Bandai Reveals First-Look at Painted Prototypes for New HG Gundam ZERO and Gundam Helix Gunpla Kits
Image by Charlotte DavisBandai has officially given fans a look at the first painted prototypes of two upcoming High Grade Gunpla tied to Gundam’s new shared anime and video game project.
The HG 1/144 Gundam ZERO and HG 1/144 Gundam Helix were shown during the August 25 “Latest! Gunpla Info Bureau” broadcast, providing a much closer look at both mobile suits following their initial announcements in July.
Both machines form part of the new “RG Project,” which links the upcoming Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO anime with action game GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT through the same universe and history.
Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO takes place in the After Apocalypse era, decades after humanity is driven from Earth during a conflict with a self-replicating silicon-based ecosystem known as the Apocalypse.
Its protagonist Ray Azumi pilots the XARX-0 Gundam ZERO, a cutting-edge experimental anti-Apocalypse machine belonging to a new generation of mobile suits referred to as Gundam Types.
The new HG was first revealed earlier this year and reflects the machine’s unusual organic appearance, with Bandai also developing its articulation around the relaxed, almost loose-limbed poses seen in the animation.
Bandai says the HG Gundam ZERO will incorporate a new technology that has never previously been used in a Gunpla kit, although exactly what that feature involves is being kept secret for now.
Gundam Helix comes from GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT, which takes place later in the same timeline but shifts the focus to a high-speed action game where players control pilot Rex alongside his Haro companion V.
The game is being developed around highly mobile combat in large photorealistic space environments, and Bandai is aiming to give the HG Gundam Helix enough articulation to reproduce that style of movement in model form.
The kit will also include features intended to recreate elements of the experience from the game itself, although Bandai has yet to explain exactly how those ideas will work in the finished model.
GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT is currently planned for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam, while both it and Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO are due to expand the new shared Gundam setting during 2027.
An exclusive Earth Blue version of the HG 1/144 Gundam Helix kit will also be available with a special GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT game bundle.
The two HG prototypes were only part of a much larger group of Gunpla updates shown during the same broadcast, including the first Real Grade version of the Ground Type Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team.
The RG 1/144 Ground Type Gundam places particular attention on its kneeling 180mm Cannon firing pose, while an opening rear container and dedicated shield support help recreate the grounded combat style seen throughout the OVA.
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ also received a long-awaited new kit with the HG 1/144 Hamma-Hamma, which uses flexible lead wires to recreate the mobile suit’s remotely deployed forearms and their three-barrel beam cannons.
Gundam 00 joined the lineup through the MGSD 00 Raiser, combining the heavily detailed construction of Bandai’s high-end SD series with deployable GN Drives and a huge beam effect for the GN Sword.
Bandai also confirmed the third main MGEX mobile suit as the Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom, with its “Extreme Point” centered around what the company describes as the highest level of iridescent expression yet attempted in the line.
The MGEX uses multiple Mechanical Core Plating finishes alongside the Proud Defender’s layered wing construction, with the backpack able to separate and sections of the wings opening to expose the gold internal structure.
Perfect Grade collectors were also given more details of a separate upgrade for the PG UNLEASHED Nu Gundam, which combines six additional Fin Funnels with transparent body and weapon armor so the massive model can be displayed with a Double Fin Funnel setup or with more of its internal frame visible.
The RG 1/144 Ground Type Gundam is priced at ¥4,620 (approx. $29 USD / £21 GBP) and is scheduled for February 2027, while the HG 1/144 Hamma-Hamma costs ¥4,400 (approx. $28 USD / £20 GBP) and will follow in March 2027.
The MGSD 00 Raiser is priced at ¥6,050 (approx. $38 USD / £28 GBP), while the MGEX 1/100 Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam costs ¥26,400 (approx. $166 USD / £122 GBP), with both planned for March 2027.
The “PG UNLEASHED 1/60 Fin Funnel & Clear Color Body for Nu Gundam” is priced at ¥16,500 (approx. $104 USD / £76 GBP) and opens for pre-orders through Premium Bandai Japan on August 26 at 12:00 PM JST, with its release month still unannounced.
Bandai has not yet announced prices or individual release dates for the HG 1/144 Gundam ZERO or HG 1/144 Gundam Helix.
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