Is Konami profitable in 2026?

Yes. Konami reported FY2026 (ended March 2026) net profit attributable to owners of ¥100.0 billion, up 33.9% year over year, on revenue of ¥493.7 billion, up 17.1%. This marked the company's third consecutive year of record revenue and profit, announced May 8, 2026.

Konami Group Corporation is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (9766) and London Stock Exchange (KNM). Founder Kagemasa Kōzuki remains chairman, and the Kōzuki family held roughly 27% of shares as of September 30, 2025. No external parent company controls Konami.

Could AI replace Konami's game developers?

Unlikely for core IP. Konami confirmed January 30, 2026 it will use AI in production, but generative tools cannot legally recreate owned franchises like Metal Gear or Yu-Gi-Oh!. A December 2025 AI voice-cloning incident at a Yu-Gi-Oh! event triggered public backlash, showing reputational risk alongside efficiency gains.

Is eFootball beating EA Sports FC?

eFootball surpassed 1 billion cumulative downloads on April 9, 2026, and Konami calls it a growing #2 in football sims, but it remains behind EA Sports FC in the AAA console/premium segment. The two titles compete directly rather than one displacing the other.

Who is Konami's biggest competitor?

In Japanese console/PC publishing, rivals include Capcom, Square Enix, Bandai Namco, and Sega. In free-to-play football simulation specifically, eFootball's direct rival is EA Sports FC, with Konami's title crossing 1 billion downloads as of April 9, 2026.

Has Konami faced any recent lawsuits?

Yes. In June 2026 Konami filed a California lawsuit to unmask parties behind a Metal Gear Solid 2 source code leak, active as of June 24, 2026. Separately, a patent dispute with Cygames over Umamusume was settled confidentially on November 7, 2025.

Gaming companies · Japan

Konami

konami.com ↗

Japanese publisher owning Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and eFootball.

Hard to displace

Assessed 24 July 2026 · Evidence as of 24 July 2026

Strong structural protection; the business model survives ai pressure.

On the recordSince 24 July 2026 · Checkable from August 6, 2026 · Every call on the record Checkpoint: Q1 FY2027 earnings call, first test of whether flat guidance means the revival cycle was one-time

The call

Konami's record profits rest on owned franchises AI cannot generate and rivals cannot license, with eFootball as the one segment where EA competes head on.

Konami makes video games, trading card games, casino machines, and arcade systems. Its old game franchises and the legal rights it owns cannot be copied by competitors, and people stay loyal to brands like Metal Gear and Silent Hill for decades, which EA Sports and new AI tools cannot easily replace. The big question is whether Konami can keep releasing hit games at the same pace it did in 2025 and 2026, or if those record years were just a temporary bounce from remakes and revivals.

Why

AI pressure: Generative AI tools for asset production and voice localization. Konami already uses AI internally for production and localization; a 2025 Yu-Gi-Oh! voice-cloning backlash shows the reputational cost is real. Could AI do the core job? Unlikely.

Bigger players: EA Sports FC. EA Sports FC competes directly for football gaming players, though eFootball keeps growing and just passed 1 billion downloads. Could a giant copy it? No, they are blocked.

What protects it. Exclusive legal ownership of Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, and Yu-Gi-Oh! plus regulated casino and arcade licenses no rival or AI tool can copy.

What would change this call

Konami's Q1 FY2027 earnings call on August 6, 2026 shows whether guided +2.3% revenue growth holds. Tests whether the three-year revival is durable growth or a one-time franchise-remake surge.
eFootball's active user and revenue trend through FY2027 versus EA Sports FC's reported player base. Shows whether EA Sports FC is actually eroding eFootball's position or Konami keeps its number two share.
Sales performance of Silent Hill: Townfall and next Metal Gear title after their 2026 releases. Indicates whether the AAA franchise revival continues or the pipeline is cooling.

Key numbers

FY2026 revenue ¥493.7B, up 17.1% YoY (2026-05-08)
FY2026 net profit ¥100.0B, up 33.9% (2026-05-08)
eFootball passed 1 billion cumulative downloads (2026-04-09)

Named risks

FY2027 guidance nearly flat (+2.3% revenue) suggests franchise revival wave may be one-time surge. Severity: medium
AI voice-cloning backlash (Dec 2025 Yu-Gi-Oh! incident) creates reputational exposure as AI use expands. Severity: medium
Active June 2026 lawsuit over Metal Gear Solid 2 source code leak signals ongoing IP security threats. Severity: medium
eFootball faces sustained competitive pressure from EA Sports FC in football sim category. Severity: low

Rivals, as read in July 2026

Rival	Direction	Evidence
EA Sports FC	contesting	eFootball hit 1B downloads Apr 9 2026 but remains #2 to EA Sports FC in AAA football sims
Capcom	contesting	Both post record results in FY2026 domestic Japanese console publishing market
Square Enix	contesting	Rival Japanese publisher competing for same console/PC audience through 2026
Cygames	contesting	Umamusume patent lawsuit against Konami settled confidentially Nov 7 2025

Questions people ask

Is Konami profitable in 2026?: Yes. Konami reported FY2026 (ended March 2026) net profit attributable to owners of ¥100.0 billion, up 33.9% year over year, on revenue of ¥493.7 billion, up 17.1%. This marked the company's third consecutive year of record revenue and profit, announced May 8, 2026.
Who owns Konami?: Konami Group Corporation is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (9766) and London Stock Exchange (KNM). Founder Kagemasa Kōzuki remains chairman, and the Kōzuki family held roughly 27% of shares as of September 30, 2025. No external parent company controls Konami.
Could AI replace Konami's game developers?: Unlikely for core IP. Konami confirmed January 30, 2026 it will use AI in production, but generative tools cannot legally recreate owned franchises like Metal Gear or Yu-Gi-Oh!. A December 2025 AI voice-cloning incident at a Yu-Gi-Oh! event triggered public backlash, showing reputational risk alongside efficiency gains.
Is eFootball beating EA Sports FC?: eFootball surpassed 1 billion cumulative downloads on April 9, 2026, and Konami calls it a growing #2 in football sims, but it remains behind EA Sports FC in the AAA console/premium segment. The two titles compete directly rather than one displacing the other.
Who is Konami's biggest competitor?: In Japanese console/PC publishing, rivals include Capcom, Square Enix, Bandai Namco, and Sega. In free-to-play football simulation specifically, eFootball's direct rival is EA Sports FC, with Konami's title crossing 1 billion downloads as of April 9, 2026.
Has Konami faced any recent lawsuits?: Yes. In June 2026 Konami filed a California lawsuit to unmask parties behind a Metal Gear Solid 2 source code leak, active as of June 24, 2026. Separately, a patent dispute with Cygames over Umamusume was settled confidentially on November 7, 2025.

Timeline

2026-06-30eFootball Kick Off! spin-off launches for Nintendo Switch 2
2026-06-24Konami sues in California court to unmask Metal Gear Solid 2 source code leakers
2026-05-13Silent Hill 2 Remake reaches 6 million cumulative players
2026-05-08FY2026 results: record revenue Yen493.7B (+17.1%), net profit Yen100.0B (+33.9%)
2026-04-09eFootball surpasses 1 billion cumulative downloads
2026-01-30Konami confirms plans to use AI, cloud, and VR/AR in future projects
2025-12-31AI voice-cloning backlash after Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship commentary controversy
2025-11-07Cygames and Konami settle Umamusume patent lawsuit confidentially
2025-10-01Konami opens new R&D facility Konami Creative Front Tokyo Bay in Ariake
2025-09-25Silent Hill f launches, sells over 1 million units on day one

Revision history

24 July 2026

First assessed. Hard to displace. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.

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