Gundam Ace November 2026: Pekora, Marine and Chihaya Star on the GUNDAM × hololive Cover (Out 26 September)

Three hololive talents are about to take over the front of Japan's best-known Gundam magazine.

The November 2026 issue of Monthly Gundam Ace (月刊ガンダムエース, No.291), published by KADOKAWA, goes on sale in Japan on Saturday 26 September 2026. KADOKAWA's official product page bills it as the "GUNDAM × hololive production" cover issue, and the cover stars Usada Pekora, Houshou Marine and Rindo Chihaya in pilot suits, standing in front of their collab mobile suits.

Inside, the issue prints Chapter 1 of the mini-novel "Star Tears" (星の涙 ＜STAR TEARS＞), plus an opening feature on the whole collaboration. HoloIndex (25 September 2026) reports that the Gundam Ace official X account revealed the cover and preview pages on 25 September, the day before release. Here is what is in the issue and why it is a keepsake for both hololive and Gundam fans.

The cover: newly drawn by Kouzou Oomori

The cover art is newly drawn by Kouzou Oomori, who draws the magazine's serial Mobile Suit Gundam: Shien wa Minovsky no Eikyou wo Ukenai. Each talent is paired with her collab machine:

• Usada Pekora with the Unicorn Gundam
• Houshou Marine with the Crossbone Gundam X1
• Rindo Chihaya with the Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn

HoloIndex adds that Pekora, in the centre, is thrusting a carrot forwards, and that mini-chibi "nui armour" versions of all three are tucked into a corner of the cover. Those little touches are the kind of detail that makes a magazine cover worth keeping rather than recycling.

Inside the issue: an opening feature on the collab

Beyond the cover, the issue opens with a feature spread showing the 12 collab talents in their pilot suits, alongside a timeline of the collaboration. According to HoloIndex, that timeline runs from the project's announcement on 2 March, through two rounds of talent reveals, to the launch of the mini-novel. For anyone who has only caught parts of the collab on social media, it is a handy printed summary of the whole story so far.

Opening feature spread and collab timeline. Credit: Gundam Ace official X via HoloIndex. ©SUNRISE ©COVER.

HoloIndex also lists the issue as a B5-style magazine running to 668 pages, which gives a sense of how much Gundam content surrounds the collab pages. It is a full monthly issue, not a slim special.

Pekora and the Unicorn Gundam

Pekora's pairing with the Unicorn Gundam is one of the most natural matches in the collab. HoloIndex notes that she watched Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096 with her audience earlier this year and chose an HG Unicorn Gundam as her first ever Gunpla. Seeing her on the cover in front of that same machine is a lovely payoff for fans who followed along.

Usada Pekora with the Unicorn Gundam (collab visual). Credit: Dengeki Hobby, 27 August 2026. ©SUNRISE ©COVER.

Marine and the Crossbone Gundam X1

Marine's machine is the Crossbone Gundam X1, the skull-emblazoned "space pirate" Gundam. For a talent whose whole persona is a pirate captain, it is an inspired choice, and it sets up the title of the mini-novel chapter printed in this issue.

Houshou Marine with the Crossbone Gundam X1 (collab visual). Credit: Dengeki Hobby, 27 August 2026. ©SUNRISE ©COVER.

Chihaya and the Banshee Norn

Rindo Chihaya is paired with the Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn, the black counterpart to Pekora's Unicorn. HoloIndex reports that Chihaya has been working her way through Gundam over the past year, including watch-alongs of the compilation films and later series, and that she built a Banshee Norn Gunpla on stream in July.

When the cover was revealed, she reacted on X with a line that Gundam fans instantly recognised, a nod to Amuro's famous words at the end of the original Mobile Suit Gundam: roughly, "there is nothing that could make me happier". It is a sweet moment that shows how much the collab means to the talents themselves.

Rindo Chihaya with the Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn (collab visual). Credit: Dengeki Hobby, 27 August 2026. ©SUNRISE ©COVER.

"Star Tears" Chapter 1 in print

The issue carries Chapter 1, "The Rabbit, the Pirate and…" (兎と海賊と…), of the mini-novel Star Tears, with story by Makoto Fukami, best known in anime circles for his work on Psycho-Pass. KADOKAWA's product page confirms the chapter is included. HoloIndex notes that it first appeared on the collab's official site on 26 August, so this is its first appearance in print.

The setup, as summarised by HoloIndex, is playful: a company unveils a fully immersive virtual space called the Gundam Virtual Battle Field (GVBF) and asks hololive production to help promote it. During the test period, members climb into mobile suits for an exhibition match, taking on set challenges, with the top performer winning the right to a new collab song and a live show inside GVBF.

Star Tears mini-novel announcement visual. Credit: HoloIndex. ©SUNRISE ©COVER.

That prize is not just fiction. HoloIndex reports that each chapter gets a real collab original song and music video. Chapter 1's song is "Tadaima Okaeri Kaereru Basho" (ただいま おかえり 帰れる場所), sung by Pekora, Marine and Chihaya, with lyrics and music by Kenichi Maeyamada. The MV is due on YouTube this autumn.

A crossover twelve talents wide

This cover issue is one piece of a much larger GUNDAM × hololive project. The full collab pairs twelve talents with twelve mobile suits, from Shirakami Fubuki's Gundam Exia and Hoshimachi Suisei's Sazabi to Sakura Miko's Nu Gundam and IRyS's Destiny Gundam. Pilot-suit illustrations, "nui armour" chibis and emblem-marked versions of each machine were revealed in late August, as covered by Inside Games and Dengeki Hobby on 27 August.

The twelve collab talents in pilot suits. Credit: Inside Games, 27 August 2026. ©SUNRISE ©COVER.

What makes the Gundam Ace issue special is that it is a fixed-date print release rather than a figure with a long lead time. It is a physical, dated collectable that captures a specific moment in the collab.

Who this issue is for

This is a must for Pekora, Marine and Chihaya fans who collect printed appearances, and for anyone following the Star Tears story who wants Chapter 1 on paper. Gundam readers get a full monthly issue with an eye-catching crossover cover. Magazine cover issues like this often sell through quickly in Japan, so it is worth deciding early if you want one.

Getting a copy in the UK

Otaku Daily currently does not open orders for placing this magazine. If you would like a quote for the Gundam Ace November 2026 issue, send us a message via Contact Us and let us know what you are after.

In the meantime, browse our hololive collection for Pekora, Marine and other talent merchandise, or check our in-stock collection for items ready to ship.

Frequently asked questions

When is Gundam Ace November 2026 released?
Saturday 26 September 2026 in Japan, per KADOKAWA's official product page.

Who is on the cover?
Usada Pekora, Houshou Marine and Rindo Chihaya in pilot suits, with the Unicorn Gundam, Crossbone Gundam X1 and Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn. The art is by Kouzou Oomori.

What is Star Tears?
A GUNDAM × hololive mini-novel with story by Makoto Fukami. This issue prints Chapter 1, "The Rabbit, the Pirate and…".

Is there a song?
Yes. HoloIndex reports that Chapter 1 has a collab original song, "Tadaima Okaeri Kaereru Basho", sung by Pekora, Marine and Chihaya, with an MV due on YouTube this autumn.

Can I order this magazine from Otaku Daily?
Otaku Daily currently does not open orders for placing this item. If you would like a quote, drop us a message via Contact Us.

Bottom line

The Gundam Ace November 2026 issue puts Pekora, Marine and Chihaya on the cover of Japan's flagship Gundam magazine, with Star Tears Chapter 1 in print and a feature on the whole GUNDAM × hololive collab. It goes on sale in Japan on 26 September 2026. Otaku Daily currently does not open orders for placing it, but we are happy to quote: just ask via Contact Us.

Sources: KADOKAWA official product page (Gundam Ace November 2026, No.291); HoloIndex, 25 September 2026 (citing Gundam Ace official X, 25 September 2026); Inside Games and Dengeki Hobby, 27 August 2026.