The Mega Man resurgence continues, it seems. Mega Man 11 has sold over 1 million copies, Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection is releasing (following a slight delay) in February, the next major Mega Man title is in development, and even a Mega Man movie is in the works. Following up on all of this, “Protodude,” who runs one of the most popular Mega Man fansites, Rockman Corner, is reporting that a Mega Man Battle Network mobile game is in development at Capcom and will release in Japan in 2020. It is “heavy on the gacha” elements.

You've twisted my arm red. New MMBN for mobile with new and familiar elements. Heavy on the gacha. Unlike Rockman X DiVE, it's being developed *mostly* in-house at Capcom Japan. In development since mid-2018, on-going. 2020 Japan. No clue when it will be formally announced. https://t.co/FvihJfZu4p — Brian (@Protodude) December 3, 2019

As Protodude notes, Capcom Taiwan is developing Mega Man X DiVE for mobile devices right now, and overall I quite enjoyed what I played of it in beta. If a core Capcom team in Japan is developing a Mega Man Battle Network game in tandem, it has a great chance of being a success.

After all, upon original release in 2001, Mega Man Battle Network was predicated on adventures conducted with smartphone-like devices in the first place, and controlling a NetNavi on a mobile device to vanquish viruses would be the ultimate fulfillment of that series’s ideals. This is the rare case where putting a game on a phone might generally enhance the experience, if handled with proper imagination.

Are you excited about the possibility of this rumor panning out? Tell us about it in the comments or social media! Then be sure to check out this pristine fan localization of Mega Man Battle Network 4.5: Real Operation. Or check out our interview about One Step from Eden, a Tokyo Game Show award winner that draws influence from the series.

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