Bandai Namco suspends downloads of Gundam Metaverse after leakage rumors swirl

Japanese game publisher Bandai Namco today suspended the downloads of its newly launched Gundam Metaverse after rumors circulated surrounding the leakage of the design files of certain highly anticipated Gundam models.

“We are sorry that downloading the client files has been temporarily suspended,” Bandai Namco said in an announcement. “We apologize for the inconvenience. We will inform you on this website when the download will be available again.”

The abrupt halt of downloads comes just a week after the metaverse game opened up its general access to the public in the U.S. and Japan on Oct. 11, according to its website.

However, rumors emerged earlier this week that the downloads contained unencrypted design files related to certain models for Gundam Seed Freedom, an upcoming animated film set to be released in January 2024, according to images posted on Reddit and Hong Kong news site HK01.

Bandai Namco did not elaborate in its statement the reasons why it suspended the downloads. The company did not immediately respond to The Block’s request for comment.

Metaverse ambition

Last month, Bandai Namco said in a press release that the Gundam Metaverse Project aims to become a gathering place for Gundam fans from around the world to engage with various types of content, including user-generated content such as fan-created Gunpla — model kits depicting the mecha machinery and characters.

“Bandai Namco Group strives to turn GUNDAM from an intellectual property (IP) into a social property and icon (SP). The aim is to work with fans and partners to create a better future through GUNDAM,” the company added.