During San Diego Comic Con 2026 last month, Bandai Namco Filmworks and Sunrise announced a brand-new Gundam anime series, scheduled to premiere in 2027. Titled Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-Zero (“Alex Zero”), the anime is part of a cross-media project set in an all-new post-apocalyptic Gundam universe, which will tie in as a prequel to the upcoming video game Gundam Rogue Orbit.
This new universe was created by sci-fi director and writer Kenji Kamiyama – best known for his work on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – alongside author Toh EnJoe.
The story follows Ray Azumi, a war orphan who pilots the Gundam Zero, in the new After Apocalypse (A.A) continuity. The story is set decades after an alien object gifted humanity revolutionary technologies, only to transform into a self-replicating ecosystem so hostile people came to call it the “Apocalypse.” After humanity was forced to abandon Earth, a new era began, with generations growing up knowing only a world shaped by the ongoing threat of the Apocalypse.
Following Gundam RG XARX-Zero’s initial announcement, AUTOMATON had the opportunity to talk with director Kenji Kamiyamabile Suit Gundam had on him as a creator, as well as some details about how the new RG Project was conceptualized
—Can you introduce yourself and your career so far?
Kenji Kamiyama (hereafter Kamiyama):
In 2002, I directed Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Since then, I’ve worked as both director and screenwriter on anime ranging from my own original works to overseas IP titles. More recently, I’ve worked on projects such as “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” (a theatrical feature) and “Star Wars: The Ninth Jedi” (an animated series).
—I believe this is your first title in the Gundam franchise. How did you come to be involved in the project?
Kamiyama:
I received an offer asking whether I’d like to take part as director in producing a new anime series with an original world, themed on Gundam, that was being developed in parallel with a game.
—How would you describe the new Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO anime and the broader universe you’re building around it?
Kamiyama:
It’s a story about the battle between humanity and an autonomous interstellar object that flew in from beyond the solar system (later called the Apocalypse), fought over the right to survive on Earth, and, unfolding behind it, the conflicts and growth of young boys and girls.
—Could you tell us about your personal impressions of past Gundam entries, what you consider to be the series’ strengths, and any favorite titles you may have?
Kamiyama:
Gundam was the first anime in the history of Japanese animation to deliberately make an ordinary, everyday boy its protagonist. When it first aired, I was the same age as the protagonist, and I remember overlaying my own feelings onto those of the characters. It’s a special work that made me realize that anime is a form of expression capable of such rich emotional depth. For that reason, the first Gundam (1979’s Mobile Suit Gundam) is a central existence for me.
—As you kick off an all-new universe in the Gundam series, in what ways are you balancing the legacy and themes the IP is known for against new and unique elements? For example, what aspects of the franchise did you feel absolutely had to be preserved? Conversely, is there anything you deliberately chose not to carry over into the new universe?
Kamiyama:
The elements a Gundam needs in order to be a Gundam: the solar system as its stage, a protagonist who boards a tricolor robot, and getting caught up in a war between human beings. I felt these were things I absolutely couldn’t leave out.
—The new anime will expand upon the same universe as the upcoming action game Gundam Rogue Orbit, taking place 100 years prior to its events. Could you tell us more about how connected the two titles will be?
Kamiyama:
Basically, both are built upon the same base we devised – the battle against the autonomous interstellar object that flies to Earth and later comes to be called the Apocalypse, a silicon-based life form – but I don’t think the two stories are directly connected. The game appears to be developing its own separate story.
—How closely did the anime and game development teams collaborate while building this shared setting?
Kamiyama:
At first, the game side proposed a premise in which a Gundam fights a giant, space-monster-like mecha. From there, the anime side built out the setting – the nature of the enemy and the structure of the war that takes place in this world – and then created the story that unfolds on top of it. Taking that in turn, the game side then built out its own setting for 100 years later.
—Many fans were surprised to see an alien threat become the enemy of humanity in Gundam Rogue Orbit. Does the new anime also center on this conflict? If so, could you tell us more about this decision.
Kamiyama:
Yes, it is depicted. But first, we set the image of the “enemy” – which was conceived from the game’s controls and gameplay – as a common platform, and from there we each chose the settings and methodology suited to our respective forms of expression.
—Did you make any specific requests regarding mechanical design of the Gundam and other mobile suits in the new anime? Was there a philosophy that guided mechanical design based on their role in the story?
Kamiyama:
I didn’t make any particular requests. But with Gundam, I think there’s a convention where each creator follows that iconic design based on their own interpretation and then adds their own individuality on top of it, and I take it that this is exactly what fans look forward to. So, while keeping the elements fans want, we’ve woven a distinctive organic quality into the details in this work.
—What kind of audience do you hope to reach with this new title?
Kamiyama:
I hope it reaches people who have never watched any Gundam series before.
—At this stage, what is the one thing you most want fans to know about the new project?
Kamiyama:
There are still many settings and dramatic developments I can’t talk about at this initial announcement stage, so please look forward to them.
—Thank you for your time!
Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-Zero is scheduled to premiere in 2027.
