All translations in this blog are tentative. There is a possibility that they may change upon official release.

Unmei Sasanami - The Protagonist

A protagonist portayed like never before. Dark! Sinister!? You might wonder if it's even possible to like such a character. It sure is! Even though the game is about soccer, it starts with the radical premise that Unmei himself cannot actually play. But whether or not people can like a character isn't about them being a good person; it's about being able to empathize.
Unmei finds himself in a dilemma that everyone experiences one time or another. Was there ever anything you absolutely wanted but could never obtain? Something you wanted to become but never could be? Somewhere along the way, most people will give up. Unmei, however, never did. He kept on trying, crying, screaming, struggling. That's what captivates others about him, albeit in ways different from his own expectations. The protagonist, unable to respond to "Let's play soccer," will motivate others by saying: "You can play soccer!"

Haru Endo - A New Innovative Personality

What did you all think of Haru Endo, Mamoru's son, after watching the trailer? "Isn't soccer kind of... boring?" We're compelled to reply with: "No way!" But I believe this one statement completely captures Haru's essence. Blessed with extraordinary talent, he can't understand the feelings of those who overcome challenges through hard work. That way, he dismisses the legacy of all prior Inazuma Eleven characters, even his own father.
Then there's Unmei Sasanami, trying to pull himself out of the mud. What will happen when these two meet? How will they influence each other? Actually, the very first match will be between the two of them, in Nagumohara Junior High's opening match, to be precise. You might wonder why. Shouldn't they only meet Raimon in the finals? Well, you'll have to wait and see how the story unfolds! Genius vs. Strategy, Peak vs. Underdog. Right from the beginning, you won't be able to take your eyes off this battle!

Selective Casting - Voice Actor Auditions

We auditioned 35 people to find the voices of our two main characters. This time, we decided to cast based solely on whether their voices matched the characters, without relying on their name recognition in the industry, greatly prioritizing drama.
As I wrote the script, I had a certain "voice" for Unmei and Haru in my mind, and I kept searching for these voices. Somewhere around the middle of the audition process, I was on the verge of giving up and looking for a compromise... And then they showed up! First Unmei Sasanami, then Haru Endo! What did you think of their voices? I'm really looking forward to building a new Inazuma Eleven world with them. The full cast of the third trailer will be officially announced at the TGS venue. The two main characters will also make an appearance on "Inazuma Walker." I hope you will come visit us at the LEVEL-5 booth!

A Smile is Our Goal!

The song team wrote 10 complete songs until we ended up with the theme song, "A Smile is Our Goal!" They managed to complete it while enduring countless "something feels off" - attacks. I'm truly grateful! We've been creating music together since the early days of the first Inazuma Eleven, and since we're long time comrades, I get to enjoy the privilege of saying selfish things sometimes. We wanted the new song to surpass the previous Inazuma soundtracks, so we obsessed over every detail. The lyrics depict a journey full of challenges, which perfectly befits the game's story, but also it's production.
Please listen to it at least 100 times! Let's sing along with T-Pistonz during the TGS live shows!

What About the New Match System and Special Moves?

In the footage of trailer 3, many scenes were highlighting plays rather than special moves. Some of you might be concerned that specials might take the backseat in "Victory Road." No need to worry. There's gonna be a LOT of them! (lol) You just have to use them more "carefully" than before. Rather than just using skills for their shere "power," we want you to use them for "tactics." Build your own strategy during the match as to when to use which one!

The Story is Set in Nagasaki

When we decided this game would take place in Nagasaki, I, as a Kyushu native myself, considered using the local dialect. For the local parts of the story it would have added a lot of flavor, but once the characters had to interact with those from Kanto, it would have created a sense of discord. So, ultimately, we decided to stick to standard language for the dialogues. Come to think of it, I had the same problem when Mamoru Endo went to Kyushu, for example to Yokato Junior High. While locals might criticize the "Nagasaki" part as "not quite right," the Nagasaki natives among our staff said it felt pretty good. I hope the folks from Nagasaki can end up saying, "It's different, but yeah, I get it." A pilgrimage to the real places is a bit challenging as we haven't announced the exact locations yet, but it might not be impossible. (lol)

The Final Scene

The story this time is quite intense, but it has turned out really well! It's not great for a creator to brag about their own work, but I really want to point out how happy I am with it. I've been responsible for the concepts, world-building, and main scenarios of almost all past LEVEL-5 titles, but I can't say that every single one of them turned out satisfactory. Creating something as part of a large project is challenging because it involves many different factors. But this time, I'm really confident! I'm proud to say that we have created a well-balanced story incorporating both my personal style and elements from the view of the fans' perspective.
While writing, I sometimes find myself tearing up, like at the end of "Professor Layton and the Unwound Future" or certain parts in "Kinako and Fei." I'll think to myself, "I'm a bit of an odd one, aren't I..." But this time, I felt a sense of satisfaction like never before. I'm sure the final scene will leave a strong impact. Nearing the end of this story's development, I really felt the joy of creation again. From the bottom of my heart, I want to continue making works that surprise everyone! This is also thanks to the immense legacy of the monstrous "Inazuma Eleven" series, which has been completed with the support of so many people. I am truly grateful to Inazuma Eleven and all the fans!

About the Release Date

This is probably what everyone wants to know the most. To put it simply, development is progressing smoothly, but slower than expected. You might be wondering what that means. After all, "slower" wouldn't normally be considered "smooth." But even if we're behind schedule, I still think it's going well! I think I can best describe the situation by saying we do not want to compromise and deliver something perfect. Even if it takes more time, we're determined to present something that will not disappoint you. Now that the full picture of the game and what needs to be done to achieve it has become clear, the staff's motivation is skyrocketing! We'll do our best to announce the release date as soon as possible, so please bear with us a little longer. We want to create something that can be enjoyed for about 5 years once it's released. Oh, maybe the hardware will change...