Is Bushiroad profitable in 2026?

Yes. Bushiroad reported H1 FY2026 (six months to December 2025) net profit of ¥2.58 billion, up 107.4% year over year, with operating profit of ¥2.91 billion, up 68.5% YoY, per its February 13, 2026 financial report.

Bushiroad is publicly listed (TSE: 7803) with no controlling parent. Per Wikipedia's sourced infobox as of July 2026, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation holds ~33.7%, founder Takaaki Kidani ~17.4%, Nakano Sakagami Co. ~16.65%, and GREE ~4.96%.

Did Bushiroad sell New Japan Pro-Wrestling?

Yes. Bushiroad sold its entire roughly 70% stake in NJPW to TV Asahi and CyberAgent for about ¥3.6 billion (~$22.6M), announced May 27, 2026 and completed June 30, 2026, exiting pro wrestling ownership.

Could AI replace Bushiroad's business?

Unlikely soon. Bushiroad's core assets are exclusive licensed IP deals (TOHO, COVER Corp., Pocketpair), physical card manufacturing, over 400 partner card shops across 18+ countries, and live tournaments like the Bushiroad Championship Series (11,852 players, May 2026), none of which frontier AI directly replicates.

Who is Bushiroad's biggest competitor?

Bandai Namco is the fastest-rising rival. Its One Piece Card Game outsold Konami's Yu-Gi-Oh! by GMV in multiple quarters through Q1 2026, per TCGplayer marketplace data, showing incumbents can beat Bushiroad in the licensed-anime-IP TCG lane.

Is Bushiroad growing or shrinking?

Growing. FY2025 (ended June 2025) consolidated revenue was ¥56.18 billion, up 21.4% YoY, and trailing twelve-month revenue to March 2026 reached ¥59.16 billion, up 12.1% YoY, per stockanalysis.com data dated July 10, 2026.

Gaming companies · Japan

Bushiroad

bushiroad.com ↗

Japanese maker of trading card games like Vanguard, Weiß Schwarz, and BanG Dream! media.

Defensible for now

Assessed 23 July 2026 · Evidence as of 23 July 2026

Real protection, with named pressure against it.

On the recordSince 23 July 2026 · Checkable from July 30, 2026 · Every call on the record Checkpoint: Palworld OFFICIAL CARD GAME global launch

The call

Bushiroad keeps growing on owned card franchises and licensed hits, but its next act rides on whether Palworld's card game becomes a real second business or a one-off.

Bushiroad publishes trading card games based on anime and video game characters, selling cards through 400+ shops worldwide and running organized tournaments that keep players engaged. The company owns some popular game lines like Vanguard and Weiß Schwarz, but copying these games is getting easier as larger companies like Bandai Namco (which makes One Piece cards) and Pokémon control over half the market and know how to launch hit games in the same anime-card space. The real test comes in mid-2026 when Bushiroad launches the official Palworld card game globally; if it becomes a blockbuster hit in the West like One Piece did, Bushiroad could break into the big leagues, but if it flops or stays small in Japan, the company will likely remain a smaller player competing in others' shadows.

Why

AI pressure: None apparent. Physical card games and in-person tournaments sit outside AI's reach for now, though AI-made mobile games could pull attention from teens. Could AI do the core job? Unlikely.

Bigger players: Bandai Namco (One Piece Card Game). One Piece Card Game is outselling Yu-Gi-Oh! in recent quarters, showing a bigger rival can win the same anime-IP card lane Bushiroad depends on. Could a giant copy it? Probably.

What protects it. Owned franchises like Vanguard and Weiß Schwarz plus 400+ card shops across 18+ countries give it retail and tournament footing rivals must rebuild from scratch.

What would change this call

Palworld OFFICIAL CARD GAME global launch, July 30, 2026. Tests whether Bushiroad can turn a licensed Western hit into a durable franchise like One Piece.
FY ending June 2027 overseas TCG sales versus the over-50%-of-total target. Shows whether Bushiroad's international expansion is closing the gap with Bandai Namco and Pokémon.
Renewal or loss of hololive, Godzilla, or Palworld license contracts. Indicates whether a rival outbids Bushiroad for a marquee IP, weakening its licensed-tie-in pipeline.

Key numbers

FY2025 revenue: ¥56.18 billion, up 21.4% (June 2025)
Overseas TCG sales target: over 50% of total (FY ending June 2027)
New bank debt: ¥2 billion from MUFG (December 2025)

Named risks

Growth strategy leans on licensed IP deals (Palworld, hololive, Godzilla) that could be lost to rivals. Severity: high
Larger incumbents like Bandai Namco and Pokemon have proven ability to win in the anime-IP TCG lane Bushiroad targets. Severity: high
Rising bank debt (MUFG ¥2B loan Dec 2025, further SMBC borrowings April 2026) tied to expansion capex. Severity: medium
NJPW divestiture removes a diversified revenue segment, concentrating results in TCG and content. Severity: low

Rivals, as read in July 2026

Rival	Direction	Evidence
Bandai Namco	gaining on	One Piece Card Game outsold Yu-Gi-Oh! by GMV in multiple quarters through Q1 2026
Pokemon Company	contesting	Remains dominant global TCG volume leader as Bushiroad expands overseas titles in 2026
Hasbro Wizards of the Coast	contesting	Magic The Gathering ranked #1 TCG by GMV per TCGplayer, Q1 2026
Konami	contesting	Yu-Gi-Oh! remains top-10 GMV but overtaken by rival titles in some 2026 quarters

Questions people ask

Is Bushiroad profitable in 2026?: Yes. Bushiroad reported H1 FY2026 (six months to December 2025) net profit of ¥2.58 billion, up 107.4% year over year, with operating profit of ¥2.91 billion, up 68.5% YoY, per its February 13, 2026 financial report.
Who owns Bushiroad?: Bushiroad is publicly listed (TSE: 7803) with no controlling parent. Per Wikipedia's sourced infobox as of July 2026, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation holds ~33.7%, founder Takaaki Kidani ~17.4%, Nakano Sakagami Co. ~16.65%, and GREE ~4.96%.
Did Bushiroad sell New Japan Pro-Wrestling?: Yes. Bushiroad sold its entire roughly 70% stake in NJPW to TV Asahi and CyberAgent for about ¥3.6 billion (~$22.6M), announced May 27, 2026 and completed June 30, 2026, exiting pro wrestling ownership.
Could AI replace Bushiroad's business?: Unlikely soon. Bushiroad's core assets are exclusive licensed IP deals (TOHO, COVER Corp., Pocketpair), physical card manufacturing, over 400 partner card shops across 18+ countries, and live tournaments like the Bushiroad Championship Series (11,852 players, May 2026), none of which frontier AI directly replicates.
Who is Bushiroad's biggest competitor?: Bandai Namco is the fastest-rising rival. Its One Piece Card Game outsold Konami's Yu-Gi-Oh! by GMV in multiple quarters through Q1 2026, per TCGplayer marketplace data, showing incumbents can beat Bushiroad in the licensed-anime-IP TCG lane.
Is Bushiroad growing or shrinking?: Growing. FY2025 (ended June 2025) consolidated revenue was ¥56.18 billion, up 21.4% YoY, and trailing twelve-month revenue to March 2026 reached ¥59.16 billion, up 12.1% YoY, per stockanalysis.com data dated July 10, 2026.

Timeline

2026-07-30Palworld OFFICIAL CARD GAME launches globally
2026-07-09Bushiroad announces two new overseas group companies (Malaysia, China planned)
2026-06-30NJPW stake sale to TV Asahi and CyberAgent completed
2026-05-27Bushiroad announces sale of ~70% NJPW stake, ~¥3.6 billion
2026-05-15FY2026 3Q results briefing discloses new bank borrowings and BUSHIROAD THE BOX launch
2026-03-02Bushiroad announces LIVE-MIXED ENTERTAINMENT corporate vision redefinition
2026-02-13FY2026 1H financial report shows net profit up 107.4% YoY
2025-12-17Business collaboration agreement signed with GENDA Inc.
2025-10-011-for-2 stock split takes effect
2025-07GODZILLA CARD GAME launches with TOHO

Revision history

23 July 2026

First assessed. Defensible for now. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.

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