On the final night of the tournament, Kenta competed in a six-man tag team match alongside Chaos members Tomohiro Ishii and Yoshi-Hashi against Bullet Club's Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa, only to turn on them in the closing moments of the match and assisting the Bullet Club for the victory, turning heel. As Kenta was going to explain his actions, Katsuyori Shibata rushed into the ring and attacked Kenta until the rest of the Bullet Club members ambushed Shibata. At Royal Quest on August 31, Kenta defeated Ishii to win the NEVER Openweight Championship, his first championship in NJPW. The match was criticized because Kobayashi suffered a concussion after a back suplex by Ishii, getting knocked out in the process. However, both continued the match without referee stoppage. He was sent to the hospital after the show. At Destruction in Kagoshima on September 16, Kenta returned and unsuccessfully faced Kota Ibushi for the Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Championship challenge rights certificate.