thatgamecompany, Inc. thatgamecompany Visual Development Lead Yuichiro Tanabe will be participating as a judge in the final round of the MIZUHO ART SPORTS LIMITS National Student Championship 2025!

【thatgamecompany, Inc.】 thatgamecompany Visual Development Lead Yuichiro Tanabe will be participating as a judge in the final round of the MIZUHO ART SPORTS LIMITS National Student Championship 2025! ​
thatgamecompany, Inc. Press release: September 5, 2025 To Members of the Press Yuichiro Tanabe, Visual Development Lead at thatgamecompany, will be participating as a judge in the final round of the “MIZUHO ART SPORTS LIMITS National Student Championships 2025”! The winners of the special award “Sky: Children of the Light Award” have also been decided from the teams competing in the final round. The final round of the “MIZUHO ART SPORTS LIMITS National Student Championship 2025,” a “new summer art Koshien” that combines art, sports, and
entertainment, sponsored by thatgamecompany,Inc. (headquartered in California, USA), the developer of the game “Sky: Children of the Light,” which has a total of 270 million downloads worldwide, was held at Yokohama Landmark Hall on Sunday, August 31, 2025. On the day, Yuichiro Tanabe, Visual Development Lead at thatgamecompany, participated as a judge, and one team from the final round was awarded the special “Sky: Children of the Light Award.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/61534/109/61534-109-197cbc13e793556740cb9353c28f1003-3900×2835.jpg

The “MIZUHO ART SPORTS LIMITS National Student Championship 2025” is a digital art live painting battle in which participants improvise on a randomly presented theme within a 20-minute time limit. A key feature of the competition is that not only the finished work but also the creative process is judged. Since its launch in 2015, the competition has attracted much attention as the “new summer art Koshien,” and with this year’s tournament, the competition has expanded to include vocational school and university students in addition to high school students. All 12 teams that survived the first round, held in July, gathered at the Yokohama Landmark Hall to compete in the final round for the title of “No. 1 Student Artist.” thatgamecompany sponsored the competition out of a desire to support promising young people with a passion for creativity. Yuichiro Tanabe participated as a judge on the day. The high-level competition was so intense that it was hard to believe they were students. The final battle was filled with suspense, with viewers glued to their seats until the very last vote, creating a frenzy that swept the entire venue into a frenzy. In addition, thatgamecompany has prepared a special “Sky: Children of the Light Award,” which went to Team Kakaricho, the only team from a non-arts school to compete in the final round and leave a lasting impression. As a prize, the team received luxurious Sky merchandise, and will have the opportunity to experience the work of a concept artist alongside the Sky production team. Through these activities, thatgamecompany will continue to fully support the activities of student artists, leveraging the art knowledge and extensive experience we have cultivated over the years. ■ “MIZUHO ART SPORTS LIMITS National Student Championship 2025” Final Round The final round, featuring 12 teams that made it through the preliminary rounds, began with a “First Battle,” in which all 12 teams simultaneously tackled the same theme in a buzzer format within a 20-minute time limit. The rigorous evaluations, based on both speed and quality, by a panel of judges active at the forefront of the art world created a moderate sense of tension and excitement throughout the venue, leading to the selection of six teams. Then, the two teams that survived the semi-final round, divided into two blocks, competed in the final battle. In the end, Team “Kedama,” featuring a unique animation work, emerged victorious. As a prize for winning, Team Kedama was awarded the MIZUHO ART SPORTS LIMITS Creative Tour to Atlanta, Georgia, USA. “MIZUHO ART SPORTS LIMITS National Student Championships 2025” Official Website: https://sc2025.limits.jp/
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/61534/109/61534-109-54c8f19a5ff7685ab4a4b546b6028dd4-3900×2600.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/61534/109/61534-109-8e2f71365e235c96be603e8beed4fb7a-1499×1000.jpg ■“Sky “Sky: Children of the Light Award” The “Sky: Children of the Light Award,” which honors outstanding student teams based on evaluation criteria that utilize thatgamecompany’s experience, was awarded to “Kakarichou,” a team from Shigakukan University. Despite being the only team from a non-arts school competing in the final round of this tournament, they fought bravely all the way to the semi-finals and left a lasting impression on the tournament. After the competition, Yuichiro Tanabe and other TGC members personally presented the awards backstage. Tanabe commented, “Even though you didn’t attend art school, I could sense your talent not only in your illustrations but also in the clothes and accessories you wear. I hope you’ll experience game development. I hope you continue to draw.” With tears in her eyes, she joyfully replied, “When I was choosing my career path, I struggled to decide whether to go to art school or a regular university. I never expected you to choose me this time, and I’m truly happy to have been given this valuable opportunity.” Fujiwara, a concept artist at thatgamecompany, also chimed in, saying, “I didn’t graduate from art school myself, but I work as a concept artist. Let’s come up with costumes and items together!” Everyone in attendance left the venue looking forward to the concept artist experience.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/61534/109/61534-109-ae00b4801890f969e40f7bfe29f549e6-3900×2600.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/61534/109/61534-109-ca8bbbaa504fe0fc888be3e8a68a5477-1124×768.png ■“thatgamecompany × LIMITS “Illustration Contest” The “thatgamecompany × LIMITS Illustration Contest,” held in conjunction with the tournament and open to participating teams, called for submissions based on the first-round theme of the tournament, “Fluffy × Change,” with the addition of a Sky-themed theme: “Beyond the Sky – Beyond that sky, there is a self I don’t yet know.” After rigorous judging, the Sky production team selected “Tears of the Heart,” a work by team “Mameta,” students at Kyoto University of the Arts, as the Grand Prize winner from among the many submissions received from across the country. This highly polished piece beautifully tells a story with just one facial expression. The subtleties of emotion are skillfully portrayed through the eyes, eyebrows, flushed skin, and wavy hair. The bold composition and detailed depiction captivate the viewer, creating a depth that allows viewers to imagine a story beyond the painting. After the competition, TGC members and the winners took commemorative photos and interacted with each other. Tanabe commented, “The composition was imposing, and I felt a strong sense of confidence. I think you have something special, so I hope you continue to draw.” Team “Mameta” happily shared, “We wanted to express the calm yet refreshing atmosphere you feel when playing a game. It’s not something that’s easy to understand, but something that will stay in your mind. We never expected to win the grand prize, so we’re very happy. We have friends who play Sky, so we’d like to tell them about it when we get home.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/61534/109/61534-109-743a07dfb6a0adbf02a0af60ffb67cf4-3900×2601.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/61534/109/61534-109-b292e455f3db2ec62fb59afa6e66ac7d-3900×2601.jpg ■About “Sky: Children of the Light” “Sky: Children of the Light” is a social adventure game currently available for iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Steam. While intuitively designed for everyone, “Sky” aims to be an emotionally moving experience that encourages connection and sharing, thereby spreading tolerance and compassion and bringing positive impact to the real world. Since its release in 2019, it has captured the hearts of countless players and continues to receive vigorous updates. The game has been downloaded over 270 million times worldwide, and in September 2022, it received the Excellence Award at the Japan Game Awards 2022. In August 2023, it broke the Guinness World Records(TM) for the “Most User-Participated Concert-Themed Virtual Space.” The world of Sky will continue to expand with the PlayStation version released on December 7, 2022, and the Steam version, which entered early access on April 10, 2024. We will continue to create works that will be enjoyed by many people and loved forever. [Official website] https://www.thatskygame.com/ja [X (old Twitter) account] https://x.com/thatskygameJP (@thatskygameJP) [Instagram account] https://www.instagram.com/thatskygamejp/ (@thatskygamejp) ■thatgamecompany ThatGameCompany is committed to developing broadly accessible, artistic, emotionally rich, and engaging experiences. Our work, including titles like “flOw,” “Flowery,” “Journey,” and “Sky: Children of the Light,” has received numerous awards and is included in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, as well as exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. By expanding the possibilities for emotional experiences that can be delivered through games, we create
entertainment that can be enjoyed and loved by people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds. [Official website]
http://thatgamecompany.com/ Press release attachments