{"rewrite":{"id":"r_da209cad305ea8245ae64dcf","clusterId":"c_7273a063818eefef8a21d17f","slug":"roco-kingdom-japan-cbt-set-for-october-27-applications-open","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Roco Kingdom Japan CBT Set for October 27, Applications Open","summary":"The closed beta test for the Japanese version of \"Roco Kingdom\" (iOS / Android) will run from October 27, 2026, with participant applications now open on the official website. The game is a free-to-play open-world RPG from Tencent group studio Morefun Studios, where players capture and raise monsters called Jini instead of obtaining them through gacha. The Chinese version launched on March 26, 2026, and drew over 15 million new registrations on its first day, later ranking first in average daily active users and sales among new games released in mainland China by the second quarter of 2026. The original browser game, first released in China in 2010, has cumulative fans of 350 million, and the IP also includes a 152-episode anime, over 100 books, and four theatrical films. The new title rebuilds that worldview as a 3D open world, with over 400 Jini types at launch, command-based turn battles using six Jini and four skills, plus housing, farming, and PvP. Paid elements focus on costumes and other visual items. An offline trial event is scheduled for September 21 in Tokyo.","whyItMatters":"The Japanese launch is an early test of whether a 16-year-old Chinese children's IP, with 60 million pre-registrations before its Chinese release, can replicate that scale abroad, especially with a monster-collection system that deliberately avoids gacha.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe CBT runs from October 27, 2026, with applications open on the official website, and a new trailer has been released alongside the application period.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe Japanese release is the open-world successor \u0026#34;Roco Kingdom: World,\u0026#34; which launched in China as a browser game in 2010 and was rebuilt for modern platforms.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe original browser game ran on Adobe Flash and targeted children aged 7 to 14, positioning itself as an \u0026#34;online community for children.\u0026#34;\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDenfaminicogamer notes the scale of the IP: 350 million registered users is more than double the population of Japan, and compares the original\u0026#39;s generational impact to the \u0026#34;Yo-kai Watch\u0026#34; boom.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe Chinese version\u0026#39;s first month saw average daily active users exceed 13 million, a figure the Denfaminicogamer piece calls \u0026#34;almost unrealistic\u0026#34; for the Japanese market.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eBattles use a shared energy pool for skills, so players must manage turns and predict enemy skill loadouts rather than chain strong moves.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eJini have environment-based subspecies, with over 400 types at launch, and some evolve into different branches depending on conditions, such as a chicken-like Jini becoming a swordsman or a power-fighter.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eInteraction animations include a cheek-rubbing cutscene before battle and unique victory scenes for each Jini, and Jini behavior shifts with day/night and weather, like taking shelter from rain.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTransport varies by Jini: a unicorn-like monster can be ridden, flying Jini can be grabbed for air travel, and small Jini perch on the player\u0026#39;s shoulder.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe player is a student at a magic academy, with school life elements including classes, teacher interactions, and club activities alongside world exploration.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"The Chinese release of Roco Kingdom pulled 15 million players on day one. Japan's CBT starts October 27, and the twist is that you capture monsters, not gacha them.","twitterPost":"Roco Kingdom, the Chinese browser game with 350 million cumulative fans, is coming to Japan. 60 million pre-registrations in China before launch. CBT applications open now.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Roco Kingdom, the Tencent-backed monster-collection RPG that topped new game charts in China, is holding a Japanese closed beta from October 27. Applications are open, with an offline trial set for September 21.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"4Gamer.net\",\"url\":\"https://www.4gamer.net/games/640/G064053/20260818029/\",\"title\":\"Not Gacha, But Capture to Increase Companions! Open-World Monster Collection RPG \\\"Roco Kingdom\\\" Seeking CBT Participants [PR]\"},{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/kikakuthetower/2608272v\",\"title\":\"Pre-registrations exceed 60 million: Monster-class title 'Roco Kingdom' announced for Japan at gamescom. Actually a rebuilt version of a hugely popular veteran game with over 350 million cumulative registrations.\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":14454,"outputTokens":1493,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1787885631,"createdAt":"2026-08-28T02:49:23.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-28T02:51:45.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-28T02:49:23.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_7273a063818eefef8a21d17f","canonicalTitle":"ガチャではなく，捕獲で仲間を増やしていく！ オープンワールド・モンスター収集RPG「ロコキングダム」CBT参加者を募集中【PR】","representativeArticleId":"a_a8eb6d295a35a7a7ae1fe05f","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Loco Kingdom\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-27T03:00:39.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-28T00:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-28T02:51:45.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"4Gamer.net","url":"https://www.4gamer.net/games/640/G064053/20260818029/","title":"ガチャではなく，捕獲で仲間を増やしていく！ オープンワールド・モンスター収集RPG「ロコキングダム」CBT参加者を募集中【PR】"},{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/kikakuthetower/2608272v","title":"事前登録者数「6000万人超」という怪物級タイトル『ロコキングダム』の日本上陸がgamescomで発表。実は絶大な人気を誇る老舗ゲームの再構築版で、累計登録者数は3.5億人超"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Loco Kingdom"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"announcement","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["The closed beta test for the Japanese version of \"Roco Kingdom\" runs from October 27, 2026, with applications open on the official website.","The Chinese version of \"Roco Kingdom\" launched on March 26, 2026, and drew over 15 million new registrations on its first day.","The game features over 400 types of Jini, obtained by capture rather than gacha, with paid elements focused on costumes.","An offline trial event for the Japanese version is scheduled for September 21, 2026, in Tokyo.","The original \"Roco Kingdom\" browser game, released in China in 2010, has cumulative fans of 350 million."]}