Yes, I saw that thread.
And while everything is to be taken with a pinch of salt regarding Ho-Ri in general, even the Russian (native) version of the same research reads:
Around the same period, armor components for five Ho-Ri units, up to 50 mm thick, were manufactured at the Yawata Steel Works.** In December '44, two No. 2 guns were produced and underwent testing, the results of which required modifications to the gun mantlet (casing). In February '45, the mantlet was rounded, and the guns entered re-testing in March. At the same time, the first (and last) Chi-Ri prototype was completed. Ultimately, the guns were fully ready on May 27, 1945.
Next in my chronological list are several entries regarding how the Japanese reported unsuccessful plans to assemble prototypes, so they are only worth a brief mention. Detailed attention will only be given to the fact that after the capitulation of Japan, a certain 4th Research Institute handed over information to the United States stating that the Chi-Ri project had been canceled after the prototype was completed, while the Ho-Ri project was canceled during its development phase. The November list of tank armaments produced by the Sagami Arsenal, which was responsible for armored vehicle production, contains no information about the Ho-Ri. However, the list of incomplete armaments does: FIVE (!) vehicles were in a state of readiness ranging from 50% to 70%. This is where the mentions of the Ho-Ri in the JACAR archives come to an end.
Who knows, maybe those 50% are accounted for by the armor plates from the Yawata plant, and the “lucky tank,” completed to 70%, happened to feature what was likely the only built gun. However, the people who helped me with the full study of this topic do not have more detailed information.
Which means, that in the end, there is no concrete info about any Ho Ri prototypes acrually ever being assembled/(half)-completed.
Maybe armor plates, maybe the gun, maybe the Chi Ri chassic, but not much else is known.
(even Chi Ri itself was never fully assembled, yet it’s in the game anyway)
In any case, what we have in game is completely fake, so anything even remotely closer to actual Japanese designs would be better.