Studio Trigger, the animation team behind anime Kill la Kill, is producing the opening animation for WayForward‘s upcoming Shantae 5. This won’t the first time Studio Trigger has created animations for a video game, as the studio previously produced animations for Project X Zone and the upcoming RPG Indivisible from Skullgirls creator Lab Zero Games. However, this Kill la Kill Shantae 5 collaboration is still quite a mystery.
WayForward announced the collaboration on Twitter, posting two pieces of production artwork along with the news.
We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with the amazing folks at @trigger_inc, who will be creating a brand-new opening animation for Shantae 5! We'll have more details soon; for now, here's a sneak peek at some production artwork! pic.twitter.com/KkTy0hxH0y
— WayForward (@WayForward) July 1, 2019
The Shantae series, one of WayForward’s most well-known IPs, stars a hair-whipping half-genie named Shantae who uses magic powers to change forms and defeat enemies. The side-scrolling series has a dedicated, cult fan base and is known for its colorful, detailed sprite work, which makes it the perfect game for an animation studio like Studio Trigger to take on. The most recent Shantae game, 2016’s Shantae Half-Genie Hero, received generally favorable reviews at launch and was ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2017.
WayForward announced Shantae 5 in March 2019, but fans have received few details since then. According to WayForward, the game is set to launch sometime this year for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch, and Apple Arcade.
Apple announced its Apple Arcade game subscription service in March 2019 (the same day WayForward revealed Shantae 5). The company said it will launch with more than 100 new gaming apps not available on other mobile devices, and that the games will be playable on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. Apple later confirmed that the service would be compatible with both PS4 and Xbox One controllers connected to an Apple TV.
Apple is reportedly spending more than $500 million to secure games for the service. This could include any money spent to ensure games like Shantae 5 stay exclusive to Apple products, at least as far as mobile gaming is considered. Apple Arcade’s success depends on people using the service, among other things.
