Link! Like! Love Live! Developer Odd Number Files for Bankruptcy with 10.32 Billion Yen Debt
According to Anime News Network's August 14, 2026 report, Link! Like! Love Live! game developer Odd Number officially filed for bankruptcy. The studio reportedly accumulated approximately 10.32 billion yen (approximately $70 million) in debt due to the game's operating costs. The report states, “The game's operating costs led the company to face 10.32 billion yen in debt.” This development reveals the financial collapse of the studio that developed one of the most significant productions in the mobile game field of the popular Love Live! series.
Odd Number is a Japanese studio that operates especially in mobile game development and gained visibility on the game side of the Love Live! project. Link! Like! Love Live! was released in 2023 and told the story of Hasunosora Girls' High School Idol Club, the new group of the Love Live! universe. The game combined rhythm game and visual novel mechanics, and also offered fans a different idol experience with its in-game calendar synchronized with real time. With Love Live! School Idol Festival and Love Live! All Stars having ended in March and June 2023 respectively, this game had become one of the series' main mobile projects.
However, this innovative structure also brought serious costs. Constantly updated scenarios, voice recordings, events, and live server expenses created a burden far beyond the studio's revenue structure. Sources report that the company's debt largely stemmed from the game's operating costs. In particular, real-time storytelling requires a much more intensive content production pipeline compared to traditional mobile games.
Following the bankruptcy news, attention turned to companies such as Bushiroad and Bandai Namco Music Live, which are involved on the game side of the Love Live! project. So far, no official statement has been made about the game's closure. However, a developer's bankruptcy may necessitate processes such as archiving existing content or transferring the game to a different studio. This uncertainty means not just a company's bankruptcy for fans, but also questioning the fate of the time spent and progress accumulated within Link! Like! Love Live!.
Love Live! is a media project launched in 2010 in collaboration with ASCII Media Works, Sunrise, and Bandai Namco Music Live, which has grown with anime series, music groups, live concerts, and games. The project, which started with μ’s, expanded with groups such as Aqours, Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, Liella!, and Hasunosora Girls' High School Idol Club. Therefore, the studio's collapse is not just the story of a game developer, but also an important sign of the fragility of the Love Live! universe's mobile game strategy.
In the coming period, official statements from the production committee will determine the game's fate. Fans are closely following whether Link! Like! Love Live! content will be archived or whether the game will continue with a new developer. For now, the best thing to do is to wait for developments and official announcements.
