Erika Ishii Will Be In Double Fine's Next Game As Kickstarter Passes $600,000

Published Sep 28, 2026, 3:06 AM EDT Josh Coulson is an editor at TheGamer covering breaking news on everything from colorful platformers to the latest Lego sets. Primarily a news writer since 2018, Josh has covered just about every major game from the past decade. Now an editor, their focus has shifted to being the leading affiliate expert at the site, building relationships between TheGamer and global brands including Mattel, Funko, and The Pokemon Company. One of the first things Double Fine announced after regaining its independence was its next Amnesia Fortnight. It’s a game jam event where the studio’s developers pitch their wildest ideas, and sometimes, those ideas become games. Now that the Kickstarter for Double Fine’s next Amnesia Fortnite has passed $600,000, whatever project from it that becomes a fully-fledged game will star Erika Ishii. The Double Fine Erika Ishii Agreement Is Now Official When the Kickstarter hit $550,000, Double Fine announced that, if it could raise another $50,000, Ishii would be brought on board to star in whatever might arise from its next game jam. As shared by Ishii herself, that goal has now been hit. Well, actually, it was Double Fine studio head Tim Schafer who shared the news first. “Erika, don't be scared, but it's looking like this is your last chance to chicken out,” Schafer wrote on Bluesky with a little over $3,000 left to go. A little over three hours later, Schafer posted “IT'S ERIKA ISHII O'CLOCK, EVERYBODY!” sharing a screenshot showing the $600,000 goal hadn’t just been hit, but it had been smashed, with the total now at more than $613,000. “IT IS TIME,” Ishii excitedly replied, even though not only does she not know who she will be playing in Double Fine’s next game, but she doesn’t even know what that game is. That’s because nobody does. The Kickstarter is being used to raise funds for Double Fine’s Fortnight Amnesia game jam, and it’s during that event that what exactly the studio’s next project might be will be decided. Double Fine's Unique New Twist On Its Game Jam Events Double Fine Productions / Xbox This Double Fine game jam will be a little different from the ones that have come before it. Rather than handling everything internally, after the developers pitch their wildest ideas, it will be the fans who decide which of them get funded. Four projects will make it out of that first stage and receive further development, and then one of those projects, which will again be chosen by Double Fine’s fans, will become a real game that gets a full release, and stars Ishii, presumably in a leading role. Kiln, that launched earlier this year, was born from a Double Fine game jam. The news that Ishii would commit to starring in a Double Fine game should Amnesia Fortnight hit its $600,000 stretch goal was met with unfortunately unsurprising backlash from a vocal minority. As was the case when Sucker Punch revealed Ishii would play Atsu in hit PS5 exclusive Ghost of Yotei, the usual suspects felt compelled to let the world know they don’t like Ishii, largely due to their gender fluid identity and support for the LGBTQ+ community of which they are a part. Hopefully that vocal minority will be drowned out, and the focus can be on finding out what game Ishii will be a part of for Double Fine and who they might play.