Is A New Mega Man Coming?
Fans of Mega Man have been itching for a new version of the beloved game since the release of Mega Man 11 in October 2018. Despite spinoffs from the series being released as recently as 2023 with Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection and Mega Man X Dive Offline, there’s been no news about a main title release for years.
The developer behind Mega Man is also responsible for Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Monster Hunter, and Dead Rising. They’ve also dabbled in the iGaming sector, releasing Rocketman Slot (notably similar to Mega Man), the Japanese mobile slot game that can be accessed online on offshore casino sites. These sites also often offer new players bonuses and a huge variety of slot themes. For example, those who grew up with games at the arcade can now enjoy “adult” versions of these games as casino games, including Resident Evil Slots.
However, for those who have been playing Mega Man for years, there has been little news of new releases.
Fortunately, players have been assured that there is no need to stress, as Mega Man is a big part of the developer’s plans.
During a General Stakeholders meeting, when asked about the plans for the Mega Man series, the developers stated: “Mega Man is one of our highly-valued IPs and we are considering how to create games for it on an ongoing basis.”
Although this isn’t a definitive answer, it gives fans of the blue bomber some hope. “We are considering how to approach the production of new entries in the series, which requires numerous factors, including the development of a solid concept, ideas, and gameplay,” the game developers said.
Some wonder if the lack of ideas around Mega Man is because Keiji Inafune, the game’s designer, left the company back in 2010 to “start his life over”. This resulted in the cancellation of several projects, including Mega Man Legends 3.
Mega Man has been around for as long as we can remember. The first entry in the series was released on NES in 1987, and what followed was over 50 entries and more than 41 million units sold. The latest edition of Mega Man 11 was released in 2018 on PC, console, and Switch.
The cryptic comments from the Mega Man developers regarding the game’s future were met with mixed reactions from fans. Some were hopeful, while others remained skeptical of the company’s ability to come up with new ideas for a meaningful game. Some fans expressed that the remarks were nothing more than a marketing strategy, and not a true promise for a new game.
Players took to Reddit in response to the vague announcement, many expressing that the developers missed an opportunity with Mega Man 11. Fans of the series are not looking for technologically advanced games. Instead, they want the classic side-scrolling games that are nostalgic for a simpler time.
The general sentiment seems to be that the developers should focus on building new storylines, and not extend existing ones already in the series. This will invigorate the game and also attract new players to the series.
Amid all the controversy and hearsay, the developers released Exoprimal on July 14, a new multiplayer game where humans wearing exosuits fight against dinosaurs. It was received with above-average reviews (scoring a 7/10 on GameSpot), indicating that the gamer developers still has the potential to release engaging games.
