Sanrio launches game label, first Switch 2 title due fall 2026

Sanrio’s new game label is a clear signal that major character brands want tighter control over how, when, and with whom they turn IP into software. The company launched Sanrio Games on April 21 and said it plans to release about 10 titles over the next three years, starting with Sanrio Party Land, a party game for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 due for a simultaneous global launch in fall 2026.

That matters inside Nintendo because the move is not being sold as a standalone game play, but as part of a wider brand system. Sanrio says the label is meant to create new touchpoints between its characters and fans worldwide, while linking games with merchandise and theme parks. In other words, the game is being positioned as one node in a larger business, not as a product that lives or dies only on software sales. For teams that work in licensing, production, and external development, that is the direction of travel: the IP owner wants more say over the creative brief, the schedule, and the partners around the project.

Sanrio has the character roster to support that strategy. The company says it has created more than 450 IPs, including Hello Kitty, and its May 2025 long-term vision set a goal of becoming a global IP platform provider. Its president also uses the idea of Sanrio Time to measure engagement with characters, products, and services. That framing makes the game label look less like a side business and more like an internal lever for extending attention across physical goods, locations, and digital experiences.

Nintendo has been moving in a similar direction for years, which is why Sanrio’s move reads as a useful comparator rather than a novelty. Nintendo says its business is guided by two principles: growing the Nintendo IP fanbase and fostering long-term relationships with consumers. It has also said it expands its characters into visual content, mobile applications, theme parks, and merchandise. In August 2025, Nintendo rebranded Warpstar as Nintendo Stars Inc. to help license and implement Nintendo IP in new forms, while also announcing a new Super Mario Bros. film for April 3, 2026, and a live-action Zelda film for May 7, 2027.

For Nintendo staff, the practical takeaway is that control over IP is becoming a production strategy, not just a legal one. Sanrio’s model shows how a company can use in-house publishing to protect brand voice and sequence releases around a broader ecosystem. That changes the work downstream, from who gets the contract to how much room a project has before it has to fit the brand.