Naruto Finally Lands in Monster Strike

What happened

On June 11, 2026, MIXI announced that its smash-hit mobile game Monster Strike (a Japanese puzzle-RPG where players sling characters around the screen) would hold its first-ever crossover with the anime Naruto Shippuden. The event starts June 12 at 12:00 JST (Japan Standard Time) and runs through July 2. The characters were revealed during a livestreamed "Monster Strike News" broadcast.

The lineup includes Naruto Uzumaki, Kakashi Hatake, Jiraiya, and members of the Akatsuki (the manga's antagonist organization), plus collab quests, gacha pulls, login rewards, and mission-clear rewards.

Why it is trending now

The trigger was the official reveal during the Monster Strike News stream. Despite both franchises being enormous, the two had never collaborated before, so a first-ever pairing was a long-held wish for fans of both sides. Monster Strike also introduced a two-part Vol.1/Vol.2 structure for this collab, a first for the game, signaling an unusually large-scale event. The announcement also coincided with fans resurfacing famous Naruto moments, deepening interest in the series overall.

How fans reacted

Japanese X (formerly Twitter) users flooded the announcement with excitement, thanking the developers for the presentation and expressing disbelief at the two-part format. Many treated it as a wish finally granted after years of waiting. Others turned practical, asking which gacha characters are worth pulling and even wondering whether they could rewatch the anime in time for the event.

What to watch next:

The collaboration goes live June 12 at 12:00 JST and runs to July 2, with the Vol.2 stage expected to add more content later in the period. Watch for how the Vol.1/Vol.2 rollout is received and whether the lineup expands beyond the announced characters.