Ministry Backs Astral Bond to Strengthen Culture-Based Local IP

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Creative Economy Ministry/Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) supported Mahakarya Studio’s multi-platform project Astral Bond, an indigenous intellectual property (IP) franchise designed to modernize Indonesian cultural heritage for the digital generation.

The government backing underscores the state's strategic interest in transforming local cultural assets into high-value digital exports, shifting traditional folklore from passive historical records into dynamic interactive entertainment.

Deputy Creative Economy Minister Irene Umar highlighted the vast cross-media potential of the franchise on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, during a coordination meeting with developers at the ministry's headquarters in Jakarta.

"The presence of the Astral Bond webtoon can be a strength for easy adaptation, it can be adapted into films, it can be adapted into games. Therefore, it is necessary to collaborate with other sectors so that there is no need to build everything, making it easier to overcome challenges," Irene said, as quoted on the Ministry's official website.

While praising the rich and diverse character ecosystem of the project, Irene reminded developers that successfully breaking into the highly competitive mobile gaming market presents unique operational hurdles. She stressed that cross-sectoral collaboration is vital to navigating complex challenges in community building, talent development, and digital marketing.

Deeply rooted in Nusantara cultural narratives, the Astral Bond franchise currently operates a digital comic series titled Astral Bond: Klub Warisan Nusantara on the Webtoon platform. Leveraging this established audience, Mahakarya Studio is now developing its flagship product: a mobile role-playing game (RPG) designed to bring Indonesian mythology to life.

To support this technical expansion, the studio has partnered with both the Creative Economy Ministry and the Voice Institute Indonesia (VII) to launch a talent scouting initiative aimed at sourcing local voice actors for the upcoming game.

Mahakarya Studio CEO and Creative Director Rachmat Lianda explained that positioning the franchise across multiple digital formats, particularly mobile gaming, is the most efficient way to maximize cultural footprint and achieve mainstream penetration.

"We see games as part of its social impact. I see games as entertainment. And if we can put this on mobile, it can reach more people. We want to be the host in our own country because we have so much to explore here: opportunities, culture, visuals, all sorts of things that are our hope," Rachmat said.

The strategic audience also saw the participation of Astral Bond Lead Writer Putri Amanda and Business Advisor Fajrin Rasyid, while Deputy Minister Irene was accompanied by the ministry's Film, Animation, and Video Director, Doni Setiawan. ***