The agency that helped bring Love Letter and Machi Koro to the rest of the world has a new home. Asmodee has acquired Japon Brand from CMON and launched Nekuma, a dedicated Japan-based studio tasked with finding new designs from local creators and releasing them globally.
Japon Brand has been one of the most important bridges between Japanese game design and the international market since its founding in 2006. The agency spotted and championed Love Letter, a razor-sharp deduction card game, and Machi Koro, a dice-rolling city builder, before they became hits across the hobby. Without that pipeline, the wave of compact, clever Japanese games that swept through the hobby might have taken years longer to reach Western shelves.
CMON acquired Japon Brand less than two years ago, but the struggling publisher has been shedding assets as it tries to recover from heavy losses totalling over $3 million in 2024 and nearly $7 million in just the first half of 2025. Zombicide, Cthulhu: Death May Die, and now Japon Brand have all moved to Asmodee.
Nekuma will handle three jobs: sourcing games from Japanese designers, publishing them for global audiences, and distributing Asmodee's existing catalogue in Japan. The studio builds on publishing work Asmodee has already established across Asia since 2021, including licensed editions like Splendor Pokemon and Love Letter Cookie Run in South Korea and China.
"Japan is one of the most creative and culturally influential markets in the world," said Asmodee CEO Thomas Koegler. "With Nekuma, we are building a long-term platform that connects Japanese creators with players globally."
For gamers, the practical upshot is straightforward: expect more polished Japanese designs showing up at your local game shop over the coming years. If you have ever loved a small, ingenious game that does a lot with a little, the pipeline that brought it to you just got a boost.
Sources: BoardGameWire | GamingTrend | Asmodee Corporate