exA-Arcadia used ShootersFes 2026 to provide fresh updates on several upcoming shoot ’em ups, including Dragon Blaze EXA LABEL, Wild Guns Rawhide, Truxton II EXA LABEL, Neon Inferno EXA LABEL and Asura The Striker EXA LABEL.
The presentation formed part of the annual Japanese event, built around a livestream from Mikado Game Center in partnership with City Connection. Alongside the shooting-game news, exA-Arcadia confirmed appearances at Summer Game Fest with Avatar Legends – The Fighting Game and at EVO 2026 in late June. The company also promised major new game announcements at EVO 2026, following several absences from EVO Japan in May.
For more arcade-industry coverage, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
Dragon Blaze EXA LABEL
First announced at ShootersFes 2025, Dragon Blaze EXA LABEL will be exA-Arcadia’s first release based on a Psikyo shooting game. The project now has a clearer creative direction, including both the original soundtrack and a new arranged score by Keishi Yonao, who also created music for exA’s version of Air Gallet and many other games.
Original artist Takeshi Ogata is contributing new key art and character designs. The updated cast will also feature new voices from Takeshi Kusao, Aya Hisakawa, Mitsuaki Madono, Masaharu Sato and Kozo Shioya. Shioya completed his work several months before his death in January.
Location testing is scheduled to begin in autumn at Taito HEY in Akihabara and Kohatsu in Osaka, with orders expected to open during the same season. That timing makes an appearance at IAAPA 2026 in November possible. The stream also showed a special EXA board featuring Dragon Blaze artwork, apparently representing a Limited Edition model.
Wild Guns Rawhide
Wild Guns Rawhide is exA-Arcadia’s arcade adaptation of Wild Guns Reloaded, the modern version of the western-themed action game released more than 15 years ago. It was announced for Amusement Expo in Japan in November 2024, but did not appear at IAAPA that month and was absent throughout 2025. A pre-release build was playable at Amusement Expo International in Las Vegas in March, although photography and video were not permitted.
The game supports exA’s trackball as well as a joystick. Its three-button layout covers shot, jump and bomb, while simultaneous play supports up to four players. Three modes are planned: Original, Arcade and Boss Rush. Super Sweep is providing both the original-style soundtrack and a new arrangement.
exA-Arcadia has also added an exclusive fifth character. Details remain limited, with the presentation marking that character as “In Progress”. Testing is due to start in summer, giving players their first opportunity to try the new character and the wider game.
Truxton II EXA LABEL
Also unveiled at ShootersFes 2025, Truxton II EXA LABEL received the most substantial presentation of the group, including a full gameplay trailer. The stream placed that footage at 1:01:05, rather than offering it as a separate trailer through exA-Arcadia’s own channel.
Players can select Original, Original Dash, EXA MODE or Training, with Normal and EXTREME difficulty settings available for each. Original mode includes a choice between the Japanese and Overseas versions. The release will include three soundtracks, new voice actors and support for both vertical TATE play and horizontal orientation.
EXA MODE changes systems from the original game and introduces adaptive difficulty. Training mode is particularly notable because it provides a structured way for newcomers to learn the game. Although exA-Arcadia has included training tools in many of its fighting games, this is a first for its shooting games, beyond the less detailed practice opportunities offered by some Score Attack modes.
Japanese location testing is planned for July, with release potentially following in July or August.
Neon Inferno EXA LABEL
Neon Inferno is an exA-Arcadia version of Zenovia’s newer shooter. An early build was playable at IAAPA 2025, where development had reached exA I/O integration and keymapping. ShootersFes brought no major new gameplay details, but the project remains in development and will include a new arranged soundtrack.
The game has now been confirmed as an EXA LABEL release, so further information about its arcade-specific changes may follow.
Asura The Striker EXA LABEL
Asura The Striker offers a modern interpretation of Space Harrier and is the first exA-Arcadia title designed around a flight-stick controller. It has not appeared at trade shows so far, and the ShootersFes segment added only a small amount of information: the arcade version will carry the EXA LABEL name and include both the original soundtrack and a new arrangement.
The console version trailer was shown as a reference, but no shipping window has been announced.
What the showcase means for arcades
ShootersFes 2026 did not introduce an entirely new exA-Arcadia project, but it offered useful progress reports across a sizeable backlog of upcoming shooters. The titles are intended to be available worldwide to arcades that wish to order them.
The presentation closed with a brief “One more thing” tease featuring an elf-like girl. No identity or game connection was confirmed. The character could be linked to an obscure existing property, an unreleased project or a revival, but the showcase provided no firm clues.
For Australian operators and collectors assessing future cabinet options, the Arcade Machine Buying Guide covers the practical considerations involved in choosing an arcade machine. RETROCADE also has dedicated ranges of upright arcades and compact bartop arcades.
Among these updates, Dragon Blaze EXA LABEL and Truxton II EXA LABEL currently have the clearest testing plans, while Wild Guns Rawhide offers a distinctive four-player format. The remaining projects will need further announcements before their arcade launches become easier to judge.
Leave a Reply