Format

TV Asahi is launching new unscripted competition format DUAL² ahead of LA Screenings 2026 as part of the broadcaster’s Global Challenge initiative focused on internationally adaptable IP. The series will premiere on May 17 on TV Asahi’s terrestrial channel with an eight-week run of 30-minute episodes. It will also stream on SVOD platform TELASA and on catch-up service TVer.

DUAL² combines physical challenges, psychological gameplay and strategy-driven competition through a central mechanic in which contestants’ Life Points are visible to everyone except themselves. The format revolves around players stealing points from opponents, while also using them as currency to purchase tactical advantages throughout the competition. The series features a lineup of elite athletes from multiple disciplines, including Olympic swimming champion Kosuke Hagino, figure skater Narumi Takahashi, Olympic boxer Sena Irie and Olympic judoka Naohisa Takato, alongside competitors from basketball, rugby, volleyball, soccer, athletics and CrossFit backgrounds.
Original games including CUBE MAZE, FLASH STEP and NUMBER CLIMBER combine physical performance with mental agility, reinforcing the format’s hybrid “brain and body” approach.

TV Asahi producer Sho Kozawa said: “Our goal with DUAL² was to redefine what a modern competition show can be. Physical strength is only one part of the battle—strategy, psychology, decision-making, and many other mental elements matter just as much. That’s a universal concept audiences everywhere can connect with.”
Designed for international scalability, the format combines visually accessible rules, adaptable gameplay mechanics and universal themes centered on survival and psychological warfare. TV Asahi plans to position DUAL² internationally through format licensing, co-production opportunities and global market launches.