Rain98 delayed to 2026

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I just heard some news about C#4R4CT3R, the game I’ve been following! It looks like it’s been pushed back a year. Originally, we were hoping to play it in 2025, but now it’s aiming for a 2026 release. It’ll be coming to consoles – they haven’t said which ones yet – and also on PC through Steam. A little disappointing about the wait, but hopefully, the extra time will make it even better!

Game director Shoon T explained the reasons for the development delay, shared his long-term vision for the game, and outlined the plan to finish it.

Here is the message in full:

■ Director’s Message

Hello, everyone. This is Shoon T, director of Rain98.

We’ve decided to release Rain98 in 2026 to ensure it meets our quality standards. I’m truly sorry to anyone excited about the game, and I want to share the reasons behind this change.

Why We Need More Time

We began full development of Rain98 in April 2025 and have since shown it to players at gaming events worldwide, such as BitSummit, PAX East, and the Tokyo Game Show.

We received a lot of valuable feedback from players during these events, which gave us a much clearer vision for the game than we expected.

With every event, we became more and more convinced that we could go deeper with this game.

We didn’t want Rain98 to be a game you simply finish and forget. Our goal was to create an experience that stays with you, something as memorable as beloved scenes from anime and films. To do that, we knew we had to dedicate ourselves completely and pour our hearts into every aspect of the game.

Beyond the part-time job minigame you could play in the demo, the complete game will offer many more experiences designed to capture what everyday life was like in Tokyo during the late 1990s.

These interactive features aren’t just added for fun; they’re carefully woven into the characters’ motivations, the overall story, and the game’s gloomy, rain-soaked setting.

Preparing all of this with the care it takes requires additional development time.

Future Updates

Rain98 has been wishlisted over 45,000 times on Steam, and we’re incredibly grateful for the amazing support and enthusiasm we’ve received globally. We’re blown away that so many people are excited about the game even with limited information, and it’s a huge motivation for the team.

Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you.

We’ve had to delay Rain98, but we’re committed to keeping you informed. We’ll be regularly sharing updates about how development is going, our plans for events, and new playable demos on both our Steam Community page and Discord server.

■ In Closing

Rain98 will be worth the wait.

We’re still working hard to improve and bring you the best possible experience, so we appreciate your patience and support. The entire team is dedicated to sharing the story of Rain98 with you as quickly as we can.

—Shoon T, Director

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2025-12-09 16:02