Unseen founder Ikumi Nakamura has publicly invited Elon Musk to attend a small closed event for Kemuri during Tokyo Game Show. The experimental session is planned at Unseen’s Tokyo studio, and Nakamura also said she wanted to discuss the studio with him privately.
In her September 13, 2026 post, Nakamura addressed @elonmusk directly. The invitation was accompanied by a four-panel comic recalling a 2019 Game Awards appearance, when Nakamura and Musk were shown sitting together in the audience.
Hello Elon. I’m a bit nervous to ask this publicly, but we’re hosting a small experimental closed event for Kemuri at our Unseen studio in Tokyo during TGS. If you’re around, I’d love to invite you. I also have something I’d like to talk with you about regarding Unseen.
The invitation has drawn criticism because of Musk’s public controversies, including concerns about his online activity and political views. Commenters questioned whether involving him could affect how players receive Kemuri. The 2019 image referenced by Nakamura predates Musk’s 2022 purchase of Twitter and the subsequent changes to his public profile.
Nakamura later explained that she wanted to find out whether Musk was genuinely part of the same otaku culture as the developers and players she was addressing. In a follow-up post, she wrote that she had planned to discover whether he was “genuinely the same kind of ‘OTAKU’ as us”.
Aww, that’s disappointing. I was actually planning to find out whether he’s genuinely the same kind of “OTAKU” as us…
The exchange has therefore shifted attention away from the game itself, even though Kemuri remains Unseen’s central project. Nakamura founded the independent studio in 2021 after leaving Tango Gameworks in 2019, and the team is developing its first title.
What is Kemuri?
Kemuri is a demon-hunting action game first revealed at The Game Awards in 2023. A more detailed presentation followed during the year’s summer State of Play.
Players hunt supernatural enemies and absorb their powers. Those abilities are represented through distinctive outfits, giving the game a visual identity that combines action gameplay with stylish character design.
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