Smilegate and Kodansha Sign Licensing Agreement to Adapt Manga "Dead Account" into a Game

Global Publishing of "Dead Account: Two Blue Flames"

On October 10, Smilegate announced that it had signed a licensing agreement with the Japanese publisher Kodansha to adapt the manga "Dead Account" into a game.

From the left, Kyungjoo Cho and Youngjae Park, co-CEOs of Ian Games; Shin Furukawa, Kodansha department head; Younghoon Baek, head of Smilegate Holdings Megaport division. Courtesy of Smilegate

Through this agreement, Smilegate will be responsible for the global publishing of the new title "Dead Account: Two Blue Flames," which is currently in development.

The manga "Dead Account," created by Shizumu Watanabe-who is also known for works such as "Real Account" and "Trick Dedicated to the Witch"-began serialization in 2023. The story follows the protagonist, who, together with companions met at "Miden Academy," battles ghosts resurrected through the digitalization of the deceased's social networking service (SNS) accounts. The anime adaptation is also scheduled to air on 24 IMAnimation network channels affiliated with TV Asahi in Japan starting January next year.

"Dead Account: Two Blue Flames," for which Smilegate has acquired the rights, is a team-based roguelike game that incorporates character collection and growth elements, and is set to faithfully reflect the original story and universe. The game is being developed by the Korean studio Ian Games. Currently, it is in development as a cross-platform title for mobile and STOVE (PC), and Smilegate stated that major content and information will be released sequentially in the future.

Oh Byungjin, head of business at Smilegate, said, "Adapting 'Dead Account' into a game goes beyond simply expanding intellectual property (IP); it will offer a new experience to both fans of the original work and gamers. Based on Smilegate's publishing expertise, we aim to establish 'Dead Account' as a successful global title and will continue to actively pursue collaborations with various cultural content in the future."

Shin Furukawa, department head at Kodansha, stated, "'Dead Account' is a work distinguished by its intense story and unique universe, setting it apart from conventional action manga. We look forward to this game adaptation project bringing out the charm of the original and providing fans with a new experience."