Capcom has thanked Macross and Transformers legend Shoji Kawamori for helping with Pragmata development

Capcom has publicly thanked one of the most seminal mech creators for his work on Pragmata.

Shoji Kawamori was the creator of the Macross series of sci-fi mech anime (which was the basis for the Robotech series in the West), and also created the Diaclone line of transforming robot toys for Takara Toys, which would later be rebranded by Hasbro as Transformers.

Following the release of Pragmata, Kawamori posted a message on X stating that he worked on the game’s development, meeting up with Capcom numerous times to help with world-building and ensuring the game had an anime sci-fi feel.

“A buddy escape drama unfolds on the lunar surface, featuring a rugged tough guy and a beautiful girl android,” he wrote (via machine translation). “I participated mainly as a supervisor for the world-building and setting, aiming to invoke a Japanese animation-style science fiction vibe.

“Coincidentally, the Artemis program just succeeded in a crewed lunar orbit for the first time in 53 years, and for someone like me – from the generation that watched Apollo 11’s moon landing in real time – having the moon as the setting was incredibly appealing.

“The development period overlapped with preparations for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, so dashing around Osaka for meetings with Capcom and the Expo Association turned into fun memories.”

The game’s development team then replied to Kawamori on X through the official Capcom Development Division 1 account, thanking him for his work on the game.

“Director Kawamori, thank you very much for everything you’ve done,” it wrote (via machine translation). “We truly appreciate your supervision of the sci-fi world building, and we feel the realism and credibility of the space scenes in particular were made possible only thanks to your deep expertise.

“It was incredibly valuable to have you visit our development site in Osaka despite your busy schedule, to exchange ideas with you in person.”

Capcom revealed on Monday that Pragmata had released to a “strong start”, selling 1 million copies in its first two days.

Pragmata has received widespread critical acclaim, with its Metacritic score currently sitting between 86-88 (depending on platform) and its Steam reviews currently at ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ with 97% of user reviews marked as positive.

VGC’s Pragmata review says the game feels like the type of shorter single-player adventure that was released during the Xbox 360 era, noting that this is a good thing.

“Pragmata feels like a game from a simpler time,” we said. “There’s no live service fluff, no needless bloat, and no sense that Capcom is hopping on a trend. It’s a rock solid action game that isn’t great on length, but delivers little filler, fast combat, and some charming story moments.”