Bloomwalker confirmed as a Ni no Kuni spin-off in new Tokyo Game Show 2026 trailer

Netmarble revealed at Tokyo Game Show 2026 that its cozy survival game Bloomwalker takes place in the same universe as Ni no Kuni, higgledies included.

One of the more curious announcements at Tokyo Game Show 2026 didn't come from any of the usual giants. Netmarble dropped a new Bloomwalker trailer during Xbox's showcase at the event and confirmed something fans had already suspected: the game takes place in the same universe as Ni no Kuni, the RPG franchise born from the partnership between Level-5 and Studio Ghibli.

Bloomwalker had already been shown once before, at Gamescom 2025, but back then it looked like just another cute cozy survival game. Now it's clear the story unfolds in Luminoa, a land ravaged by pollution where the guardians who once protected it have gone mad and become incarnations of the pollution itself. And yes, the higgledies, those charming little creatures from Ni no Kuni, are back too, threatened along with everything else.

The gameplay blends crafting, base building and exploration around a rather unusual centerpiece: a moving house that travels with the player from sanctuary to sanctuary. As the journey goes on, the house grows, gains new functions and becomes something like a traveling companion, helping clear away pollution and get through the challenges along the way. You can feel the fingerprints of people who worked on Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds on this one, and Netmarble confirmed exactly that.

The game already has an official Steam page open for wishlisting, and it's also headed to Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. No release date yet, so anyone adding it to their wishlist now will need some patience.

What makes this reveal interesting is how it plays with fan expectations without promising a straight-up Ni no Kuni 3. It's a safer bet for Netmarble: borrow the franchise's mythology and visual charm to sell a genre (cozy survival) that's currently thriving, without carrying the weight of delivering a numbered sequel. If you wanted a classic Ghibli-style RPG, this might sting a bit, but if you're into relaxed games about building and tending a place, the package looks pretty solid.