Digimon Up is officially live on iOS and Android, and Bandai Namco is rewarding players who pre-registered with a handful of free Digimon and one of the franchise's most beloved human characters. The game crossed 1 million pre-registrations ahead of launch, and the developer is making good on those numbers with day-one giveaways that give new players a solid head start.
What pre-registered players can claim right now
Players who signed up before launch can grab Gekkomon and Numemon as free Digimon, alongside Agumon and fan-favourite human character Tai Kamiya. That last one will land differently depending on how deep your Digimon nostalgia runs, but for anyone who grew up watching the original anime, seeing Tai show up as a claimable character on day one is a nice touch.
The rewards are available now through the in-game inbox, so you'll want to log in and claim them before any expiry window kicks in.
A digital pet game that actually acts like one
Here's the thing about Digimon Up: it's not trying to be a creature collector in the Pokémon sense. The game leans hard into the franchise's Tamagotchi roots, putting the focus on the bond between you and a single partner Digimon rather than building out a 200-deep roster. Your Digimon evolves based on how you train and care for it, with meaningful customisation over its ability growth and evolution path.
The mobile format does bring some concessions. Auto-progression means your Digimon keeps developing even when the app is closed, which makes the game more accessible but also softens some of that classic digital pet tension. Whether that's a fair trade depends on how much you want the original Tamagotchi anxiety in your life.
How it fits into the wider Digimon picture
For fans tracking the franchise across platforms, Digimon Up arrives while anticipation is also building around Digimon Story: Time Stranger, the upcoming RPG entry in the Story series. The two games sit in very different spaces: Up is a mobile-first pet sim, while Time Stranger is shaping up as a more traditional RPG games experience. Both launching in relatively close proximity suggests Bandai Namco is actively pushing the Digimon brand across multiple audiences simultaneously.
For players already deep into Time Stranger prep, the Digimon Story: Time Stranger guides cover everything from starter Digimon choices to progression mechanics, which is worth bookmarking if you're planning to jump between both games.
Digimon Up is available now. Log in, claim your free monsters, and see whether the digital pet formula still holds up in 2026.
