Bandai Namco Restructures to Unify Its Gundam Operations
Bandai Namco Holdings announced on October 7 that it has begun preparing a reorganization of its anime related businesses. The plan focuses on two companies, Bandai Namco Filmworks and Sotsu, and aims to tidy up the overlapping Gundam work the pair currently share, from anime planning and production to copyright management. The change is set to take effect on April 1, 2026.
The core goal is to grow the Gundam series further around the world. Under the new structure, the Gundam business and the wider intellectual property production work will be brought together under Bandai Namco Filmworks.
In practice, Filmworks will take charge of planning, production, and copyrights, while Sotsu will focus on commercialization within Japan. Other operations, including projects developed with outside partners, will also move under Filmworks.
This continues a long process of consolidation. Bandai Namco brought Sotsu into the group through a tender offer in 2019, pulling the Gundam licenses together, and in 2022 it formed Bandai Namco Filmworks by combining the studio Sunrise with a couple of other internal units.
The company has been expanding abroad too, having set up Bandai Namco Filmworks America earlier this year to strengthen its presence outside Japan.
My take: Corporate reshuffles rarely sound exciting, but anything that helps Gundam reach more fans worldwide is welcome. I just hope the people and studios behind the series feel steadier, not more squeezed, after the dust settles.
