Fans at New York Comic Con 2026 received a first look at the next chapter of the NARUTO franchise during the sold-out “NARUTO: What’s Next?” special stage, held on Naruto Uzumaki’s birthday before an audience of approximately 3,000 people.
The event featured Junko Takeuchi and Noriaki Sugiyama, who voice Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, and Yoshihiro Tominaga, executive producer of PIERROT FILMS. The stage delivered a series of worldwide announcements, including a new crossover anime, a global franchise initiative, a card game launch, a mobile game release, and a surprise new manga from creator Masashi Kishimoto.
Crossover Anime
The first major reveal was NARUTO x NINKŪ, a four-episode anime bringing together two celebrated shinobi series. A collaboration visual and teaser trailer debuted during the stage. The story is being supervised entirely by Masashi Kishimoto and NINKŪ creator Koji Kiriyama.
The production team includes Noriyuki Abe, director of the NINKŪ TV anime and BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS, and Tetsuya Nishio, character designer and chief animation director for both NINKŪ and NARUTO.
The story follows Team 7—Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura—as they embark on a mission led by Naruto as acting leader. Along the way, they find themselves lost in another world, where they meet a boy named Fūsuke.
Project RASENGAN
The stage also introduced PROJECT RASENGAN, a large-scale global project designed to bring NARUTO and BORUTO into a new phase. A new key visual and promo video debuted, featuring Naruto wielding the Rasengan against a backdrop of memorable moments from across the series. A wide-ranging roadmap connecting future manga, anime, games, and events was revealed, with several projects still to be announced.
Naruto Card Game
BANDAI CARD GAMES revealed that the NARUTO CARD GAME will launch simultaneously worldwide in June 2027. A new special trailer animated by Studio Pierrot and new card illustrations were shown publicly for the first time.
The initial product lineup includes three starter decks featuring Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara as leaders, along with the first booster set, “Enter: Naruto Uzumaki!” Demo Tutorial Events begin in early 2027, with a spring campaign to distribute 1 million demo decks worldwide.
Mobile Game
The NARUTO mobile game, a battle action title first launched in the Chinese mainland in 2016 and still hugely popular today, is officially coming worldwide. A new teaser trailer debuted during the stage.
New Manga
At the end of the special stage, a super teaser PV revealed that Masashi Kishimoto is working on a new NARUTO manga. When the words appeared on screen, the excitement in the venue reached its peak.
Live-Action Update
Director Destin Daniel Cretton delivered a special message about the upcoming live-action NARUTO film: “These characters mean so much to so many people, myself included, and I carry that with me as we make this film. We’re approaching the world, relationships, and journeys Kishimoto-sensei created with a lot of care.”
From a crossover anime to a new manga, a card game, and a global mobile release, the NARUTO franchise is entering an ambitious new era. Additional updates on PROJECT RASENGAN are scheduled for Jump Festa 2027, set for December 19-20, 2026.
Source: VIZ Media
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