The first annual London MCM convention of 2026 has been and gone and once again blessed fans with a bounty of Gundam. I’ve spoken about this a lot in recent years but it remains a joy to see just how much of a prioritised focus the franchise now receives at the event. Although there was the standard highlighting of kits from big hit outings such as the original 0079/First Gundam, Iron Blooded Orphans and Witch From Mercury, there were also product previews for upcoming new lines. Chief amongst these were the first two figures in the only very recently announced Gundam Artifact Pro line. Gundam Artifact is a long running line of miniature fixed pose resin kits, depicting famous mecha from across the franchise in a new style that heavily plays up the industrial mechanisms. The new Pro series will be small scale plastic & diecast action figures, this time in full colour. Similarly on display was Gundam Minikit, an upcoming candy toy consisting of utterly tiny SD kits of the Operation V units from the original series. A gimmick replicating the Core Block system will allow fans to replicate the various combined forms the White Base’s mecha used on the show.
There was also a presence from Tamashii Nations, Bandai’s collector focused arm. Although many of their items were locked within display cabinets, a dedicated table allowed attendees to play around with samples from a bunch of Gundam toylines and I was directly invited by a Tamashii Nations Japan to get hands on with Metal Build God Gundam. This was a particularly fun part of the weekend for me as we had a brief chat about the differences of figures vs Gunpla and how as much as the latter can be fun, sometimes you just want the more immediate joy of something which is already assembled and with which you don’t have to be so delicate. Indeed it was nice to see the clear passion some directly involved with producing these products has for their work.
A big announcement was promised for 1pm on Friday, with speculation running rampant amongst UK Gundam fans. Although a number of us guessed it ahead of time, the result was no less impactful- on 3rd July a new permanent Gundam Base London will be opening in Camden Market. There had been much fandom speculation as to how the pop up went over and this would suggest very well. Indeed early information offered suggests feedback about the pop up has been taken on board, with the controversial pin badge scheme being replaced with loyalty points. Although this won’t be available immediately upon the new permanent store opening the hope is to do soon soon after. The more you buy the more points you earn and the more points you earn the bigger prizes you can claim. The store will also offer items from Strict G, the official high quality Gundam fashion brand.
Two hours later a Gundam panel event was hosted, chaired by Tong Choomduang & Sam Mack from Bandai and Andy Hanley from Anime Limited. The panel largely went over Gundam products officially available in the United Kingdom, items on display at the booth and the aforementioned permanent Gundam Base London. Anime Limited’s involvement highlighted their Early Bird preorder discount for SEED Freedom (which at time of writing closes at 5pm today) and more prominently a UK theatrical release date for Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe. This was announced to be coming in ‘Autumn’, potentially September. And this is where I get sour.
The film has released in Japan, wider Asia, America and Australia at this point. Indeed American fans are now happily spoiling the film. Whilst I appreciate the date we’ve been given is still more than Gundam fans in seemingly any other part of Europe have been given, that’s a spoiler gauntlet of the entirety of summer fans are being asked to face and all in the name of a non committal release window. The film could very well be pushed back further, especially if Anime Limited’s Gundam home media releases are any indicator. Indeed in the worst case scenario this will likely encourage piracy. In the last few years the UK received SEED Freedom and GQuuuuuuX Beginning in near parity with other parts of the world, so it’s baffling to see Hathaway’s sequel get so drawn out for release here.
My displeasure with that one particular piece of news aside, I feel this was yet another strong showing for Gundam at MCM London. Indeed the panel itself opened up by showing the recent short ‘A boy with GUNDAM’, celebrating Gundam fans from 1979 up to the approaching 50th anniversary in 2029 and after having watched that repeatedly on YouTube getting to see it on a big cinema screen nearly made me cry (spared only by a bought of sunstroke I was fighting off in the record beating heat of the weekend).
I’ll be interested to see what October brings.
