{"rewrite":{"id":"r_723cb3b2d0bf20a149f7df26","clusterId":"c_2f3ebdea49682a26b90c185c","slug":"nekonome-s-shogi-game-kiou-passes-10-million-matches","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Nekonome's Shogi Game KIOU Passes 10 Million Matches","summary":"KIOU, the competitive shogi game from Nekonome Inc., has passed 10 million cumulative matches, roughly three months after the game went live. The iOS and Android versions launched on Friday, June 12, 2026, with the PC version on Steam following on June 14. The game runs on KIOU AI, built by professional player Hiroki Taniai, 5-dan, and supports ranked, CPU, and friend matches.","whyItMatters":"Ten million matches in about three months puts KIOU's player activity, not its launch, as the number Nekonome chose to lead with, which says the shogi app is being used as a recurring habit rather than sampled once.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe total counts matches played across the iOS, Android, and Steam versions, so it measures activity rather than downloads. Nekonome credits KIOU AI, the engine built by professional shogi player Hiroki Taniai, 5-dan, which suggests the next-move support for beginners and dan-level players is doing the work of keeping weaker players in the pool.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe game ships with ranked matches, CPU matches, and friend matches, plus time controls that include the Fischer rule used in the ABEMA Tournament, 3-minute sudden death, and 10-second shogi. Voice performances, a character affinity system, and effects that trigger on completed strategies and formations round out the package.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"KIOU hit 10 million matches in about three months, and the AI behind it is Hiroki Taniai's work. A pro player's engine is the product here, not a licensed shogi set with a board skin.","twitterPost":"KIOU's draw is Hiroki Taniai's AI, not the shogi ruleset. That is what separates it from a board skin.","threadsPost":"KIOU passing 10 million matches in roughly three months puts the focus on KIOU AI, built by Hiroki Taniai. A pro player's engine is the product, not a licensed shogi set with a board painted on top. Ranked play is only as good as the opponent it can simulate.","newsletterBlurb":"Nekonome Inc. says its competitive shogi game KIOU has passed 10 million cumulative matches, about three months after release. The iOS and Android versions launched June 12, 2026, and the Steam version followed on June 14. The game includes ranked, CPU, and friend matches, time controls such as the Fischer rule used in the ABEMA Tournament, and next-move support from KIOU AI, built by professional player Hiroki Taniai, 5-dan.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"ASCII.jp\",\"url\":\"https://ascii.jp/elem/000/004/434/4434704/?rss\",\"title\":\"Competitive Shogi Game 'KIOU' Surpasses 10 Million Total Matches\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4410,"outputTokens":682,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1789379073,"createdAt":"2026-09-14T09:40:51.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-09-14T09:43:23.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-14T09:43:23.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_2f3ebdea49682a26b90c185c","canonicalTitle":"対戦型将棋ゲーム『棋桜（KIOU）』、累計対局数1000万局を突破","representativeArticleId":"a_9c499904329b903bbc52c384","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"KIOU\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-09-14T08:30:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-09-14T08:30:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-14T09:43:23.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"ASCII.jp","url":"https://ascii.jp/elem/000/004/434/4434704/?rss","title":"対戦型将棋ゲーム『棋桜（KIOU）』、累計対局数1000万局を突破"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["KIOU"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}