Kaname Date’s New Case

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In late March, during a Nintendo Direct broadcast, enthusiasts of the AI: The Somnium Files series were taken aback by the unveiling of a new No Sleep for Kaname Date. This third game in Spike Chunsoft’s puzzle mystery series follows the original AI: The Somnium Files from 2019 and AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative from 2022, but it doesn’t follow the chronological order. Instead, No Sleep for Kaname Date is a “mid-quel,” set between the two existing games. It might also allude to “Hidden Bats,” an online ARG (Alternate Reality Game) run by Spike Chunsoft before the launch of nirvanA Initiative.

No Sleep For Kaname Date Takes Place Between The First Two Games

In a recent announcement, publisher Spike Chunsoft shared that the game titled “No Rest for Kaname Date” will unfold a day following the resolution of “The New Cyclops Serial Killings” case. This case is the same one investigated by Date in the original “AI: The Somnium Files“, where several victims were found with their eyes missing. The title “No Rest For Kaname Date” might be a reference to the fact that Date must dive into a new case immediately after wrapping up his previous investigation.

In “No Sleep for Kaname Date,” the pop idol Iris Sagan, or A-set, gets abducted by a UFO and compelled to play an interstellar escape game. Date needs to join forces with his AI companion Aiba to find and save Iris before it’s too late. The game will feature the comeback of Somniums, where Date delves into a person’s memories and mental world to uncover hidden truths, along with escape room-style challenges similar to those found in Kotaro Uchikoshi’s previous “Zero Escape” series.

It Is Unclear If nirvanA Initiative Characters Will Appear

The game titled “AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative” unfolds across two distinct periods: one is set a few months after the incidents of the initial game, while another transpires six years down the line. Noteworthy, the storyline presented in “No Sleep ” lies between these two instalments, meaning characters like Kuruto Ryuki and his AI-Ball Tama from the latter may not make an appearance. However, Amame Doi, a significant character in “nirvanA Initiative“, has been featured in the first trailer for “No Sleep ” along with Kaname Date, potentially indicating some links to the second game.

No Sleep For Kaname Date May Cover The Events of The “Hidden Bats” ARG

In February 2022, an alternate reality game named “Hidden Bats” unfolded on Twitter, serving as a promotional tool for the nirvanA Initiative. In this intricate storyline, six individuals were abducted by a secretive group and tasked with deciphering riddles. The Twitter community was enlisted to aid these captives in solving puzzles that could ultimately decide their fate – whether they lived or perished. One of the kidnapped pairs included Iris, sparking speculation among fans that the storyline might be reflected in No Sleep For Kaname Date.

Fans were taken aback when the “Hidden Bats” incident wasn’t mentioned during the nirvanA Initiative, leading them to speculate that this could be because Twitter users voted for the elimination of returning character Iris, who was previously confirmed to be part of the game. The placement of No Sleep for Kaname Date in the timeline and the inclusion of escape room-style puzzles suggest that “Hidden Bats” might have actually occurred within the universe after all. As an alternate reality game with a grim narrative where several characters perished in a lethal game reminiscent of Danganronpa or Saw movies, it would be intriguing to witness its representation if indeed it’s the focus of No Sleep for Kaname Date.

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2025-04-03 14:34