The Dark Machine Project Presentation livestream revealed the main cast, additional staff, a key visual (pictured), and teaser promo for the television anime on Sunday. The anime is scheduled to premiere on Fuji TV in 2026.

Cast
Kairi: Kensho Ono (Kidou Senshi Gundam: Senkou no Hathaway)
Rudra: Miyuki Sawashiro (Yofukashi no Uta)
Shinn: Kouki Uchiyama (Devilman: Crybaby)
Bran: Riho Sugiyama (86)
Isana: Saya Aizawa (Silent Witch)
Ajima: Yuuichi Nakamura (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Staff
Main Character Design: Kou Yoshinari (Made in Abyss creature design)
Sub-Character Design: Akira Mitani (Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction key animation)
Costume Design: Mebachi (Cocoon: Aru Natsu no Shoujo-tachi yori character design)
Chief Animation Director: Yuumi Kuroiwa (Dance Dance Danseur), Hideki Itou (Natsume Yuujinchou Go)
Image Board: Masatsugu Arakawa (Beastars storyboard)
Color Design: niko*miko
Art Design: Hiromi Tateiwa (Sasami-san@Ganbaranai assistant art director), Engawa (Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction), Nariyuki Ogi (Gachiakuta)
Art Director: Hiromi Tateiwa, Yuusuke Ikeda (Kami no Tou: Ouji no Kikan)
CG Director: Satoi Inami (Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction)
CG Action Director: Ryou Kimura (Azur Lane 3DCG animation)
Director of Photography: Naoko Tanaka (Sword Art Online: Alicization assistant director of photography)
Photography Supervisor: Kentarou Waki (Tengoku Daimakyou director of photography)
Editing: Yuuki Honda (Zom 100: Zombie ni Naru made ni Shitai 100 no Koto)
Sound Director: Takeshi Takadera ([Oshi no Ko])
Sound Effects: Tomoko Ootsuka (Kaguya-hime no Monogatari)
Music: SUGIZO (Kidou Senshi Gundam: The Origin - Zenya Akai Suisei ending theme song composition)
Music Production: flying DOG

Kazumi Terada (Chikyuugai Shounen Shoujo assistant director) is helming the anime at Production +h. Team Carbuncle, which consists of Takaaki Suzuki (High School Fleet original creator), Tatsuhiko Urahata (Muv-Luv Alternative series composition), and Atsuo Ishino (Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise script), is handling the series composition and script.

Synopsis
In the near future, the e-sport Dark Machine has become a global phenomenon, reshaping society and even Japan's economy. The only region in Japan designated as a special economic zone for Dark Machine is Golden Valley, a city dominated by its reigning top player Ajima, the seventh person to inherit the title of Senki—the strongest player in the game.

Following his late grandfather's last words, "Find Senki," Kairi travels to Golden Valley. There, he unexpectedly meets Rudra, a girl being hunted by Ajima's group, the Aldabil. Drawn into her troubles, Kairi becomes a Dark Machine player himself. Through one intense battle after another, he begins to develop his own hidden talent.

As Kairi rises through the ranks, he moves closer to facing Senki—and to discovering the truth behind his grandfather's final message. His fight to reach the top of Dark Machine is about to begin.

Teaser PV


Official site: https://www.fujitv.co.jp/darkmachine_anime/
Official X: @dark__machine

Source: Comic Natalie