City Connection and Granzella have announced the release date for their upcoming remake of Jaleco's 1984 arcade shooter Formation Z, as spotted by Gematsu.
According to the latest announcement, FZ: Formation Z, as the project is called, will be released on May 21st, 2026, across a range of platforms, including Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam & the Epic Games Store).
Digital editions of the game will be priced at 4400 yen across all platforms, with the two companies also offering physical editions of the title for PS5 and Switch 2.
This includes a standard edition, priced at 5,940 yen on Switch 2 and 4,840 yen on PS5, and a more expensive Limited Edition (featuring a 1/250 plastic figure kit based on the “ABX-01 Ixpel Innocence”, a download code for the official soundtrack, an early unlock code for the additional unit “R-9Aix Extra Arrow, and a limited edition box).
Originally announced in 2023 as "Project Formation Z", Formation Z features updated visuals and sound design, as well as brand-new weapons and actions not included in the original, but hopes to retain the same "classic gameplay and intuitive controls of switching between Robot and Flight forms". It was initially slated for release across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam) in 2024, but has been subject to a lengthy delay that had some, including ourselves, questioning when we would next hear about the project.
In some slightly related news, the Japanese media NHK One earlier this month published a now-deleted article alleging that Granzella (alongside two other affiliated companies) had been referred to prosecutors by Kanazawa Labour Standards Inspection Office on suspicion of violating the Minimum Wage Act and accumulating ¥18M in unpaid wages.
This led Granzella to issue a corrective statement on its website, where it claimed that reports online contained inaccurate facts and that it was currently investigating the matter.
In this statement, it confirmed that the Kanazawa Labour Standards Inspection Office had pointed out an issue regarding some of its handling of wage payments, but stated the delay in making payments was due to a downturn in business between May 2023 and May 2025.
In 2023, the company had asked employees to postpone payment for May, June, and July of that year, but states it has since paid the outstanding amount back to its employees in installments (as of May 2025).
FZ Formation Z isn't the only high-profile project Granzella has in the pipeline, with the company also being behind the upcoming R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos, which is scheduled to release on March 12th across PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store)