Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy is considered one of the masterpieces of Italian literature. The book is now sold out in Japan – because of an in-game event in Fate Grand/Order.
What do gacha games and classic literature have in common? At first glance, probably not much. But in Japan, the works of classic authors are regularly experiencing a surge in popularity thanks to a certain mobile game.
We’re talking about Fate/Grand Order, one of the most popular mobile games in Japan.The free-to-play title is based on the Fate/stay night universe created by game developer Type-Moon, which is better known in this country for several successful anime adaptations. The story component of Fate/Grand Order is told in visual novel style, while the battles are fought in a turn-based strategy format.
A current event in the mobile game has now ensured that The Divine Comedy, an Italian classic penned by legendary poet Dante Alighieri, is sold out in many bookstores in Japan (see embedded tweet). In the book, the author describes a journey through the nine circles of hell from a first-person perspective.
【速報】たぶん間違いなく FGO 効果でダンテ『神曲 完全版』の急遽重版決定しました。
It sold out unexpectedly, and according to my calculations, sales are up 130% from last year.
The paperback is nice, but even though the hardcover costs 5,900 yen, I totally understand why people are choosing the complete edition with illustrations by Dore, which are also used in FGO (I ended up doing the same thing…).Thank you Scheduled for release in mid-June▼https://t.co/vTrM6gXJyD pic.twitter.com/gCEhVdZKmc
— Kawade Shobo Shinsha (@Kawade_shobo) June 5, 2025
Translation:Important news: Due to limited stock, we have decided to reprint the complete edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy as soon as possible. Demand is 130 percent higher than last year, which is probably related to Fate/Grand Order. The reprint should be available in mid-June.
In March, the author was first introduced as a playable character at a smaller event. The latest story update for Fate/Grand Order now revolves entirely around the nine circles of hell and gives players Dante Alighieri as an ally.
Players who want to understand the new story and all its references to the literary source material have no choice but to get a copy of The Divine Comedy and read it for themselves. And because FGO is so incredibly popular in Japan, the update is now having a measurable impact on sales of the 14th-century Italian classic.
Incidentally, this isn’t the first time that Fate fans have caused a rush at Japanese bookstores.The lore of the Fate universe is considered very complexand knowledge of classic European literature is not widespread in Japan.
So far, Fate/Grand Order has adapted The Phantom of the Opera, The Count of Monte Cristo, and the works of Danish fairy tale author Hans Christian Andersen, among others.
The fact that a mobile game is now causing an ancient book to sell out is causing amusement online.On Redditone user writes:Gacha is forcing people to buy and read classic literature? Finally something about gacha that I can support.
Japanese gacha game causes unprecedented sales of European 13th century classic Divine Comedy
byu/Tenith ingaming
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But Fate/Grand Order isn’t just a stroke of luck for literature. The mobile game has brought its publisher Aniplex and parent company Sony revenues of US$7 billion through September 2023. The game has also been available in the German App Store since August 2022.
Do you have any experience with gacha games like Fate/Grand Order? Are you fans of the Fate anime adaptations? Let us know in the comments!
