The Apothecary Diaries is not slowing down, bro. After blowing up through its anime adaptation, the mystery-drama franchise is now getting its official video game debut — and yes, Maomao is once again being dragged into palace trouble.
Koei Tecmo has announced The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother, a new game currently planned for early 2027. It is being developed for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Steam.
The big hook here: this is not just a retelling of the anime or light novel story. The game will feature an original plot built around a new conspiracy involving a so-called “False Imperial Brother.” Naturally, Maomao is the one following the clues and trying to untangle what is really going on.
That already sounds like a clean fit for the series. The Apothecary Diaries works because Maomao is not your typical main character who just charges into drama. She observes, questions, tests, and quietly pieces together ugly truths hiding behind palace etiquette. Turning that into a mystery game makes sense — especially if Koei Tecmo leans into investigation, deduction, and court intrigue instead of forcing it into some random action format.
For anime fans, this also adds another big date to what is becoming a packed stretch for the franchise. The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 is scheduled to premiere on October 2 as part of the Fall 2026 anime season. Like the first two seasons, the third season is set to stream exclusively on Crunchyroll outside Japan.
Season 3 will also be split across two parts. After its first run, the anime is expected to return in April 2027 with the second half. So by the time the game arrives in early 2027, the franchise should still be very active on the anime side.
And that is not even the full list. The Apothecary Diaries is also heading to cinemas in Japan with its first feature film, currently dated for December 11. No international release plans have been confirmed at the time of writing.
Looking further ahead, a live-action series is also in development for Prime Video, with Mana Ashida announced to star as Maomao. That project is currently scheduled for 2028.
Analysis: For Malaysia and SEA readers, the main thing to watch is how big The Apothecary Diaries is becoming beyond just “that one good anime on the seasonal list.” A game, a third season, a film, and a live-action adaptation suggest the franchise is being positioned as a long-running cross-media title. That matters if you are the type who follows anime not just episode-to-episode, but as a whole fandom ecosystem — games, screenings, merch potential, cosplay, and all that.
Still, no local release details for the film or live-action project were confirmed in the source, so don’t treat any Malaysia availability as locked in yet. For now, the safest confirmed gaming news is this: The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother is coming in early 2027 to Switch 2, Switch, PS5, and Steam, with Maomao solving a brand-new mystery.
Honestly, that is already enough to keep this one on the radar.