XM Media, a new Singapore company set up to develop original anime, comics and gaming (ACG) intellectual property, debuted on 13 November at Game Fest 2026 with a plan to use AI animation to take local stories to global audiences. The launch coincided with the festival’s 10th anniversary and was held at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Key Takeaways
- XM Media launched at Game Fest 2026 on 13 November to develop original Singapore anime, comics and gaming IP.
- Its first projects are AI-assisted animations of The Celestial Zone, which has sold over four million copies in 40 countries, and Mystical Gateway.
- Founders say AI cuts production costs while stories and character designs stay human-made, with schools brought in through student partnerships.
XM Media’s AI animation plans for Singapore IP
XM Media is led by Founder and Chief Executive Officer Kerr Sun, Founder and Chief Business Officer Frank Yong, and Founder and Chief Creative Officer Wee Tian Beng, a veteran local comic artist. The leadership team said the company aims to build “a sustainable, tech-driven engine for Singaporean creators” to bring original Asian IP to the global stage.
The company previewed two video teasers at the launch: Mystical Gateway (玄門) and The Celestial Zone (天界無限). Wee’s The Celestial Zone, billed as Singapore’s first international comic hit, has sold more than four million copies across 40 countries and is now being reborn as an AI-powered anime series. Mystical Gateway, drawn and character-designed by comic artist Yeoh Hui Shuen, has been in production as a comic since 2018, with its latest book published in 2025.
How AI lowers animation costs for Singapore IP
High production costs have long kept local comics off screen, according to Wee. Over more than 30 years and more than 200 titles, offers to adapt his work for film and television, including interest from Hollywood, fell through because budgets typically ran into the millions. AI has changed that arithmetic, he said, while stressing that it remains a tool and that the stories, characters and designs in the two upcoming animations are human-made. “We should make good use of it,” Wee said.
Kerr said the technology gives Singapore a chance to compete with studios abroad, noting that a film in the United States can cost hundreds of millions to make. The press release says XM Media uses AI as a production assistant to accelerate output while keeping artistic integrity intact. Yeoh, who said comic production is stressful and slow, said she was excited by AI animation and surprised to see it drawing better than she does.
Student partnerships and AI survey results
XM Media plans to work with ITE’s School of Design and Media so that students can take part in its animation and comic production. The company also presented early findings from a survey of 195 students across six campus workshops, covering their openness to AI in creative work and their interest in animation careers. Marketing lead Li Lin said responses were broadly positive, although some students voiced concerns.
Watch the previews
Both teasers were screened at the launch. Press play below to see how The Celestial Zone and Mystical Gateway look in animation.
