- Released
-
2026
- Developer(s)
-
Gemdrops, Inc.
Danganronpa 2×2 Hides a Major Twist Right Under Fans’ Noses
Description
Danganronpa 2×2 is probably the last thing that fans expected from a new Danganronpa game. While the chances of the Danganronpa franchise being brought back already seemed slim enough, due to the ending of Danganronpa V3, this title is particularly unusual, even by the series’ standards. Revealed last week during Nintendo’s latest Direct, Danganronpa 2×2 is a remake of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair and a brand-new entry in the series at the same time. Not only does it contain a revamped version of the original game with modernized visuals, it also includes an alternate story route that features an entirely new set of killers and victims involving the same cast of characters.
Since it’s effectively just a visual novel, one might think that a Danganronpa 2 remake wouldn’t look that different from its predecessor. In Danganronpa 2×2‘s case, however, the game’s graphics seem to be greatly improved compared to the previous Danganronpa games. All the sprites, UIs, and artwork in Danganronpa 2×2 have been completely remade from the ground up, and the voice lines in the game have been re-recorded, as well. While Spike Chunsoft, the publisher of Danganronpa 2×2, has shared a lot of information about the remake portion of the game, it’s provided comparatively few details about its new storyline. That being said, one of the game’s biggest plot twists may be hiding in plain sight.
Although Danganronpa 2×2 is primarily being made by Gemdrops, the studio behind the Star Ocean: Second Story R remake, series creator Kazutaka Kodaka and his company, Too Kyo Games, are involved in the game’s development.
Danganronpa 2×2’s Name May Be Hiding a Major Secret
Perhaps the strangest thing about Danganronpa 2×2, aside from the fact that it’s basically two games in one, is its name. Spike Chunsoft producer Sakakibara Shouhei confirmed in a recent interview with Famitsu that the official pronunciation of Danganronpa 2×2‘s name is “Danganronpa Two by Two”. Now, to the average gamer, this may not seem like an important detail, but, as anyone who’s played Danganronpa V3 can attest, this naming convention will probably have major implications on the narrative of the game.
The following contains major spoilers for the endings of Danganronpa 2 and Danganronpa V3.
The V in Danganronpa V3 Stands for 50 Rather than Volume
During the notoriously controversial ending of Danganronpa V3, it is revealed that the entirety of the Danganronpa series’ events are completely fake, and that the Danganronpa franchise is a fictional reality TV show in the game’s world. Contrary to early speculation, it turns out that the V in Danganronpa V3‘s name doesn’t actually stand for “volume”. Rather, it refers to the Roman number V, which means five. Danganronpa V3 isn’t the third installment in the series, as fans were initially led to believe, but it is instead the 53rd season of the Danganronpa TV show in-game.
Since 2 Times 2 Equals 4, Danganronpa 2×2 May Actually Be Danganronpa 4 in Disguise
Given that Danganronpa 2×2‘s name doesn’t follow any standard naming conventions, it’s possible that it is also hiding some deeper narrative meaning, just like in Danganronpa V3. Two times two, of course, equals four, so maybe this game is somehow Danganronpa 4 in disguise. For starters, Danganronpa 2 takes place in a virtual reality simulator called the Neo World Program. Since all the murders in the game technically don’t happen in the real world, Danganronpa 2‘s cast of characters can easily be revived and killed again without suffering any significant narrative consequences.
Danganronpa 2×2 Could Be a Remake, a Sequel, and a Reboot All at the Same Time
Plot conveniences aside, it’s worth noting that Danganronpa 2×2 is intended to serve as a sort of reboot for the overarching Danganronpa franchise, while also acting as a remake and potentially a sequel. In the aforementioned Famitsu interview, Sakakibara Shouhei stated that all the Danganronpa franchise’s major plot points from stories set before Danganronpa 2 are still canonical to 2×2.
The events that take place after it, however, such as the stories of Danganronpa V3 and the Danganronpa 3 anime, may or may not be canon in the game. If Danganronpa 2×2 is more or less meant to be a fresh start for the franchise, it wouldn’t be that surprising if Spike Chunsoft decided to pull a bait-and-switch on fans again and secretly make it the series’ fourth mainline installment.
