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Rage of Bahamut Developer Cygames Establishes Anime Company

Smartphone game developer Cygames announced at Anime Japan 2016 on Saturday that is aiming to establish an animation studio as a fully-owned subsidiary in the first half of 2016.

Cygames has had an anime production division since March 2015, and it will continue in the new anime production company. The new company will handle not only planning and producing anime, but also creating the animation in-house.

Cygames' business website is taking staff applications. The job description references anime adaptations of Cygames' games as well as original anime.

The animation studio will be established in Mitaka in West Tokyo, where a number of other anime studios are located.

Cygames was established in 2011, and has since produced games such as Rage of Bahamut, The IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls, and Gran Blue Fantasy.

Rage of Bahamut inspired the Rage of Bahamut Genesis anime in 2014 from studio MAPPA, and a second season with a new protagonist has been greenlit. Funimation streamed the series as it aired and will release the series on home video.

Cygames invested in Rage of Bahamut Genesis itself instead of using the more standard "production committee" model, where an anime is financed by several companies.

The Rage of Bahamut: Manaria Friends spinoff series of shorts have been greenlit, and were slated to premiere in April. However, the series has been delayed indefinitely, and the official website removed the entire staff listing.

Source: Anime!Anime!; Tadashi Sudo