Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus Unveils Cyberpunk Japan's Future at IGN Fan Fest 2025

The Blade Runner franchise has truly found a second life on the printed page, with Titan Comics greatly expanding the scope of this iconic cyberpunk universe through various spinoffs and prequels. Currently, Titan is in the midst of publishing Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus, a series that marks the first Blade Runner story set in Japan. This exciting venture brings the franchise to new heights by exploring a different cultural landscape.

As part of IGN Fan Fest 2025, we had the pleasure of speaking with writers Kianna Shore and Mellow Brown to delve deeper into the new series and understand how they've infused the Blade Runner aesthetic into a new corner of the world. Take a look at the exclusive artwork in the slideshow gallery below to see how the series transitioned from script to stunning visuals, and then read on for more insights:

Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus Behind-the-Scenes Art Gallery

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Tokyo, a city synonymous with cyberpunk classics like Akira and Ghost in the Shell, serves as the backdrop for this groundbreaking addition to the Blade Runner universe. We were eager to understand how the writers envisioned the alternate universe version of Tokyo in 2015 and how it contrasts with the familiar, neon-drenched, rain-soaked Los Angeles of the original Blade Runner.

“Brainstorming Tokyo in the Blade Runner universe was an incredibly fun process!” Shore tells IGN. “Having lived in Japan in 2015 and visited exhibits in Tokyo that focused on envisioning the future, I wanted Tokyo to stand apart from Los Angeles due to their different histories, experiences, and socioeconomics. My goal was to create a hopepunk version of Tokyo.”

“Los Angeles in Blade Runner is depicted as a broken, decrepit, and fracturing place, barely holding on, with neon lights masking the underlying chaos,” Brown explains. “Our Tokyo, on the other hand, is portrayed as a beautiful utopia where people live on a tight leash. Disobey the laws of this 'paradise,' and it will consume you. It's just as terrifying, but in a different way.”

Both writers consciously avoided drawing direct inspiration from Akira and Ghost in the Shell, instead focusing on other media and contemporary Japanese life to craft their unique version of Tokyo.

“While I watched the classics for inspiration, it was crucial for me to understand how Japanese media depicts the future post the 3.11 Tohoku Disaster,” Shore says. “So, I looked at anime such as Your Name, Japan Sinks 2020, and Bubble for insights.”

“I set a personal goal not to iterate on anime already influenced by Blade Runner, like Bubblegum Crisis or Psycho-Pass,” Brown adds. “When writing cyberpunk, you often reflect on how you think your environment will evolve. This is why LA in the original series has an '80s theme and a fear of Japan becoming a superpower. I wanted to reflect Japan's current societal fears and hopes, and what might go wrong or right if dangerous forces had their way.”

Set in 2015, a few years before the events of the original Blade Runner film, Tokyo Nexus explores a new timeline within the franchise. We were curious about how much the series connects to the larger Blade Runner universe and whether it offers familiar elements for fans to enjoy or presents a completely new experience due to its Japanese setting.

“Tokyo Nexus is a standalone in terms of setting, time, and story,” Shore explains. “However, it wouldn't be Blade Runner without the influence of the Tyrell Corporation and a mystery to unravel. There are some fun nods and Easter eggs referencing the Blade Runner films, but even those new to the franchise can enjoy the comics.”

Mellow adds, “We are continuing to build on the story that has been developing since Blade Runner: Origins and just before Blade Runner: 2019. We're excited to address complex questions in the universe, like ‘What was the Kalanthia War?’ and ‘Why is Tyrell the only company making Replicants?’ All of this is leading to a massive, secret civil war among Blade Runners from different organizations fighting for dominance. Tokyo Nexus lays the groundwork for one of these organizations to rise to a global superpower in that war.”

Tokyo Nexus stands out with its focus on the partnership between a human named Mead and a Replicant named Stix, whose close-knit dynamic is central to the series. They are portrayed as battle-scarred veterans who rely solely on each other in this harsh world.

“Mead and Stix are best friends and platonic life-partners,” Shore says. “They've been through hell together, bled together, and wept together. Their primary goal is to protect each other, even if that means protecting one another from themselves. To survive, they must learn to trust again.”

“Their relationship is beautifully unhealthy,” Brown jokes. “We wanted to explore the ‘We're More Human Than Human’ theme from the franchise. Stix, as a Replicant, has a constant thirst for life, while Mead, a human, has been worn down by systems and operates with a mechanical, economic mindset. They need each other to survive, and their partnership has become a codependent bond that could break them both.”

As the narrative unfolds, Stix and Mead find themselves embroiled in a conflict between Tyrell Corp, the Yakuza, and a Japanese group called Cheshire, which aims to challenge Tyrell's monopoly on the Replicant market.

“Cheshire is trying to break into the Replicant manufacturing business,” Shore teases. “Their latest model is a military-grade Replicant, supposedly stronger and faster, built on the framework Tyrell pioneered.”

Mellow adds, “Cheshire is a crime organization with ambitions far beyond petty crime. When they gain access to refugee Tyrell Scientists who have fled to Tokyo, they realize the potential to achieve much more in this universe…”

Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus Vol. 1 - Die in Peace is now available in comic shops and bookstores. You can also order the book on Amazon.

Also as part of IGN Fan Fest 2025, we got an early look at IDW's new Godzilla shared universe and a sneak peak of an upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog storyline.