster franchise, will be available on May 16, 2024.
The company made the announcement during a live stream where it also goes more in-depth into the title’s gameplay features. The player will generally have to do multiple playthroughs of the Produce Mode to gradually improve the idol’s performance stats and pass the checkpoint exams. Vocal, Dance, and Visual lessons will be the primary methods to raise each stat.
The lessons will have a similar gameplay to The Idolmaster Shiny Colors: Song for Prism, in which the player must release cards to gain points while keeping the energy costs in mind. But while Song for Prism has the player race against time, the gameplay in Gakuen Idolmaster will be turn-based. It will task the player to pass rating thresholds within the allotted number of cards and turns.
Being a free-to-play game, Gakuen Idolmaster will also have gacha elements. Players who are just starting the game will be able to pick an SSR-grade Produce Card based on one of the nine launch characters. The rest will have to be acquired via gacha or gameplay tasks. The game will also provide enough jewels for players to do a 10-pull gacha at the beginning.
An archived version of the Japanese live stream is also available to watch right below:
Hatsuboshi Gakuen: The Idolmaster will be available for iOS and Android mobile devices in Japan, and the release date will be May 16, 2024.
