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Hell Mode TV Anime Reveals Cast, Teaser Visual, January 2026 Debut

The staff for Hell Mode, the television anime of writer Hamuo and illustrator Mo's Hell Mode - The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing (Hell Mode - Yarikomi Suki no Gamer wa Hai Settei no Isekai de Musō Suru) light novel series, revealed at the "Earth Star Novels 10th Anniversary Summer Festival" event on Saturday the show's main cast and a teaser visual. The anime will debut in January 2026.

The anime will star:

"'Level up even while offline'?! That's not a game on 'easy mode'—that's just an AFK game!" The online game Yamada Kenichi had been playing religiously is shutting down its servers, leaving him with a void in his heart. He looks for a new game to fill it, but everything he finds is way too easy. The kind of game he likes—the kind punishing enough to make players want to spend thousands of hours on it—just isn't around anymore.

"What's this? 'You are invited to a game that will never end.'"

Kenichi stumbles upon an untitled game, one promising incomparable challenge with unprecedented potential. Without hesitation, he selects the "Hell Mode" difficulty. Lo and behold, he finds himself reincarnated in another world as a serf! Now called Allen, he sets out to unlock the secrets his mystery-laden Summoner class; without the convenience of walkthroughs, game guides, or online forums, he must grope his way to the top of his new world!

Hamuo launched the story on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in November 2019, and the story is ongoing. Earth Star Entertainment began publishing the series in print in July 2020.

Tetta launched the manga on Comic Earth Star in October 2020 and the manga is ongoing.

Sources: Hell Mode anime's website, Earth Star Novels 10th Anniversary Summer Festival livestream