Bandai Namco Reports Highest-Ever Q1 Results for 2026

Bandai Namco has unveiled its Q1 2026 financial results, boasting the highest first-quarter performance on record. The company achieved a 7.1% increase in net sales and a 17.9% rise in operating profit compared to the same period last year. A significant factor in this growth is the substantial 81.2% year-over-year increase in sales of the Mobile Suit Gundam IP. For the first quarter of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, key financial highlights include: net sales of ¥300 billion ($2 billion), a 7.1% year-over-year increase; operating profit of ¥51.9 billion ($399 million), up 17.9% year-over-year; and ordinary profit of ¥54.6 billion ($369 million), representing an 11.4% year-over-year increase. The company's Digital division, encompassing video games, saw a 1.3% year-over-year sales increase to ¥108 billion ($730 million) and a 47.7% profit growth to ¥21.7 billion ($147 million). The Mobile Suit Gundam IP's remarkable sales boost, attributed to cross-group initiatives ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2029, has made it the company's top-selling IP in Q1 2026. Other notable performers include the mobile game SD Gundam G Generation Eternal, which had a solid launch, and Elden Ring Nightreign, with over five million units shipped. The Home Console Game segment sold 10.8 million units, with new game sales accounting for 4.62 million units and repeat title sales making up 6.13 million units. Looking ahead to Q2 2026, Bandai Namco aims to expand its network content and strengthen its earnings base through core titles, although it anticipates higher upfront costs due to an increase in new releases.