Panic is a publisher and hardware maker best known for the Playdate handheld and for publishing Big Walk, which surpassed 1 million sales in six days. It is also refunding $12.36 to customers as a share of tariff rebates it received from the U.S. government.
Panic's recent output centers on Big Walk, the cooperative adventure from House House, the team behind Untitled Goose Game. Released on August 4, 2026, Big Walk supports 2 to 12 players and uses a proximity voice chat system where voices fade with distance and muffle through walls. The game launched on PC via Steam, PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2, with cross-play. Within six days, Panic announced it had surpassed 1 million copies sold. On Steam it holds a 'Very Positive' rating with 93% of roughly 9,901 reviews recommending it, and a Metacritic score of 92. Ahead of release, the game had earned a Metacritic score of 93, the highest for a new game that year.
Panic also handled a financial matter tied to the Playdate. After a Supreme Court ruling against tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, Panic received tariff rebates from the U.S. government and is automatically refunding $12.36 to customers. Panic's Cabel Sasser told Game Developer, "Simply put, this is not money we should keep." The company noted the Playdate's low hardware profit margins meant it could not absorb the tariff costs itself. The move contrasts with major companies like Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, which are keeping similar rebates.
Panic's publishing slate also includes Frog Sqwad, a cooperative puzzle action game from Panic Stations, a studio within the Skeleton Crew group. Frog Sqwad launched on June 12, 2026, for PC via Steam and Xbox Series X|S, with Xbox Game Pass availability. It supports up to eight players and centers on tongue-based movement and object manipulation. The game costs 980 yen, with a supporter pack for 600 yen.
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Developer Starvania Studio announced 'Doughn't Panic!' on August 27. The 3D platformer, due for PC (Steam) release in 2027, has two players jointly control a single pizza. Actions like moving, jumping, and dodging are performed cooperatively. The game supports single-player, local co-op, and online co-op. A hard mode and leaderboard are planned.
Panic, the company behind the crank-equipped handheld console Playdate, is automatically refunding $12.36 to customers as a share of tariff rebates it received from the U.S. government. The rebate follows a Supreme Court ruling against the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, which had led Panic to raise the Playdate's price. The refunds are expected to land in customer accounts within a few days. Panic's Cabel Sasser told Game Developer, "Simply put, this is not money we should keep." The company acknowledged that processing the rebate and building the refund system took significant work, and Neven Mrgan noted on Bluesky that Panic lost sales after the announcement, but everyone agreed refunding customers was right. Panic explained that the Playdate's low hardware profit margins meant it could not absorb the tariff costs itself. The move contrasts with major companies like Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, which are keeping similar rebates. Nintendo, for instance, reflected roughly $300 million in tariff rebates in its earnings, and consumers have filed class action lawsuits alleging double-dipping when companies both profit from higher prices and retain the rebates.
At gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, held on August 26, developer Octopus Panic announced GRAVHOUNDS, a cooperative action-builder shooter featuring canine beast-men. The game supports up to four players in co-op, who descend onto a dangerous planet to build bases, set up turret defense networks, and collect resources while repelling alien threats. Players control humanoid dogs with different breeds affecting health and movement speed, and a roguelike element presents three random enhancements to choose from during exploration. The longer players stay on the planet, the greater the enemy threat and the more lavish the rewards, creating a high-risk, high-return loop. Early access is scheduled for release in 2026 on PC (Steam and Microsoft Store) and Xbox Series X|S, with availability on Xbox Game Pass. Octopus Panic was founded by creators who previously worked on the Halo and Battlefield series, and GRAVHOUNDS is their debut title. The trailer showed dogs comically fighting with firearms, weapon upgrades, and skill trees.
KADOKAWA's Fantasia Bunko releases Full Metal Panic! Family Vol. 4 and Shouji Gatou's new robot light novel Kidou Tensei Vol. 1 on August 20, 2026. Family Vol. 4 features Natsumi piloting the Azul Raven in a training exercise, while Kidou Tensei follows a salaryman reborn as a prototype mobile weapon.
KADOKAWA's official store Kadost opened preorders for summer 2026 KDcolle figures and Kadopla plastic models, including a Haruhi Suzumiya figure in Megumin's outfit, two Louise figures for Zero no Tsukaima's 20th anniversary, and an Arbalest model from Full Metal Panic!. Orders close between September and October 2026, with releases scheduled for 2027.
Dengeki Hobby Web published the top 10 in the Plastic Model category of Amazon's Hobby New Arrival Ranking as of August 13, 2026. Max Factory's PLAMATEA MX-chan leads, followed by Tamiya's Fukuiraptor and Good Smile Company's Dai Apolon. The list includes Kadokawa's Full Metal Panic! Arbalest in fourth place.
Panic announced on August 11 that Big Walk, a cooperative adventure game developed by House House, surpassed 1 million copies sold within six days of its August 4 release. The game, which supports 2 to 12 players, emphasizes teamwork and communication through a proximity voice chat system where voices fade with distance and muffle through walls. Players can also use tools like radios, megaphones, and laser pointers, or gestures such as pointing and waving, to coordinate. The open world allows free exploration, with the store page encouraging players to wander aimlessly or watch the sunset. On Steam, the game holds a 'Very Positive' rating with 93% of approximately 9,901 reviews recommending it, and it has a Metacritic score of 92. On launch day, peak concurrent players exceeded 40,000 on Steam, with similar numbers during peak hours since. Big Walk is available on PC via Steam, PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2, with cross-play support. It is the latest work from House House, the team behind Untitled Goose Game.
Kadokawa is releasing six dedicated paint colors for the Full Metal Panic! ARX-7 Arbalest plastic model, supervised by mecha designer Kanetake Ebikawa. The 15ml bottles include AS general black, AS general gray, AS white, AS violet, AS dark blue, and AS yellow. Each costs 638 yen and ships in February 2027.
Publisher Panic released Big Walk, the new cooperative multiplayer puzzle adventure from House House, the studio behind Untitled Goose Game, on August 4. The game is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2, with the Switch 2 version priced at 2,300 yen. Big Walk supports 2 to 12 players and cross-platform play, and it is designed to be played with a group of friends from start to finish. Players control bird-like creatures with three spheres for bodies and explore a vast open-world island filled with puzzles and challenges. Communication is central to the experience, using a proximity voice chat system where voices fade with distance and muffle behind walls, and where players can temporarily lose the ability to speak. Various tools and toys, such as radios, laser pointers, binoculars, megaphones, smoke flares, whiteboards, and cowbells, help players coordinate. The game has a clear ending, but players can also ignore objectives and wander freely. Ahead of release, Big Walk earned a Metacritic score of 93, the highest for a new game this year, and many outlets, including Polygon, have called it a Game of the Year contender.
Orange Cat Industry and Wave jointly developed a 1/35 scale plastic model of the ARX-8 Laevatein with the XL-3 Emergency Deployment Booster from Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory. The kit has over 1,300 parts, LED lighting, and a special first-press price of 14,300 yen. It releases in July 2026.
Panic Stations released its cooperative puzzle action game Frog Sqwad on June 12, 2026, for PC via Steam and Xbox Series X|S. The base game costs 980 yen, with a supporter pack available for 600 yen. A launch sale on Steam offers a 38% discount for one week after release. The game supports Xbox Game Pass. Frog Sqwad is a cooperative chaotic puzzle action game for up to eight players. Players control frogs in the sewers, using their sticky tongues to jump between pipes, grab objects, and throw teammates. Eating food causes frogs to grow larger, eventually becoming giant Mega Frogs that can roll through stages. Taking damage shrinks frogs into small eggs, requiring teamwork to recover. The goal is to meet daily food quotas set by the Swamp King. Meeting quotas unlocks new developments, and gold earned in the sewers can buy toys and gadgets for future runs. The sewers change each playthrough, introducing new dangers. Voice chat is supported, with frog mouths syncing to player speech. In-game collaborations with PEAK and Roadside Research elements appear. The game supports Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, Korean, and 12 other languages.
Developer Panic Stations announced that Frog Sqwad, a physics-based co-op action game about frogs collecting food for a hungry king, will launch on June 11 (June 12 in Japan) on PC and Xbox Series X|S, with Game Pass availability. The game supports up to eight players and centers on tongue-based movement and object manipulation.