The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Sales Are “Pretty Well,” Says Dev — Bankruptcy Fears Finally Easing
- Sagar Mankar
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy is finally doing better than expected — according to its creator, Kazutaka Kodaka.
In a recent interview, Kodaka shared that the game is “selling pretty well” and that he no longer sees bankruptcy as a serious concern for the studio, Too Kyo Games. That’s a major shift in tone, especially after months of public concern about the company’s financial future.
A High-Risk, High-Reward Project
Released on April 24, 2025, for Nintendo Switch and Steam, The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy is Too Kyo Games' first fully original IP. It combines deep visual novel storytelling with tactical RPG gameplay and features a staggering 6 million Japanese characters across 100 different endings.
Created by industry veterans Kazutaka Kodaka (Danganronpa) and Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape), the game tells the story of Takumi Sumino and 14 other students trapped in an isolated academy surrounded by otherworldly flames. For 100 in-game days, they must fend off monstrous “School Invaders” while trying to uncover the truth behind their bizarre situation.
It’s a bold project — and one that almost cost the studio everything.
“If the game doesn’t sell, you can’t pay off your debt.”
Back in 2024, Kodaka openly acknowledged that The Hundred Line was putting Too Kyo Games under intense financial strain. In one statement, he explained the stakes quite bluntly:
“If the game doesn’t sell, you can’t pay off your debt.”
He added:
"In that sense, this is a rare opportunity for players. You get to witness how the sales of a single title can affect the future of a company and its creators."
According to reports from that time, development continued even as the team struggled to secure enough funding. The studio reportedly took out loans to keep things moving forward — a risky bet for a narrative-driven game in a competitive market.
By May 2025, just weeks after the game's release, Kodaka shared on his Bluesky account that the company was still hanging on by a thread. “I’d love to start working on multilingual support if I can pay off my debts early,” he wrote, adding that Too Kyo Games was “still on the brink of going under.”
He also noted that while many fans were asking for a PlayStation 5 version, the studio had no plans to expand beyond PC and Switch, saying the “chances are very slim.”
Early Sales Offered a Glimmer of Hope
Despite the rocky lead-up, The Hundred Line managed to perform solidly out of the gate. According to Famitsu, the game was the highest-selling new Nintendo Switch release in Japan from April 21 to May 4, 2025, with 26,732 physical copies sold in that window (not including digital sales).
On Steam, the game saw an impressive launch day with over 10,000 concurrent players, according to SteamDB. Although the player count has since dipped to around 1,600 concurrent players, the game continues to hold a “Very Positive” review rating on the platform, reflecting strong word-of-mouth from early adopters.
“I don’t see bankruptcy as a serious future.”
Now, in the July 11 Bloomberg interview, Kodaka gave fans a long-awaited update on the game’s financial impact.
“The Hundred Line is selling pretty well,” he confirmed. “I don’t see bankruptcy as a serious future [for the studio].”
While he didn’t provide specific sales figures, the shift in tone suggests the game has generated enough revenue to stabilize Too Kyo Games.
What’s Next for The Hundred Line?
Kodaka has previously hinted at the possibility of additional content and adaptations for the game. He’s mentioned wanting to work on DLC, a sequel, and even an anime adaptation, though no official plans have been confirmed. With the studio now on more stable footing, those ideas may finally get a chance to materialize.
The studio also announced a new project — Shuten Order, developed in collaboration with DMM Games.