Monster Strike is in the middle of a limited-time Love Live! Series collaboration (September 1-18, 2026) that expands its roster with A-RISE and Saint Snow, while MIXI, the game's operator, has moved into sports betting and is deploying AI for video production across its organization.
Monster Strike, operated by MIXI, is in the middle of its second Love Live! Series collaboration, running September 1 to September 18, 2026. This time the gacha adds rival units A-RISE and Saint Snow alongside main group members from the earlier series, while Aqours characters receive Beast Godification Alter forms. Login bonuses and missions supply additional collaboration characters and items.
The collaboration comes as MIXI's leadership publicly reframes the company's trajectory. At GAME FUTURE SUMMIT 2026, CEO Hiroki Kimura detailed three paradigm shifts: from social network to mobile game to sports betting. He traced how Monster Strike's viral 4-player co-op design, inspired by Monster Hunter, drove its early growth, while expansions into China and the US failed. The current strategy focuses on India, using anime collaborations and the absence of Chinese competitors. Kimura described the pivot to sports betting through TIPSTAR as a response to the limits of free-to-play games, replicating the festival-like excitement of gacha.
Separately, MIXI has moved into AI video production. A partnership with Runway, announced in July 2026, follows MIXI's use of Runway's AI to cut Monster Strike video production from 21 days to about 3 days. The same tools have produced corporate brand movies, visual proposals, and in-app effects. The partnership aims to deploy the AI across MIXI's whole organization. Meanwhile, Monster Strike's UI update is changing some licensed fonts, a shift that has drawn speculation about a connection to a pricing overhaul of the LETS font subscription service, though MIXI has not stated a reason.
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The limited-time shop Monstua Satellite Office in Kibi SA (Uphill Line) runs September 17 to November 3, 2026 at Kibi Service Area on the Sanyo Expressway in Okayama City. It features a dedicated MonSpot with better daily items, a Strike Chance for a revival quest ticket and event-original Strike Seal, plus merchandise and a Monster Strike lottery.
The second Love Live! Series collaboration with Monster Strike runs from September 1 to September 18, 2026. The limited-time gacha features μ's, A-RISE, and Saint Snow, while Aqours members gain Beast Godification Alter. Login bonuses and missions offer additional μ's members and collaboration items.
Bandai Namco announced that the arcade version of Taiko no Tatsujin will update some of its in-game fonts on August 19. The reason was not given, but observers suspect a connection to the recent pricing overhaul of the font subscription service LETS. Similar changes are appearing in Monster Strike's upcoming UI update.
In a talk at GAME FUTURE SUMMIT 2026, MIXI CEO Hiroki Kimura reflected on the company's three paradigm shifts: from social network to mobile game to sports betting. He detailed how Monster Strike's 4-player co-op design was inspired by Monster Hunter's viral structure, the struggles of global expansion in China and the US, and the current India strategy leveraging anime collaborations. Kimura also explained the pivot to sports betting through TIPSTAR, citing the limits of F2P games.
At GAME FUTURE SUMMIT 2026, MIXI CEO Hiroki Kimura recounted his 27-year career, from launching Monster Strike to pivoting to sports betting. He detailed how the game's viral 4-player co-op model, inspired by Monster Hunter, was adapted to the social referral structure of MIXI. He also discussed failed US and China expansions and the current India strategy using anime IP and the absence of Chinese competitors. Kimura described the move to sports betting as a response to F2P market saturation, with the TIPSTAR app replicating gacha's festival-like excitement.
MIXI announced a strategic partnership with video generation AI company Runway. MIXI already uses Runway's AI to produce Monster Strike videos, cutting a 21-day process to about 3 days, and to create corporate brand movies, visual proposals, and in-app effects. The partnership will deploy Runway's AI across MIXI's entire organization for games, animations, and interactive experiences.