The Kaiju No. 8 The Game 1st Anniversary Special Program just aired, and it was packed with news. We already covered the v2.0.0 update details in a previous post, so here’s the recap of everything new revealed in the live stream, focusing on the new characters and the main events. You can rewatch the stream on the official YouTube channel and check the official 1st Anniversary site.
🎉 Four-Part Anniversary
Unlike the mid-anniversary (which had only two parts), this celebration is split into four parts:
| Part | Start Date |
|---|---|
| Part 1 | August 1 |
| Part 2 | August 20 |
| Part 3 | August 31 |
| Part 4 | September 14 |
Most of what was shown covers Part 1 and a bit of Part 2, so Parts 3 and 4 still hold plenty of surprises.
👤 New Characters
Reno Ichikawa (New) — August 10
A brand-new Reno Ichikawa arrives on August 10 (Part 1). He’s an Ice / Support unit, and judging by the trailer his skill animations look incredible — easily one of the highlights of the anniversary.
Kikoru Shinomiya (Hikaru’s Suit) — August 20
The new Kikoru Shinomiya, wearing her mother Hikaru’s Suit, kicks off Part 2 on August 20. She’s a Slash / Wind attacker (matching her mother’s attributes), with a spectacular Ultimate featuring both Kikoru and Hikaru together. A fan-favorite pick for the anniversary.
Iharu Furuhashi (Teased) — Parts 3 / 4
A leaked image on the official X account reveals Iharu Furuhashi wearing the Closer suit with Shooting / Electric typing — his first-ever ★5 unit in the game. He’ll almost certainly be an attacker and is expected to appear in one of the last two parts.
💡 Bonus leaks: Closer Mina was also spotted in the same datamine, pointing to Parts 3 and 4 having even more units coming.
🔓 Potential Unlock (Character Development) Schedule
The next round of Potential Unlock updates was announced:
| Date | Units |
|---|---|
| August 5 | Kaiju No. 8 (Fortitude 9.8) + Reno Ichikawa (The Compatible User) |
| August 20 | Kikoru Shinomiya (Guiding Light of the Future) |
| September 5 | Rin Shinonome (Aspiration and Honor) + Gen Narumi (Future Sight) |
Gen No. 1 getting a Potential Unlock is the big talking point — his skills are already strong, so a meaningful upgrade could make him a must-have and he is the first limited unit to get a Potential Unlock. In the streaming they showed a lot of reruns banner so make sure to get him.
🗓️ Key Events & Campaigns
- 25,000 Crystals total during the celebration (Aug 1 – Sep 30).
- Login Campaign (starts Aug 8, 6 days): 1 Pickup Ticket, 150 Crystals and 3 Stamina Jellies.
- Web Store Code: 8GOODAY2026 — redeem it in the official Web Store for 500 Crystals (new users can grab up to 850 including the welcome bonuses).
- Reruns: SaGa, Suites, Akari and — very importantly — Izumo on August 17, one of the best Support units in the game and highly recommended.
- Total War returns on August 12.
- Round 2 Event Missions start August 27, plus two more mini-directs (August 30 and later) to reveal Parts 3 & 4.
🎮 New Game Modes
Dimensional Disaster
Portals keep emerging around the map and you must defeat the Kaiju inside to close them — just like in the story. Features adjustable threat levels, season-based progression (~28-day seasons), 10 rescans/skips per day, and a support effect system (attack / defense / special slots) that adds real strategy. Confirmed to arrive during the 1st Anniversary.
Defense Frontline
A daily boss battle where the boss, its effects and plates rotate every day. You get 3 attempts plus a MO Battle (trial mode) to practice. Still in development, with no release date confirmed yet.
💎 Paid Step-Up Banners (Whales Only)
A new line of paid-only step-up banners was unveiled, with exchange tickets as the main reward:
- Full cycle = 6,000 Crystals → 50 Exchange Tickets.
- 200 Tickets = pick any character; 120 Tickets = pick any weapon.
- First banner: August 7
- Best rotation: August 17, guaranteeing one of four units including Izumo.
Fair warning: these are paid-only, so free-to-play players won’t get the step-up benefits — hopefully the devs bring free steps in the future.
With the anime’s final season expected toward the end of the year or early 2027, the 1st Anniversary is shaping up to be the game’s biggest moment yet. Stay tuned for the Part 3 & 4 reveals in the upcoming mini-directs.
