Gundam Battle Operation NEXT is a free to play, 5v5 team-based action game, developed by B.B. Studio and published by Bandai Namco. It was only available on the Japanese PlayStation Network via digital download. The game is a successor to Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation, though not necessarily a spiritual successor as it opted for a much more fast-paced and action oriented gameplay style as opposed to the grounded realism of the first game. Battle Operation NEXT also branched out to other Gundam timelines; where the first Battle Operation only had units from the early Universal Century, NEXT featured over 50 mobile suits and mobile armors from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans, and MSV and MSV-R.
Bandai Namco ended Gundam Battle Operation NEXT's services on PlayStation 3 on June 28, 2018, but the game would continue to see support on the PlayStation 4 for nine more months. In the meantime, a true sequel to the first game, Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation 2, was released. Finally, on December 20, 2018, B.B. Studio announced on the official Battle Operation NEXT website that all services for the game would end on March 28, 2019.
Gameplay[]
Players are grouped into teams of five per side. The game will not begin until there is an equal number of participants and players from both sides confirm a complete launch preparation.