On November 2, 2026, fans hoping for the launch of C#4R4CT3R’s much-anticipated lo-fi psycho-thriller romance game Rain98 were met with disappointing yet understandable news as the developers revealed they’d be pushing the release from 2026 to 2027.
Hello, everyone. This is Shoon T, the director of Rain98.
We released the demo on October 17, and so many of you have already played it and shared your thoughts and feedback.
Whether you’ve been with us from the start or just discovered Rain98, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
We’re listening to everything about how Reina and this world resonate with you, the parts you loved, and where you felt confused or struggled—your feedback is invaluable as we continue to develop the game.But I also have some news—along with my sincere apologies—about the full game’s release.
We’ve decided to delay the launch from 2026 to 2027.
We’ve already asked you to bear with us once before, and now we’re asking for your patience again. I’m truly sorry.As I mentioned in my previous message, we aim to create a game that leaves a lasting impression after you’ve finished playing.
However, realizing that vision across the entire project is taking more time than we initially expected.With Rain98, we want you to forge a connection with Reina through your shared experiences.
We want what comes next to feel personal for you, ensuring the experience lingers well after you complete the game.We’ve concluded that we need additional time to further develop and polish the game to make that experience happen.
We acknowledge that we underestimated the time this would involve.Rest assured, we’re eager to share this journey with you as soon as we can. We’re currently aiming for a release in 2027.
Our next step is a significant update to the demo, anticipated in early 2027, featuring new story content.
Using your feedback as our guide, we hope to keep you updated on Rain98 as we progress toward release.We’ll announce a firm release date once we have a clearer timeline.
Thanks to your involvement with the demo, we’re seeing our world transform into a personal experience for each of you.
Alongside the team, I will keep developing and refining the game piece by piece, so we can deliver this entire story to you.—Director Shoon T
On a brighter note, the team shared in their Discord server that Rain98 has successfully surpassed 100,000 wishlists on Steam. To commemorate this achievement, C#4R4CT3R will be producing the first-ever Rain98 merchandise, with further details to be unveiled later on their official Discord server.
About Rain98
Rain98 is a lo-fi psychological suspense adventure set in Tokyo back in 1998, where you’ll spend time with the heroine Reina Amehara, voiced by Rio Tsuchiya. The story begins when you find yourself mysteriously transported to this time, meeting a woman who isn’t too keen on your futuristic outlook and claims she can end the world.
The game weaves together visual novel storytelling, mini-games, and adventure sections for interacting with Reina and exploring the city. Each scene is designed to evoke emotion, enhanced by stunning visual design, animation, immersive audio, and a lo-fi soundtrack that pulls you into a world filled with an eerie sense of unease.
Key Features:
- Sharing an Apartment with Reina: Spend quality time in a nostalgic 1998 Tokyo apartment, drawing nearer to the secrets she holds.
- Ending the World is a Costly Affair: Earn cash through odd jobs at home to manage your expenses – and if you earn enough, your days with Reina might become even more enjoyable!
- Walking Through 1998 Shibuya: Venture out into the rain-kissed metropolis alongside Reina. Explore Shibuya’s retro atmosphere from the turn of the millennium.
- Shadows Creeping over Beautiful Days: Blurry blue lights and lo-fi tunes layered atop the sound of rain create a unique comfort, though Reina’s secrets loom over your simple, cozy existence.
Rain98 is now set to release in 2027 on Steam.
