It has been about four years since the last installment of the franchise wherein students are locked in their school and are tasked by a robo-bear to kill one another if they want to escape. That’s right: we’re talking about Danganronpa, and it has been such a long time since the third installment was initially released to American fans.
For the unfamiliar, the Danganronpa franchise has three main games, namely Trigger Happy Havoc, Goodbye Despair, and Killing Harmony. However, many fans still want more out of this franchise, hoping for its creators to release another game. On the other hand, a portion of fans thinks the opposite, as they believe that there’s enough Danganronpa content out there.
No matter which side of the spectrum you’re in, fans collectively wonder whether a Danganronpa 4 game will be released or if it ends with V3.
No Official Announcements Have Been Made Just Yet
You’ve probably come across countless clickbait articles revolving around the possibility of Danganronpa 4 or have read several fan theories about why another installment is being made. However, no matter how much you want to believe it, it’s best to manage your expectations for the time being.
At the moment, the company that owns the franchise, Spike Chunsoft, hasn’t made any official statements or announcements as to whether or not a fourth installment is being worked on. However, the company also hasn’t said that they’re closing Danganronpa’s doors just yet.
Spike Chunsoft Continues to Release Merch
Despite the lack of news, Spike Chunsoft still continues to engage with the Danganronpa fanbase by releasing new merchandise and announcing new playable platforms. For instance, the company’s official Twitter account revealed a sneak peek of the Danganronpa Pop Up Parade figurines a few months ago. Fans noticed the usual favorites, including Junko Endoshima, Nagito Komaeda, Chiaki Nanami, and Kyoko Kirigiri.
Not only that, but fans now have the option to download the anniversary editions of Danganronpa 1 and Danganronpa 2 on their mobile devices. Do these announcements mean that Danganronpa 4 is potentially being baked in the oven? We can’t know that for sure, but the fact that Spike Chunsoft continues to engage and connect with fans in these small ways keeps the hope alive.
Danganronpa V3’s Anniversary Edition Is Delayed
As mentioned, the mobile versions of Danganronpa 1 and 2’s anniversary editions were already released, but it seems that the anniversary edition for Danganronpa v3: Killing Harmony has been delayed indefinitely. According to the company’s apology statement, the mobile version of Killing Harmony had some kind of issue related to its mobile rendering. As a result, the game’s release had to be pushed back until further notice.
Since that initial announcement, Spike Chunsoft has been silent about Killing Harmony’s release. So, if there really will be a fourth installment, fans probably won’t hear anything about it at least until V3’s anniversary edition has been remedied and released.
Danganronpa Creator Released a Similar Title Recently
Danganronpa’s lead creator, Kazutoka Kodaka, worked together with Zero Escape’s lead creator, Kotaro Uchikoshi, to develop a brand-new game that was recently released in Japan. This game, entitled World’s End Club, takes players and traps them in an underwater theme park. The players are then required to participate in “A Game of Fate.”
So far, positive reviews have been flooding this new game, but at this moment in time, we can’t tell if Kodaka chooses to pursue this new storyline instead of returning and expanding the world of Danganronpa.
Spike Chunsoft May Be Prioritizing Its New 3D RPG
Spike Chunsoft fans are aware that the company is currently working on a brand-new game entitled Made in the Abyss: Binary Star Falling Into Darkness. Unlike Danganronpa, this new title is a 3D RPG, and it’s expected to be released some time in 2022 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4. In Spike Chunsoft’s announcement, this new game is actually based on a dark fantasy manga and anime by Akihito Tsukushi entitled Made in Abyss.
If this 3D RPG gains popularity and rakes in money, there’s always a chance that Spike Chunsoft will begin to set its focus on this fresh storyline.
Danganronpa V3 Was Intended to Be a Finale
From what we know, Kodaka actually wrote Danganronpa V3 wanting it to be the final game in the series. As a matter of fact, players discovered at the end of V3 that the game wasn’t about the Killing Games’ third installment like they’d initially thought. Instead, Danganronpa V3 was following the 53rd installment—the V in the title actually represented the roman number 50.
The last game’s conclusion also broke the fourth wall, as the survivors of the Killing Games begged the player to choose “Hope.” Other than that, they also wanted the player to destroy the academy so that the Killing Games can finally come to an end.
Spin-off Games Are a Solid Option
That being said, even if Danganronpa V3 is officially the last title in the main storyline, this doesn’t mean that Kodaka and Spike Chunsoft won’t entertain the idea of spin-offs. After all, they’ve done this in the past too with the release of the action-adventure spin-off entitled Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls.
Perhaps the team could create a spin-off series following the life of any of the main characters before or after Hope’s Peak. There’s a lot of potential for a spin-off series, so we shouldn’t have to say goodbye to the franchise just yet.
Danganronpa Runs the Risk of Going Stale
No matter how popular a franchise may be, whether it’s a TV series or a video game series, there’s always a chance that it will overstay its welcome if they run for too long, and Danganronpa also runs this risk. The Danganronpa games’ success relies heavily on the mysteriousness of the plot in order for the visual novel aspect of the game to move along.
Of course, the games’ writers and developers do their best to provide the right level of suspense and thrill for every released game, but the main gist of every title is the same and fans are very familiar with it at this point.
But Fans Still Want More
Nevertheless, a considerable number of fans still want the Danganronpa franchise to keep going, even though they’re more than familiar with the plot. Even today, there are still many Danganronpa cosplayers scattered throughout the interwebs, and going full circle, many popular Let’s Play YouTube channels like Game Grumps are experiencing the series for the first time.
Conclusion
Even though Danganronpa runs the risk of overstaying its welcome, there are always new fans that arrive with every year that passes. In other words, Danganronpa’s time still isn’t over, which is why fans are still holding on to the hope that a fourth installment will be announced at some point.
