Gundam’s New Official US Store Faces Uncertain Future After Bandai Cancels Grand Opening

Bandai has announced a last-minute cancellation of the grand opening of The Gundam Base Minneapolis, which was set to open its doors on September 30 at Minnesota’s Mall of America, leaving fans dismayed after many had made special plans to attend the event.

The new location was due to become only the second permanent Gundam Base in the US, following the opening of The Gundam Base Chicago at the Fashion Outlets of Chicago in December 2025.

Plans for additional US locations in Minneapolis and Seattle were first announced earlier this summer, with both stores originally given a broader Fall 2026 opening window as Bandai continues expanding The Gundam Base across North America.

The Gundam Base is Bandai’s dedicated retail destination for Gunpla, combining a large selection of model kits with exclusive releases, limited-edition products, building accessories and displays celebrating the wider Gundam franchise.

Minneapolis was set to continue that format this September with a range covering both newcomers and experienced builders, while also giving fans in the Midwest another permanent way to buy products normally restricted to Gundam Base locations.

Before the cancellation announcement, Bandai had already revealed three exclusive Gunpla that were set to be available as part of the store’s grand opening lineup:

MG 1/100 THE GUNDAM BASE LIMITED RX-78-2 GUNDAM Ver.3.0 [THE GUNDAM BASE COLOR]

MG 1100 THE GUNDAM BASE LIMITED RX 78 2 Ver. 3.0 [THE GUNDAM BASE COLOR]

RG 1/144 THE GUNDAM BASE LIMITED WING GUNDAM ZERO EW [CLEAR COLOR]

RG 1144 THE GUNDAM BASE LIMITED WING GUNDAM ZERO EW [CLEAR COLOR]

HaroPla THE GUNDAM BASE LIMITED HARO [THE GUNDAM BASE COLOR]

HaroPla THE GUNDAM BASE LIMITED HARO [THE GUNDAM BASE COLOR]

The Gundam Base was set to be part of a broader Bandai Namco presence opening at Mall of America on September 30, with the second US Bandai Namco Cross Store originally due to begin welcoming customers on exactly the same day.

As part of the same announcement, it was confirmed that the grand opening of the Bandai Namco Cross Store at Mall of America has also been cancelled.

Bandai has not revealed any reason, such as logistical or staffing issues, for the sudden change of plans, leaving fans completely in the dark as to why the store openings were cancelled at such short notice.

Whilst the schedule change is only temporary, the lack of any concrete information has been particularly frustrating for those who had planned to attend the store opening, many of whom had arranged paid time off and planned social gatherings around the event.

Bandai has been unable to confirm when The Gundam Base Minneapolis and the Mall of America’s Bandai Namco Cross Store will actually open, hinting that this may be a longer delay than a matter of days.

With the cancellation causing disappointment among fans, particularly due to the lack of information surrounding its circumstances, Bandai will likely look to pull out all the stops with promotional items, and potentially more exclusive products, when the store eventually opens to try and regain trust from those affected.