Anime streaming platform Crunchyroll broke the news that a price hike affecting all subscription tiers started on February 2. The Fan Tier will increase to $9.99/month, the Mega Fan Tier to $13.99/month, and the Ultimate Fan Tier to $17.99/month. Of course, price hikes are not uncommon for premium subscription services. However, in a positive spin, Crunchyroll is offering a pretty sweet deal to make up for it. Starting now, the anime media giant is developing a legion of original video game titles under its Crunchyroll Games banner.
As far as reasons to bump subscriptions go, this is a pretty good one. Full details on the games, which will be added as Crunchyroll Game Vault exclusives, are to be announced later this year. According to Crunchyroll, the titles are being made in partnership “with Japanese publishers and global developers to create multiple tailor-made games for anime fans.” We don’t know much about what that entails yet, but it’s exciting, nonetheless.
The Crunchyroll Game Vault has been around since November 2023 as an added feature for the platform’s Mega and Ultimate Fan subscribers. The vault currently boasts more than 80 titles and is expected to climb to 100 by summer of this year. Some of the exclusive games include Shin chan: Shiro & the Coal Town, STEINS;GATE, Shogun Showdown, and Kawaii Kitchen. Below is a statement from Terry Li, Crunchyroll Games general manager and executive vice president of emerging business.
“Crunchyroll continues to deliver new anime experiences, including within games, where there is a shared fandom,” said Li. “With original game publishing, we can craft bespoke interactive journeys that bring beloved and new characters to life. We’re excited to give fans a new way to experience their favorite stories, characters and more. The slate of titles in development will continue to grow Crunchyroll Game Vault, providing more value to Crunchyroll subscribers.”
Are There Other Changes to the Crunchyroll Platform?
Alongside the original games under development, more titles are on their way to the vault soon. That includes Battle Chef Brigade, Cuisineer, Dungeons of Hinterberg, Pepper Grinder, and Pikuniku. More details about what the price hike means for each tier is available on the Crunchyroll News page.