At this year’s Summer Game Fest Play Days, Bandai Namco made a surprise reveal with Digimon Story Time Stranger, the next major entry in the long-running JRPG series. With its October 3, 2025 release date on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, the game aims to bring in both longtime fans and complete newcomers with an expansive roster and new systems.
We had a chance to briefly speak with producer Ryosuke Hara just days after the announcement. Though time was limited, we managed to cover a few big topics surrounding the game’s design philosophy and how it expands on the Cyber Sleuth legacy.
Azario Lopez: So, for fans of the Digimon series of video games, there are the more simulation-like titles and then the JRPG-style adventure games. Where would you say Time Stranger fits in?
Ryosuke Hara: There are a variety of Digimon games like Story, World, and Survive. I’d say this one is the most mainstream. Of course, longtime Digimon fans like yourself will enjoy it, but we also created it so that even casual fans, or people who don’t know Digimon at all, can jump in and enjoy it without any prior knowledge.
AL: You’ve said this game features more Digimon than any title before it. Was that a difficult challenge for your development team to take on?
RH: Yes, and Time Stranger does have the most Digimon ever in a home console Digimon game: over 450! As you can imagine, creating animations for all these Digimon in various scenarios was very difficult. Each Digimon needed their own attack animations, battle animations, even idle animations as they roam around town. We worked hard to make sure everything felt natural, like Digimon following the player around or interacting with the environment.
We also introduced a new feature: you can ride Digimon in this game. Not all of them, but many. And of course, we didn’t want to use one generic animation; different Digimon have different sizes and shapes, so we had to create unique animations to match each one. It was a huge effort!
AL: Were there elements from the Cyber Sleuth series that you took feedback on and tried to improve for Time Stranger?
RH: Yes. We received great feedback on Cyber Sleuth, fans loved the story, character design, and the music. So those are things we wanted to carry forward. Actually, the character designer is the same person, so you might recognize the style.
But there was also some critical feedback. For example, in Cyber Sleuth, some players felt it was hard to play with the Digimon they liked due to the way the battle system and skill attachments worked. In Time Stranger, we’ve added more customizable features. You can now attach skills to your Digimon more freely, so players can use the Digimon they want with the skills they want. It’s a much more flexible experience.
AL: I know we’re just now revealing the game, but is there something you really want players to know? A new combat mechanic or feature you’re particularly excited about?
RH: Yes! One major theme in this game, as with much of the Digimon franchise, is the bond between Digimon and humans. But in Time Stranger, we really leaned into that deeply. The story focuses heavily on that bond, and it’s tied into the time travel elements and the world design. We spent a lot of effort crafting the story, setting, and background music. We really want not only longtime Digimon fans to enjoy it, but also newcomers who’ve never experienced Digimon before.
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