Gundam Rogue Orbit's New Model Kit Has a Chainsaw Macuahuitl

Have you ever been totally skeptical about a game, then one tiny detail completely changes your mind? That's exactly what happened to me with Bandai Namco's upcoming mecha action game, Gundam Rogue Orbit. I've been side-eyeing this one since it was announced back in June, mainly because it trades traditional Gundam vibes for giant monsters. I'm a Gundam traditionalist—give me traumatized child pilots and psychic brain explosions over alien brawls any day.

But this week, Bandai found a way to coax me off my high horse: an extremely sick model kit. As part of the 2026 All Japan Model & Hobby Show, they revealed the HG 1/144 Bau Bahlam, a mobile suit from Rogue Orbit. I've been steadily descending into Gunpla obsession lately—I'm at the stage of manually re-scribing mold lines, so the outlook is grim—so this hit me right in the wallet.

Let's talk about the Bau Bahlam. It's a mono-eye suit, and it feels like a spiritual successor to the classic Gouf, the close-quarters mobile suit piloted by Ramba Ral. But the real showstopper? It wields a chainsaw macuahuitl. If you're not familiar, the macuahuitl is a Mesoamerican weapon with obsidian blades along a wooden body. This giant robot version swaps one side for a chainsaw, and the kit even includes a mock pull-cord so you can pose it mid-rev. Plus, it's got spiked knuckle plates, because being punched by a giant robot clearly wasn't painful enough.

The Bau Bahlam first appeared briefly in Rogue Orbit's release date trailer back in September, but these model kit renders are the first time I've really appreciated the design. It's impressively menacing, and if the mecha customization from the trailer is any hint, we'll probably be able to slap its parts onto our own robots. Hopefully, that includes the macuahuitl—it'd be cruel not to.

I still reserve the right to be obnoxious about Rogue Orbit's departure from traditional Gundam concepts when it launches. But rolling out designs like this is an effective way to soften me up. A game willing to give its robots giant Mesoamerican chainswords has to have its heart in the right place.

Gundam Rogue Orbit launches on Steam on March 4, 2027. The HG 1/144 Bau Bahlam kit doesn't have a release date yet, but it's expected sometime in 2027. Will you be picking up the kit or the game? Let us know in the comments!