Gundam is starting a new timeline. Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO, a 2027 TV anime, will be directed by Kenji Kamiyama — the mind behind Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex — at studio Sola Animation under Bandai Namco Filmworks. It's a clean-slate universe, cut loose from Universal Century continuity, which makes it one of the most notable Gundam swings in years.
Quick answer
Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO is a new TV anime premiering in 2027, directed and scripted by Kenji Kamiyama (*Ghost in the Shell: SAC*) at Sola Animation for Bandai Namco Filmworks. It's set in an original timeline 45 years after an alien object triggered catastrophe, following war orphan pilot Ray Azumi (voiced by Takeo Ōtsuka) against a self-replicating ecosystem. While it's still a year out, the current Gundam entry on SenpaiRanks is GQuuuuuuX, which the dual-axis board tracks at 6.72 — a useful baseline for where the franchise sits right now.
Who's making it
The staff list reads like a prestige project. Kamiyama directs and writes the series scripts, with novelist Toh Enjoe on world-building, Eiichi Shimizu on Gundam mecha design, Stato on original character designs, Miyako Takasu as chief animation director, and Gō Shiina composing. Producers Joseph Chou and Yasufumi Kobashi round it out. That's a team built for a franchise reset, not a side story.
The setup
XARX-ZERO opens 45 years after an alien object caused catastrophic upheaval. Ray Azumi is a war orphan drawn into humanity's fight against a self-replicating ecosystem — a premise that leans more ecological-survival than the political Cold-War framing older Gundam leaned on. A tie-in game, Gundam Rogue Orbit, is set 90 years after the anime, so Bandai Namco is building this as a multi-year universe from the start.
What to watch while you wait
2027 is a long runway. The current mainline Gundam you can actually stream now is GQuuuuuuX, and here's its trailer if you want to see where the franchise's animation sits today:
SenpaiRanks tracks GQuuuuuuX at 6.72 on its dual-axis board — check the GQuuuuuuX page for where to watch it and rate it yourself.
The read
A marquee director rebooting Gundam into a fresh timeline is exactly the kind of franchise pivot that either lands hard or splits the base — and that's a question our dual-axis scoring is built to answer once episodes air, separating "everyone watched it" from "it actually holds up." Keep an eye on our best anime to watch 2026 and fall 2026 sequels and returns boards as the runway to 2027 fills in. If Kamiyama's name is the draw, our Ghost in the Shell anime rundown is the obvious next stop, alongside another 2027 franchise swing in Parasyte's Netflix live-action.
Frequently asked questions
Q: When does Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO release?
A: It's a TV anime scheduled for 2027 from studio Sola Animation and Bandai Namco Filmworks.
Q: Who is directing the new Gundam anime?
A: Kenji Kamiyama, known for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, directs and writes the series scripts.
Q: Is RG XARX-ZERO connected to earlier Gundam series?
A: No. It's set in an original timeline separate from Universal Century continuity, part of a new franchise universe.
Q: What is RG XARX-ZERO about?
A: It follows war orphan pilot Ray Azumi, 45 years after an alien object caused catastrophe, in humanity's fight against a self-replicating ecosystem.
Q: What Gundam can I watch now?
A: The current mainline entry is GQuuuuuuX, which SenpaiRanks tracks at 6.72 on its dual-axis board.