Udon Entertainment, known for publishing comics and art books based on popular video games such as Street Fighter and Mega Man, has ended its partnership with Diamond Comics, a distributor that has dominated the comics landscape in the US since 1997.

This change comes as Diamond declared bankruptcy early this year, prompting Udon to seek out a new distributor. They will now be working with Lunar Distribution. According to Udon’s Chief of Operations, Erik Ko, “With the current state of uncertainty and lack of communication from the new owners to both retailers as well as many publishers, we have to do what is best to serve our customers.”

The transition away from Diamond means Udon’s future releases, including titles based on its Manga Classics imprint, will now be handled by Simon & Schuster. This strategic move aims to ensure a smoother distribution process for Udon’s popular titles, which also include Elden Ring and Final Fight related comics.

The decision will also impact the upcoming release of Udon’s Mega Man Timelines, which has been delayed to June 25.

Udon had previously been among the few publishers still aligned with Diamond as other major companies like DC, Marvel, and Dark Horse moved on after issues arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.