{"rewrite":{"id":"r_2cb88459c6dbdb34ba23b4e8","clusterId":"c_d5f66b93639c31149376ea54","slug":"shueisha-games-drops-indie-title-ukiyo-developer-freekey-design-takes-over","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Shueisha Games Cancels Release of Indie Title Ukiyo","summary":"Shueisha Games announced on June 30 that it will cancel the release of the PC adventure game Ukiyo, which was in development by Free Key Design. The game, set in a cyberspace world with a Japanese-style aesthetic, follows a samurai cat named Kai trapped in a virtual space called UKIYO. It had been shown at events like BitSummit and Tokyo Game Show in 2022, but updates on its official X account had stopped. Shueisha Games apologized to those waiting for the release and said future information will come from the developer. According to Game Spark and GameBusiness.jp, the publisher and developer on the Steam store page have been changed to FREAKY DESIGN, which was previously handling the design aspect. The game was originally part of Shueisha's Game Creators CAMP support project. Seaknot Studios, which handled game system production, has not commented on the change.","whyItMatters":"The publisher change from a major manga publisher's game label to the original design studio signals a shift in Ukiyo's commercial backing but not a cancellation of the project itself.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe game was first shown publicly at BitSummit in 2022, where it was described as a fusion of \u0026#34;Choju-giga\u0026#34; and cyberpunk. A GAME Watch article from that event called it \u0026#34;a super demonic fusion\u0026#34; and recommended it. The official X account had gone silent since then, leaving followers without updates until the June 30 announcement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the Steam store page, the publisher and developer fields have been changed from \u0026#34;SHUEISHA GAMES\u0026#34; and \u0026#34;Seaknot Studios\u0026#34; to \u0026#34;FREAKY DESIGN,\u0026#34; according to the volunteer-run tracking site SteamDB. Freaky Design was originally responsible only for the game\u0026#39;s design, including character and concept art, which are still posted on the official website. Seaknot Studios, which handled game system production, has not issued a statement about the change.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe game was originally part of Shueisha\u0026#39;s Game Creators CAMP support project. Shueisha Games apologized \u0026#34;to all those who were waiting for our release\u0026#34; and said future information will come from the developer Freekey Design.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Shueisha Games drops Ukiyo after two years of event presence. The publisher's exit leaves Free Key Design to self-publish or find a new partner.","twitterPost":"Shueisha Games cancels Ukiyo. The indie publisher's retreat raises questions about its Game Creators CAMP pipeline.","threadsPost":"Shueisha Games cancels Ukiyo after showing it at BitSummit and TGS 2022. The developer Free Key Design now handles publishing alone. The Steam page lists FREAKY DESIGN as publisher, not Shueisha Games. This is a quiet exit from a project the publisher once supported through its CAMP program.","newsletterBlurb":"Shueisha Games has canceled its release of the indie adventure Ukiyo, handing publishing responsibilities to developer Free Key Design. The game, which follows a samurai cat in a cyberspace world, had been quiet since its 2022 event showings. Steam store page records now list FREAKY DESIGN as both publisher and developer.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"GAME Watch\",\"url\":\"https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/2121211.html\",\"title\":\"Indie Game \\\"Ukiyo\\\" Cancels Release from Shueisha Games\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/06/30/168643.html\",\"title\":\"Japanese-style Cyberpunk ADV 'Ukiyo' Changes Publisher from Shueisha Games; Development Continues with Freaky Design\"},{\"source\":\"GameBusiness.jp\",\"url\":\"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/07/02/27363.html\",\"title\":\"Japanese-style Cyberpunk ADV 'Ukiyo' Changes Publisher from Shueisha Games; Development Continues with Freaky Design\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":8832,"outputTokens":1083,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1782807413,"createdAt":"2026-06-30T08:05:17.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-30T08:09:50.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-30T08:09:50.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_d5f66b93639c31149376ea54","canonicalTitle":"インディーゲーム「浮世/Ukiyo」が集英社ゲームズからの発売を中止","representativeArticleId":"a_7edb1ea507180b84c45d302e","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Ukiyo\"],\"studios\":[\"Shueisha Games\",\"Free Key Design\"],\"people\":[\"Kento Iwase\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-30T07:20:21.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-02T02:15:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-02T02:20:20.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"GAME Watch (Impress)","url":"https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/2121211.html","title":"インディーゲーム「浮世/Ukiyo」が集英社ゲームズからの発売を中止"},{"source":"GameBusiness.jp","url":"https://www.gamebusiness.jp/article/2026/07/02/27363.html","title":"和風サイバーパンクADV『浮世/Ukiyo』、集英社ゲームズから発売元を変更―開発はフリーキーデザインが継続"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/06/30/168643.html","title":"和風サイバーパンクADV『浮世/Ukiyo』、集英社ゲームズから発売元を変更―開発はフリーキーデザインが継続"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Ukiyo"],"studios":["Shueisha Games","Free Key Design"],"people":["Kento Iwase"],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Shueisha Games announced on June 30 that it will cancel the release of the PC adventure game Ukiyo.","The game follows a samurai cat named Kai trapped in a virtual space called UKIYO, set in a cyberspace world with a Japanese-style aesthetic.","Ukiyo was first shown publicly at BitSummit in 2022 and was described as a fusion of 'Choju-giga' and cyberpunk.","The Steam store page now lists FREAKY DESIGN as the publisher and developer, replacing Shueisha Games and Seaknot Studios.","Shueisha Games apologized to those waiting for the release and said future information will come from the developer Free Key Design."]}