Hotta Studio’s upcoming role‑playing game, NTE: Neverness to Everness, is being promoted by a month‑long photo tour of animate stores across Japan, as reported by Kyodo News on October 24, 2026. The event, located at multiple animate venues nationwide, runs from Saturday, October 24, to Monday, November 23, 2026.
The “NTE 2026 Fair in animate” is advertised as a celebration of the game’s surreal urban open‑world setting, with in‑store displays, life‑size character standees, and offer an array of merchandise to fans of the tower of fantasy title. Kyodo lists sixteen participating locations, including the Ikebukuro Flagship Store, Sendai, Kichijoji Parco, Shibuya, Nagoya, Akihabara, Lashic Fukuoka Tenjin, Okayama, Osaka Nipponbashi, Yokohama VIVRE, Umeda, animate Online Shop, and Gratte animate Street (Gratte‑only shop).
Each store features a life‑size standee of key characters. At the Ikebukuro Flagship Store, Esper Zero (both male and female), Mint, and Lacrimosa are highlighted, while Akihabara showcases Esper Zero (male and female), Shinku, and Iroi. Osaka Nipponbashi displays Nanally and Hotori, and Umeda’s standees include Esper Zero male and female. The displays are arranged to mimic scenes from the game and to immerse shoppers in the world of NTE.
In addition to the visual showcases, customers can obtain one random Special Bonus Card for every ¥1,100 (tax included) spent on NTE merchandise, pre‑deposit, or on specific Gratte drinks or food items. The card is also granted for each pre‑order or purchase of special items that require a full deposit. A total of eight distinct bonus card designs are available, each tied to collector‑card and other in‑game rewards.
Gratte cafés located in several animate venues—such as the Ikebukuro Flagship Store, Akihabara Annex, Yokohama VIVRE, Nagoya, Osaka Nipponbashi, and Okayama—offer a dedicated coffee line for the fair. These locations also serve special lattes and cookies, and some (including animate Gratte animate Street, Shibuya, Kichijoji Parco, Sendai, Umeda, and Lashic Fukuoka Tenjin) provide ice cream to complete the in‑store experience. A cookie pop‑up sale is also running at the POP @P CAFE in Kyoto.
While the fair’s primary focus is on in‑store visual displays, the event’s marketing strategy also leverages the animate’s online shop and the Gratte platform. Through the online store, shoppers can acquire NTE merchandise and receive the same bonus card system. The partnership with Gratte permits supplements to the traditional retail button, offering fans a café‑driven component to the promotion.
The nationwide rollout illustrates Hotta Studio’s commitment to creating an “urban supernatural” atmosphere that extends beyond the digital realm. By turning each animate store into a living, breathing representation of the game’s narrative, the brand invites fans to experience the city of the future through a kaleidoscopic lens of character, setting, and unique merchandising bonuses.
