Rain98 director Shoon T announced that the team will target a 2026 release. The studio made this change after months of showing the game at BitSummit, PAX East, Tokyo Game Show, and other events.
Players tried several demo builds at these shows and shared a large amount of feedback. The developers used these reactions to sharpen their plans and expand ideas that resonated with attendees. As the project evolved, the team chose to take more time so they could build a fuller and more confident version of Rain98.
Shoon T explained that the team wants Rain98 to stay with players long after the ending. To support that, the developers are adding more activities tied to daily life in late-90s Tokyo. These systems anchor the story’s tone and the characters’ perspectives. They are not small distractions, so the team must dedicate more time to do them justice.
Rain98 recently crossed 45,000 Steam wishlists. The studio thanked players for the steady support and promised to share updates more often. The team will post news on development progress, event plans, and future demo builds through the Steam Community page and the official Discord.
The developers closed by saying they want to deliver Rain98 at a level that matches player expectations. They plan to keep working at full speed until they reach that goal.
Editor’s Take
Rain98 was one of my top picks for the year, so the delay makes sense. As the year is nearly over, the team still needs time to finish the game. I believe that rushing it now could weaken the final result. At the same time, the concept stands out, and the visual style gives the ADV format a fresh entry. For that reason, extra development time should make the game even stronger.
I’m looking forward to seeing it next year and will share updates as we get closer to launch. With that in mind, Rain98 arrives in 2026 on PC as a horror ADV featuring Rio Tsuchiya and lo-fi visuals.
