Konami has renewed its trademark for the successful RPG series Suikoden, stirring up rumors and excitement about a possible announcement at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show. To many gamers, Suikoden is a JRPG series that needs a reboot. The award-winning franchise, which first appeared in 1995, has been dormant since 2012 and the last entry in the mainline series was Suikoden 5 in 2006.
People are already excited for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, a crowdfunded game from the original Suikoden team that is being touted as the series’ spiritual successor. But no doubt many fans would be thrilled for an announcement about a new title in Konami’s franchise instead. The Suikoden series has retained its fan base over the years, spawning spin-offs, cameos in other franchises, and even a manga adaptation of Suikoden 3 that was published in 2004.
Now it’s been revealed that Konami filed a renewal application for the Suikoden trademark at the end of July, which is just in time for the Tokyo Game Show that begins on September 15 this year. Konami also recently revealed that voice actor Yuki Kaji will be guest presenting for the company at TGS, which has served to further spur rumors that a Suikoden announcement may happen at the event. Kaji notably provided his voice for two Suikoden games, Suikoden Tierkreis for the DS in 2008 and Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki for the PSP in 2012.
The company’s presentation at the Tokyo Game Show is scheduled for September 16 and will last for approximately 45 minutes, and it’s already been revealed that Konami plans to announce news about a “beloved” series during the event. Speculation about what that beloved game might be covers everything from Silent Hill to Contra to Metal Gear Solid and even Dance Dance Revolution. But with the recent trademark renewal, fans are now tossing Suikoden into the running as well.
Konami holds the licenses for a number of iconic video game IPs, and the company already announced in June that Super Bomberman R 2 will be coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2023. But even with that action title taken out of the mix, there are too many possibilities of what might be announced at TGS for anybody to be sure until the actual reveal.
The Suikoden series is originally based on a Chinese novel called Water Margin, and each entry in the franchise takes players through a story of political intrigue, warring factions, and a host of characters that contribute to Suikoden’s incredibly deep lore. If the “beloved” game hinted at by Konami for the Tokyo Game Show is indeed Suikoden, many gamers will likely come away from the presentation very excited.
Source: DualShockers