This article is a translation of the following Japanese article:
The latest installment of Sega’s popular soccer simulation game series,
“Let’s create a professional soccer club! 2026 (commonly known as Saka Tsuku 2026)” has been officially announced to Start simultaneous worldwide service from 12:00 (Japan time) on January 22, 2026 (Thursday). This is a large-scale rollout that will begin simultaneously on all home, smartphone, and PC platforms, and the expectations of soccer game fans are high.
Author: “I feel it’s an unprecedented challenge for the latest series to launch all at once on a cross-platform basis.”
1. Official release date and start information
“Let’s create a professional soccer club! The official service for “2026” will be released simultaneously worldwide from 12:00 (JST) on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
Target platforms are as follows:
- PlayStation®5
- PlayStation®4
- iOS（App Store）
- Android（Google Play）
- PC（Steam）
Also, it has been announced that advance download will be possible from around 19:00 on January 21st. Although the download time differs depending on each platform, it is important to prepare in advance just before the distribution starts.
Author: “If you download it in advance, you will be able to start playing immediately after the official release, so we recommend you to prepare.”
2. What kind of game is “Sakatsuku 2026”?
“Let’s create a professional soccer club! 2026 is the latest in Sega’s long-running soccer simulation game series.
Players can experience the grand experience of managing a soccer club by managing the club as a full-power manager and aiming for the top of the world from a local club. In addition to the series’ traditional elements such as “player development,” “tactical construction,” and “management strategy,” many new elements are planned that take advantage of the performance of game consoles, smartphones, and PCs in the 2020s.
With the official Meiji Yasuda J League license, 60 teams belonging to J1 to J3 will be recorded with their real names and players, and more than 5,000 players will appear, including those from major European leagues and FIFPRO licenses.
Author: “The appearance of real players and teams will be an important element that will give users a strong sense of a “real club management experience.”
3. Pre-registration campaign and rewards
A large-scale pre-registration campaign was carried out for this work prior to its official release, and the number of registered users exceeded 2 million. In response to this, achievement rewards for pre-registered users have been significantly added.
Specifically,
- ★3 confirmed SP player scout ticket x1
- Scout tickets, special practice card gacha tickets, etc. ×6
- 6,000GB (in-game currency)
- Pre-registration special practice card ticket ×4
- Special practice card ticket ×10
- Rewards including 3 main players such as Haaland/Reijnders/Diaz
- An additional 14 tickets will be distributed
are planned.
Such rewards are of great benefit to pre-registrants as they help you build a strong team soon after going live.
Author: “I think the number of over 2 million people clearly shows the high expectations for the latest work in the series.”
4. Event just before release: Countdown campaign
In “Sakatsuku 2026”, a “Release Countdown Campaign” will be held every day until the distribution starts on January 22nd.
In this campaign,
- Erabel Pay 5,000 yen × Daily lottery
- Colored paper signed by celebrities/soccer players
every day.
To participate, simply follow the official X account (@sakatsuku20xx) and repost the designated post.
Author: “The countdown campaign is likely to be a user-participatory event before the official release, with the aim of increasing anticipation.”
5. In-game features and predictions on how to play
Based on the information announced at the moment,
“Sakatsuku 2026” is expected to include the following play elements:
Player development and tactical construction
Player as manager,
- Development of players
- Building tactics
- Instructions on how to proceed
You will be responsible for the core of professional club management.
Award and merit system
According to the official announcement, at the end of the season
- Get the King
- Assist King
- MVP
- Best eleven
There is a player recognition system, which is said to be a mechanism that will influence the growth and ability of players.
Author: “The design in which awards influence player development is an important element that adds to the depth of the club management simulation.”
6. Summary | Meaning and expectations of simultaneous worldwide release
“Let’s create a professional soccer club! 2026″ is the orthodox evolution of the long-loved “Sakatsuku” series.
Author: “I think the fact that the “Sakatsuku” series, which had a strong image of being a soccer game for the Japanese market, has been widely expanded with simultaneous worldwide release is proof that the series has entered a new stage.”
With more than 2 million pre-registered users, we expect many soccer fans and game players to gather from Japan and abroad after the service starts at 12:00 noon on January 22nd.