# Exclusive: D&D’s Japanese Rival Creators Talk About Imminent English Launch

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/exclusive-dds-japanese-rival-creators-talk-about-imminent-english-launch/
- Published: 2026-08-29T18:00:14+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-29T18:16:44+00:00
- Original publisher: Polygon
- Original article: https://www.polygon.com/exclusive-dds-japanese-rival-creators-talk-about-imminent-english-launch/
- Topics: Art, Asia, Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment

## Key points

- Sword World RPG 2.5’s English crowdfunding campaign begins on 20 October.
- The game has been a Japanese fantasy RPG staple since 1989.
- Its launch brings an official translation to Western players.

## Summary

Sword World RPG, Japan’s long-established fantasy tabletop role-playing game and a major domestic rival to Dungeons & Dragons, is to receive its first official English release. Publisher Mugen Gaming will launch a BackerKit crowdfunding campaign for an English translation of Sword World RPG 2.5 on 20 October, potentially introducing the game to a much wider audience.

Created by Group SNE in 1989, Sword World grew from the group’s D&D session reports, or “RPG replays”, which also helped inspire the Record of Lodoss War franchise. Group SNE president Hitoshi Yasuda said D&D struggled in Japan partly because of TSR’s sales approach, while Sword World appealed through its affordability, accessibility, story focus and Japanese-influenced fantasy style. The English project features art direction by Shunsuke Nakashige and collector’s-edition cover art by Hitoshi Yoneda.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.