Hell Mode confirms anime adaptation via PV

Thursday, December 5, 2024, saw a television anime adaptation of author Hamuo and illustrator Mo’s Hell Mode original light novel series officially announced by Earth Star Entertainment. The announcement was made via the release of a promotional video and key visual, which each feature the series’ central characters and info on the adaptation.

Unfortunately, no other information on the television anime adaptation of the original light novels is available at this time. Fully titled Hell Mode - The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing, fans can expect more info on the light novels’ adaptation to be shared in the coming months.

Hell Mode light novels confirm anime adaptation, but no other significant production info

The promotional video announcing the Hell Mode anime series opens with text confirming the adaptation, before introducing protagonist Yamada Kenichi, also known as Allen. He’s shown to be commanding various creatures and wielding a sword as additional text flashes on screen. The appearance of the number “100” here suggests that the manga’s circulation and/or sales numbers are being referenced.

Other characters then begin appearing alongside Allen, seemingly teasing a large cast for the series. The promotional video ends with a shot of this large cast, also promoting the upcoming release of a new volume for the original light novel series. While the text is still in Japanese, this is evidenced by the December 12, 2024, date that appears, which is surely not referencing the release information for the anime adaptation.

Likewise, as mentioned above, no other significant release information is revealed by either the key visual or promotional video. The key visual simply features Allen and two other characters standing in a field, with text above them, which is the series’ title. It’s unclear exactly when additional news on the series is coming, but fans can expect to hear something sometime in the relatively early portion of the 2025 calendar year.

The original Hell Mode light novels began serialization in July 2020, an adaptation of Hamuo’s original Shosetsuka ni Naro web novel series of the same name. The light novels are also adapted into a manga by illustrator Enji Tetta. The original web novel began in November 2019, while the manga adaptation first began in October 2020. All three are still ongoing today, with the light novel having 10 volumes and the manga having nine.

The series follows Yamada Kenichi, who is seeing a game he played religiously for years shut down its servers. He tries to find a new game to fill the void, but everything is too easy for him, wanting something more punishing and frustrating, but also rewarding likewise. He one day finds an untitled game that promises “incomparable challenge with unprecedented potential.” He selects the Hell Mode difficulty, finding himself reincarnated in a new world as Allen.