Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions Sets a Kickoff Date For This August

Soccer and anime will combine forces once more this summer with Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions. The anime sports game will kick off on August 28 for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

Announced today, Bandai Namco released a new trailer showcasing all the sick moves and over-the-top, gravity-defying shots and saves of Captain Tsubasa. It seems to really be embracing its sports anime influences, with characters doing frankly absurd moves to make the big play. I'm not certain that kick-off from the goal makes logical sense, but it sure does look cool.

If using your foot and shonen anime spirit to turn a soccer ball into a righteous comet is the future of the sport, I embrace it. It's almost proto-Blitzball, but the stylized anime look feels more reminiscent of games like Dragon Ball FighterZ. With some flashy moves for fielding, as well as the big shots and saves, Captain Tsubasa certainly has a bit more flair than your average soccer game.

This much-needed competition to the conventional soccer sims of the modern day has quite a bit of history to it. Rise of New Champions is the first time Captain Tsubasa has appeared on a PlayStation since 2006, and the franchise has some roots stretching back to the Famicom days.

While other games like FIFA will let players simulate real-life soccer situations, Captain Tsubasa lets me do something called a V-Move, which looks absolutely incredible. Spirits will soar and soccer balls will be annihilated on August 28, when Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions goes live for PS4, Switch, and PC.