How Capcom Reinvented And Updated Onimusha’s Combat In Way Of The

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the latest game to grace the cover of Game Informer, and I traveled all the way to Osaka, Japan, to play the game for hours in Capcom’s HQ, interview the developers making it, and learn how the team was returning to this samurai action franchise that hasn’t had a new release in 20 years. 

I spoke to director Satoru Nihei and animation team lead Hiroshi Yugen about the studio’s approach to reinventing and updating combat, and learned the biggest goal at Capcom was to take the action of the cutscenes in previous games and make that the gameplay of Way of the Sword. If my three hours of hands-on time with the game, including never-before-seen content I’ll be diving into in future features, is any indication, Capcom is on the right path. 

Yugen says when Nihei asked him to join the project, one of the first things he did was look at past Onimusha games. He decided then that he wanted to take the larger-than-life moments from the cutscenes of those older titles and imbue Way of the Sword’s gameplay with those feelings. The next step after that was to look at all kinds of research materials to learn more about how samurai used swords in Edo-period Japan, the fundamentals of sword duels, and more. Then, he got into contact with sword fight choreographers to see swordplay in action, learn the reasoning behind different actions, swings, and poses, and more to “really get to the core” of it all. 

Considering Toshirō Mifune is the face of protagonist Miyamoto Musashi, I wasn’t surprised to learn Yugen looked to Mifune movies to see how he moved both as a samurai (in Akira Kurosawa films, for example) and as Musashi in the 1950s Samurai Trilogy of films. “There was definitely some inspiration taken from [Mifune’s] movies, but not just his movies,” Yugen says. “We watched a lot of different movies in the samurai genre to really get a feel for what goes into those, what makes the samurai; and we didn’t just focus on the action in those movies but also the more human side of things. You know, like the defeated samurai escaping from battle – those elements as well are something we looked at really closely when reviewing a lot of these movies.” 

Nihei tells me selecting Yugen to lead up the game’s animation and combat design was an obvious choice, calling him a “legend within Capcom.” 

“I was very familiar with his name and really wanted a chance to work with him on this project, so that’s why I approached him,” Nihei says. “Getting to work with him and watching these movies and seeing how he picked apart the cool elements from them and figuring out what they wanted to achieve with this game, I feel it was a good choice. We have this legendary veteran on the project so we are definitely confident that we’ve created a really solid swordplay experience.” 

Yugen has been at Capcom for 30 years, but this is his first time working on the Onimusha series, and he said yes immediately to Nihei when asked to join the project. 

Yugen says Way of the Sword improves upon previous Onimusha games by making adjusting the Issen, which is a move pulled off by attacking an enemy at the exact same time that they attack you. It results in an insta-kill on smaller mob enemies and heavy damage on larger enemies, and remains the hardest move to pull off in combat in Way of the Sword, just as it was the hardest to pull off in previous games. 

“Obviously, in the previous titles, Issen does feel great to use and pull off, but it happened so fast […] it’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on in that moment and so one of the things that Nihei-san approached me about with this title was trying to make the Issen a little more realistic and a little more grounded – like what would that look like, what would it feel like?” Yugen tells me. He adds that there are around 10 different variations that Musashi can pull off depending on attacks coming from different angles and more.

One thing Yugen says Nihei threw at him that was challenging to implement was Musashi’s ability to black from dozens of angles. Not wanting Musashi to block unrealistically or look like he’s simply pivoting in place, Nihei tasked Yugen with creating an animation system that allowed Musashi to block from, for example, high-behind, mid-behind, low-behind, high-left side, mid-high side, and so on. “It was a difficult and time-consuming process, but now that it’s in the game and seeing it in the game and how it works and how it’s been received, I’m glad we put it in there,” Yugen says. 

 

Speaking to the 20-year gap between Way of the Sword and the previous mainline Onimusha release, Yugen says it was important that the team pay attention to how the action space has evolved in those two decades, but only just so – Way of the Sword still needed to play like an Onimusha game. That’s why mechanics like the Issen and Chain Issen return alongside new moves like the Blade Barrage. 

One of the more obvious additions to the game’s combat is the two control types: Aggressive and Defensive. The former puts Musashi’s main attacks on the face buttons, with blocks and the like assigned to Square – it’s the default control scheme and is designed for players familiar with action games that feel confident in their offense. The latter puts the block button on L1, amongst other changes, to make moves like parry easier for those less familiar with action games – it’s for players who want to play more defensively, as the name implies. Yugen says the team went back and forth on which one to include, but that ultimately, it decided on including both approaches. 

You can actually test out both the Aggressive and Defensive control types in the Way of the Sword demo that’s available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Though the game will also launch on Nintendo Switch 2, a demo for that platform is not available. 

I’ll be diving deeper into Capcom’s return to Onimusha as part of Game Informer’s month of Way of the Sword coverage. We’ll be publishing exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos (including a Rapid-Fire Interview) on the Game Informer YouTube channel as well. Keep an eye on the Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub so you don’t miss any of it. 

 

In the meantime, here’s some additional Onimusha: Way of the Sword reading for you:

Have you played the Onimusha: Way of the Sword demo? Let us know what you think of the action combat in the comments below!

The Endless Vault Launches Into 1.0 Early Next

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault has been coming together in PC Early Access since November of last year, and the dungeon-crawling action RPG/shopkeeper simulator is ready for its full launch. Developer Digital Sun has announced the game’s 1.0 launch date: September 2.

The sequel trades the top-down pixel art style of its 2018 predecessor for a fully 3D isometric aesthetic. What remains the same is the core gameplay loop: as adventurer Will, you’ll explore dungeons at night to slay monsters and find treasures, then sell your loot in your shop during the day. 

The 1.0 launch will introduce new weapons, armor, and a new combat ability called Bomb Path that causes enemies to explode after taking enough hits. Additionally, the shop will reach its final level, unlocking additional Bloblet slots, new cosmetic options, and more space. Moonlighter 2’s story will also receive its conclusion.

 

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S (launching day one on Game Pass), Switch 2, and PC.  Digital Sun has also made the first Moonlighter free to own on Steam starting today and until August 9. 

Game Freak Planning ‘Series Of Continuous Updates’ For Beast Of

Beast of Reincarnation, the action-RPG from Pokémon developer Game Freak, hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC yesterday, on August 4, and players are running into various issues from performance to story pacing to subtitle text size being too small (and unadjustable), and more. Game Freak posted on its X account that it is planning a “series of continuous updates” for Beast of Reincarnation based on player feedback, and the first patch is coming soon. 

“Thank you for playing Beast of Reincarnation,” the Game Freak post reads. “We take your feedback to heart and are currently planning a series of continuous updates.” Here are the updates expected to arrive in the next patch, which Game Freak says will hit within a week: 

• Camera adjustments
• Increased text size 
• Story pacing improvements (ongoing adjustments planned)
• Changing the default setting from Cinematic to Performance mode
• Other bug fixes

Game Freak says the contents of this patch are subject to change, and asks players to continue sharing feedback at the form here. 

In the meantime, read Game Informer’s Beast of Reincarnation review, and then check out our list of the top 10 RPGs to play right now. 

Have you played Beast of Reincarnation? Let us know what you think of it so far in the comments below!

Fortune’s Weave New Details from the Latest Direct

Nintendo™ Switch 2 – US, Europe, & Japan

Nintendo shared new footage, screenshots, and game details for Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave during the dedicated Direct, highlighting its characters, classes, tactical combat, and the Heroic Games.

Check out the latest details below. 

Discover an intertwining story of strength and steel, strategic battles and encroaching war—with you at its center.

• Gods and Heroes – Five years after the Heroic Games, the Dagdan Empire faces its end at the hands of the revived demon god, Balor. Four Heroes who played a significant role in the Heroic Games have vanished. To confront the situation, the progenitor god Sothis charges one soul with saving the world from its end. That soul is you.
  • Main Protagonist – Enter a world set ablaze with turmoil. Will you face the demon god Balor on your own … or use the goddess Fortuna’s time-travelling powers to change the fates of the four Heroes? Assemble your forces and light a path toward Dagda’s salvation.
  • Four Heroes – Journey back to the time of the Heroic Games and take up arms as one of the four Heroes. Who you choose will determine how the narrative unfolds.
    • Cai – From the peaceful village of Ribeira, Cai sets out with his childhood friends to win the Heroic Games and save his imprisoned father.
      Dietrich – Washing ashore after an attack from an enormous monster, Dietrich decides to slake his thirst for battle by competing in the Heroic Games with new allies at his side.
    • Theodora – Hailing from the kingdom of Saramis, Theodora leads her veteran retainers into battle to restore the honor of her goddess – the loathed Keeper of Death and Night – and defend the peace of her kingdom.
    • Leda – Born into prestige and blessed with musical talent, Leda gives up everything to seek revenge against her father’s murderer. With companions in tow, she enters the Heroic Games after learning that the killer will be fighting as well …
    • From each Hero’s story, you can travel through time again to change to a different path. Progress is saved for each of the Heroes, so playing each story in parallel is also an option.
• The Heroic Games – The Heroic Games are a series of matches held in tribute to Dagda, the Empire’s first and founding king. Solel, the current ruler of the Dagdan Empire, will grant one wish to the ultimate winner. Achieving victory is no easy task, so preparation is key.
  • Prepare for Battle – Explore Dagsion between matches to visit establishments for equipment, boons and more. As your journey continues, you’ll gain access to even more facilities. You can also venture beyond Dagsion’s walls to strengthen your team in battle. This time is yours, so spend it wisely.
    • Arena – Train here to improve your skills, which can allow you to learn new moves and wield stronger weapons. On match days, you can watch battles between other participants to gain intel on your opponents.
    • Shopping Arcade – Here you can purchase weapons and tools or enhance weapons using materials you’ve collected.
    • Temple Row – Volunteer at temples here to acquire a blessing usable in battle, such as a temporary stat buff, damage reduction and more.
    • Certification Exams – Speak to an exam proctor to obtain a new class for one of your units. Success is not guaranteed, so ensure they have the necessary skills before applying.
    • Quests – Complete quests from townsfolk by the given deadline to receive in-game rewards. You never know who might ask for your help.
    • Recruit – Add powerful warriors you meet to your ranks. They may turn you away at first, but giving gifts or sharing a meal may win them over.
    • Inns – Rest, eat, and use turns to gain experience and gather materials automatically. Characters may also converse and show their support to each other here.

• Beyond Dagsion – Outside of Dagsion you can explore the world map. Time passes every time you move, so plan your expeditions carefully.
  • World Map – Visit towns to purchase local wares, gather information and gain experience in Skirmish battles. While on the world map, each of the four Heroes can use abilities that are unique to them. You’ll also find dungeons to explore outside of Dagsion.
  • Dungeon Delving – Collect materials for strengthening weapons, along with other treasures in dungeons. Encountering enemies in dungeons will trigger turn-based clashes that differ from normal battles. In clashes, you can perform attack combos with your allies.
• Matches – Similar to traditional Fire Emblem battles, matches play out strategically. Choose your units and their placement on the field, then the battle will commence. Each unit’s movement range is shown in blue and their attack range in red. Once all units have completed their actions, your opponent’s turn begins. Take turns engaging in fierce combat to determine the victor.
• Classes, Combat, and More – For all four paths, achieving victory will see you face fierce foes no matter where or when you take up arms.
  • Classes – A unit’s abilities, weapons and movement range can drastically change depending on their class, with various categories to choose from:
    • Beginner – There are five Beginner Classes, each dedicated to playing a foundational role in combat. They include gladiators who excel in handling weapons, diviners who wield magic, ornius riders with increased movement range and more.
    • Specialty – There are over 10 Specialty Classes, each with specific abilities. Armored knights offer ironclad defense, wing soldiers can leap obstacles and cover long distances, charioteers can strike multiple enemies in a straight line, and more.
    • Advanced – These classes are masters of their skills. Cataphracts have the mobility of horses and are heavily armored; guardians are skilled with white magic and spears; and elephant riders fight astride their giant mounts, to name a few.
  • Means of Attack – In battle, units can employ various weaponry, including swords, gauntlets that aid in evasion, spears that can massively damage cavalry units, axes with low accuracy but high attack power, bows that strike at a distance, and magic which is effective against heavily armored foes and can heal or otherwise support allies. There are also swords that call down lightning, gauntlets that look like firearms and other unique weapons to find.
  • Positioning – On the battlefield, positioning is key. Avoid potential counterattacks by attacking enemies who wield close-range weapons from a distance, and long-range opponents up close. Terrain can also be an advantage, and adjacent allies can receive buffs. Assess the situation and control the battle in your favor.
  • Combat and Blaze Arts – Combat arts are attacks unleashed at the expense of weapon durability. There are attacks with greater power, longer range or other advantageous effects, so use them in decisive moments. Blaze Arts are special moves that can turn the tide of battle at the cost of a Hero’s health points. For example, Cai releases a burst of flames in a wide area; Dietrich’s ink-black cloak can warp him to locations on the battlefield; Leda plays her vihuela to buff allies, summon a powerful monster and more.
  • Fortuna’s Blessing – After each move, you can turn back time to any previous point in battle. You are free to rethink your strategy if things don’t go as planned, or a favored unit is routed unexpectedly.

Your story begins at the end of the world at the hands of the demon god. Those who join you in the future will strengthen the might of your assembled forces. Which path will you walk to save the world?

Watch the Direct below. 

Thanks, Gematsu! 

Ready to claim your place in the Heroic Games? You can lock in your copy right now. Don’t wait until launch day to search for physical stock—reserve your pre-order today and prepare to forge your destiny in Dagda!

PRE-ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

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Monster Hunter Wilds Prologue Demo Now Available

PS5™ & XSX™ – US, Japan & Asia

Capcom has announced that the Prologue Demo for Monster Hunter Wilds is now available for PS5, XSX, and PC.

The Prologue Demo lets you play from the prologue through the beginning of Chapters 1-3, To the Forest, in Offline Mode. You can transfer the save data from this demo to the full game.

Plus, new production options are also available. Check out the options below.

• Monster Hunter Wilds Gold Edition ($79.99) – A bundle of the full game and the Monster Hunter Wilds Cosmetic Downloadable Content Collection.
• Monster Hunter Wilds Cosmetic Downloadable Content Collection ($59.99) – Bundle of 10 downloadable content packs that includes the Monster Hunter Wilds Extras Cosmetic Downloadable Content Pack.
• Monster Hunter Wilds Extras Cosmetic Downloadable Content Pack ($29.99) – Bundle of paid cosmetic downloadable content that were previously only available as standalone products.

Thanks, Gematsu! 

So…

Monster Hunter Wilds is still available on our website. So, what are you waiting for? Click the button below to grab your copies now!

ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

Read more about the game > HERE

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【SCREENSHOTS】

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Electronic Arts Has Been Fully Acquired By Trio Of Investor

Last September, Electronic Arts announced plans to be acquired by a trio of investor groups, taking the once-publicly traded company private. That acquisition is now complete in a move EA claims will position it to “accelerate creativity and innovation to shape the future of entertainment.”

In a press release, EA shares that its acquisition by PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, collectively known as the “Consortium,” has successfully closed. PIF is the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (which already had a minor stake in EA for years); Silver Lake is a multi-billion-dollar technology investment firm; Affinity Partners is a Miami-based investment firm founded and run by CEO and former White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump. The Consortium acquired EA for $55 billion, which is the largest all-cash sponsor take-private investment in history. 

“This moment recognizes the extraordinary people whose creativity, ambition and passion have made EA one of the world’s leading interactive entertainment companies,” said Andrew Wilson, Chairman & CEO of Electronic Arts, in the press release. “We’re entering this next chapter from a position of strength with partners who share our vision and ambition. Together, we’ll invest boldly, accelerate innovation, and build the next generation of games and experiences for the hundreds of millions of players and fans who inspire us every day.”

Madden NFL 27

As previously reported, the completion of this transaction means EA stockholders, who approved the acquisition last December, receive $210 cash for each share of EA common stock they owned as of the closing. EA’s stock has been delisted from NASDAQ.

The future of Electronic Arts is unclear. While its annual sports franchises, such as Madden and FC, will undoubtedly continue as planned, the futures of other studios and projects remain in question. For example, it’s unknown how this acquisition affects BioWare and its upcoming fifth Mass Effect game or Motive Studio’s long-awaited Iron Man. A third Star Wars Jedi title is also reportedly in the works at Respawn Entertainment. In 2026, EA’s slate of upcoming releases includes Madden NFL 27, FC 27, NHL 27, and Star Wars Zero Company. 

For more recent EA news, back in June, the company launched an advertising platform promising “non-disruptive” brand integration in its games

Action RPG Crimson Moon Joins Busy September Release Calendar

The September release calendar already looks overwhelming, but if you’re a fan of action RPGs, there’s now one more to consider. Crimson Moon, the next game from ProbablyMonsters, is set to release on September 1 at the $20 price point. 

Crimson Moon looks to take many of the core tenets of the Soulslike genre and apply it to a run-based action RPG more focused on replayable missions. Stepping into the role of a half-human, half-angel protagonist, you battle through Gildenarch, a city under siege, using the kind of precise combat and character progression players have come to expect from the genre. Missions can be played solo or with two-player cooperative play. The game scales, meaning whether you play solo or with a co-op partner, Gildenarch’s three districts should feel appropriately challenging. If players can finish all three districts in a row, they will face a world boss, which is designed to test players’ masteries of the game. In total, there are three world bosses, which are punctuated by an extremely difficult final boss.

 

Despite the focus on precision-based combat, ProbablyMonsters wants the game to be an approachable entry for players, both in gameplay and price, leading to it costing just $20. “We’ve made Crimson Moon an intense action-adventure RPG that’s approachable to players,” general manager and game director David Lesperance said in a press release. “With our gothic-inspired art design, co-op support, and epic metal soundtrack, we’ve made something truly unique for gamers to experience this September.”

If you’d like to get the most out of the experience, Crimson Moon’s Deluxe Edition brings the price from $20 to $30. This upgraded version includes the Ceremonial Armor Set and the Axe of the Gods weapon cosmetic, as well as an upcoming expansion that will arrive at some point following launch. 

We liked what we saw at Game Developers Conference 2026, but Crimson Moon is up against an onslaught of massive game releases, including another highly anticipated action/RPG in The Blood of Dawnwalker just two days later. Hopefully for ProbablyMonsters, the unique structure, $20 base price tag, and the fact that it’s coming out at the start of the month will be enough to entice players to dive in when it arrives on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on September 1. 

Samurai’s Destiny Director Motohide Eshiro On

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the latest game to grace the cover of Game Informer. As part of my cover story trip to Capcom’s Osaka HQ, where I played the game and interviewed the team making it, I also got to speak to Motohide Eshiro, the planner of Onimusha: Warlords and director of Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny (and its recent remaster). 

I published an in-depth retrospective about Onimusha’s success, its “Sengoku Biohazard” origins, and more based on my interview with Eshiro, and you can read that right here, but I also spoke to him about watching this series return after a 20-year hiatus. Though he’s not officially working on Way of the Sword, he works at Capcom in a producer role, supporting up-and-coming producers working on various projects at the publisher-developer. 

Game Informer

Motohide Eshiro

Sitting beside Way of the Sword director Satoru Nihei, Eshiro tells me he’s been “very surprised and impressed” with the way video game graphics, particularly across the Onimusha series, have evolved alongside the action genre over the past two decades since Onimusha’s start. He also believes Nihei and the rest of the Way of the Sword team have nailed the swordplay action. 

“I feel that one of the strengths of it is the swordplay,” Eshiro says. “In particular, I found it was quite an interesting evolution from the base game, but also, maintaining elements like the Issen, that satisfying feel of pulling it off, and the back and forth of Japanese swordplay – I feel they’ve done a really good job of capturing that feeling and creating a bit more of a realistic start of the swordplay action.” 

There is a clear but polite embarrassment in the room from Nihei, as he listens to Eshiro discuss Way of the Sword’s strengths, and it’s endearing to see. Nihei refers to Eshiro as a legend and is happy to hear he thinks Way of the Sword is satisfying in its action. “When we have legends like [Eshiro] check out the game, I definitely feel nervous,” he says. “Are they going to be like, ‘What are you doing here?’ There’s definitely a bit of pressure, but obviously I look forward to hearing what they have to say about the game.” 

Delving further into his impressions, Eshiro says he is very impressed by what the Way of the Sword team has accomplished with today’s technology. “Coming from someone involved with the past titles, I am very impressed with that and am really happy to see the project in good hands,” he adds. “I’m very excited for people to get their hands on the game.” 

Ever the studio man, Eshiro closes out his thoughts by saying if someone is excited about Way of the Sword and wants to learn more about the series, “I would love for people to check out the Onimusha 1 and 2 remasters to see how the series has changed over these 20 years.” 

 

I actually played through both remasters in the lead-up to this cover story trip for Way of the Sword, and though I loved the games as a child, I was surprised to see how well they hold up. Onimusha: Warlords, in particular, remains a fascinating game; it really is “Sengoku Biohazard,” the first game’s codename, à la a Resident Evil game (even set in a singular location like Spencer Mansion) but with samurai instead of agents and swords instead of guns. Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny ups the ante, expanding the game’s scale, complete with a wide-spanning friendship system and multiple branching paths that are still intriguing pieces of game design history today. All of this is to say, I echo Eshiro’s thoughts: Give Onimusha: Warlords and Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny a go if you’re waiting for Way of the Sword and in need of more swordplay action. 

I’ll be diving deeper into Capcom’s return to Onimusha as part of Game Informer’s month of Way of the Sword coverage. We’ll be publishing exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos (including a Rapid-Fire Interview) on the Game Informer YouTube channel as well. Keep an eye on the Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub so you don’t miss any of it. 

 

In the meantime, here’s some additional Onimusha: Way of the Sword reading for you:

What’s your favorite Onimusha game? Let us know in the comments below!

Fortune’s Weave Direct Reveals True Protagonist And

This morning’s Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Nintendo Direct featured a 20-minute gameplay deep dive into the upcoming strategy RPG. The presentation broke down classes and non-combat activities and revealed the game’s true structure.

As previously detailed, Fortune’s Weave centers on four playable protagonists who enter the Heroic Games, a gladiator-style arena tournament, to have their wish granted: Cai, Dietrich, Theodora, and Leda. You can switch between playing each one at any time, with progress for each one saved, allowing you to experience each character’s narrative in parallel. This plays into the game’s main theme of multiple fortunes intertwining. 

However, the twist is that this era is actually set in the past. Fortune’s Weave’s true plot is set five years in the future, where the world has been destroyed by the returning demon god Balor. The progenitor god Sothis has summoned the one soul capable of stopping him, a nameless hero clad in white who is the game’s true protagonist. To avoid facing Balor alone, this hero travels to the past to influence the fates of the four champions in order to assemble them in the future to save the world. 

 

Arena combat involves choosing a team of units and placing them on the field in traditional Fire Emblem fashion. Units can wield swords, gauntlets, spears, axes, bows, and magic, each with different properties and even forms (such as a gun(!)). Unleash Combat Arts deal greater damage at the expense of weapon durability, while Blaze Arts unleash bespoke special moves at the expense of HP. For example, Kai can blast a fireball that deals burn damage, Dietrich can instantly teleport to new squares, and Leda can buff surrounding allies and summon a monster to the field. After each move, you can rewind to any previous point in battle to redo any mistakes.

The game’s classes are divided between Beginner, Specialty, and Advanced. Here’s a breakdown of each one, as detailed by Nintendo. 

• Beginner – There are five Beginner Classes, each dedicated to playing a foundational role in combat. They include gladiators who excel in handling weapons, diviners who wield magic, ornius riders with increased movement range and more.
• Specialty – There are over 10 Specialty Classes, each with specific abilities. Armored knights offer ironclad defense, wing soldiers can leap obstacles and cover long distances, charioteers can strike multiple enemies in a straight line, and more.
• Advanced – These classes are masters of their skills. Cataphracts have the mobility of horses and are heavily armored; guardians are skilled with white magic and spears; and elephant riders fight astride their giant mounts, to name a few.

 

Between matches, Free Time occurs. You can prepare for future battles by training in the arena or by watching rivals battle to gather intel on them. The shopping arcade offers new weapons and enhancements. At Temple Row, you can volunteer at certain temples to temporarily gain stat buffs in battle, such as reduced damage. Taking certification exams lets units learn a new class, provided they have prerequisite skills. You can also take on quests from townsfolk, which must be finished within a deadline. Certain citizens can be recruited to your cause, though some require gifts or a meal to convince them to join. Inns let you lodge, eat, and pass time to gain resources automatically. Bonded characters converse in cinematics, raising their bonds.

Outside of Dagsion, you can explore a world map to visit towns, gather information to find treasures, and battle in random encounters. You can also find dungeons to get materials for weapons and other rewards. Interestingly, dungeon battles unfold as traditional turn-based battles instead of taking place on a grid. 

The presentation concluded with smaller updates. Nintendo Music will be updated to feature a selection of tracks from Fortune’s Weave, such as the main theme. The Nintendo Today app also has new Fire Emblem themes coming tomorrow, along with new information leading up to launch. A new Ask the Developer article will be published on September 15. 

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is coming to Switch 2 on September 17. 

Final Fantasy XIV Online is Now Available on Nintendo Switch 2!

Eorzea is officially portable in high definition. Final Fantasy XIV Online has officially launched on the Nintendo Switch™ 2. From veterans tackling daily roulettes on the go to total newcomers stepping into Hydaelyn for the very first time, one of the most critically acclaimed MMORPGs of all time is now right at your fingertips.

Ready to dive in? You can grab your Nintendo eShop Cards directly from Playasia to easily top up your wallet and buy the game, expansion packs, or in-game content without hassle.

At a Glance: FFXIV on Nintendo Switch 2

• Release Date: August 4, 2026

• Available Editions: Free Trial, Starter Edition, Complete Edition, Complete Collector’s Edition, and Dawntrail Expansion

• Cross-Progression: Fully supported across existing platforms (PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox

How to Get Started on the Nintendo eShop

1. Top Up Your eShop Balance: Purchase your digital Nintendo eShop Cards from Playasia. You’ll receive instant digital delivery with region-matched codes (US, HK, JP, EU, and more).

2. Redeem Your Code: Head to the Nintendo eShop on your Switch 2 and input your digital code to add funds to your account.

3. Download FFXIV: Search for FINAL FANTASY XIV Online on the eShop.

   • New to the game? Download the Free Trial to enjoy hundreds of hours of content through A Realm Reborn and early expansions with no time limit!

   • Ready for the full experience? Grab the Complete Edition to unlock all current content through Dawntrail.

Buy Your Nintendo eShop Cards at Playasia Today!

Don’t let payment restrictions or regional storefront limits hold back your adventures in Eorzea. Playasia offers instant, reliable digital codes for Nintendo eShop cards across all major regions.

Get your Nintendo eShop Cards at Playasia now and start your journey on Nintendo Switch 2!

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Dave Bautista Reportedly In Talks To Replace Injured Ryan Hurst

Production of Amazon Prime’s live-action God of War TV series halted last month after Kratos actor Ryan Hurst suffered a bicep tear while filming. Since Hurst will require months of rehab following his surgery, Amazon is recasting his role. Variety reports that Dave Bautista may be filling those shoes.

According to Variety’s sources, Bautista is in talks with Amazon to portray Kratos in the upcoming series. Bautista, a former WWE star, is best known for portraying Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, but has notable roles in the Dune series, Blade Runner 2049, Glass Onion, Knock at the Cabin, Army of the Dead, The Killer’s Game, and is set to appear in Road House 2 and Highlander. Bautista is no stranger to the world of video games, as he appeared in Gears 5 as a model swap for Marcus Fenix (after the actor campaigned to portray the character in a movie). 

Ryan Hurst as Kratos in a God of War on-set photo

Deadline had previously reported that four episodes of God of War had been filmed at the time of Hurst’s injury; it’s unknown if those episodes will ever see the light of day. 

The rest of God of War’s cast so far remains the same, which includes Callum Vinson as Atreus, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Danny Woodburn as Brok, and Jeff Gulka as Sindri. The series will adapt the 2018 God of War and has received a two-season order. 

For more on God of War, the next entry in the series, God of War Laufey, recently got a February release date. 

[Source: Variety]

A Look Back On The First Two Onimusha Games With Planner And

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is Capcom’s return to its samurai action series after a 20-year hiatus, and it’s also the latest game to grace the cover of Game Informer. I traveled to Capcom’s Osaka HQ to play the game for hours, interview its various developer leads, and explore neighboring Kyoto to learn how it inspired the game. I was also able to speak to Motohide Eshiro, the director of Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny and its recent remaster. 

Though he’s not directly involved with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Eshiro tells me he serves as a producer these days. But rather than being a head producer on a project himself, he supports up-and-coming producers on a variety of projects. Before directing Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, which launched in 2002, he worked as a planner on Onimusha: Warlords, which Capcom released in 2001. 

Game Informer

Capcom producer Motohide Eshiro

Eshiro tells me he’s been “very surprised and impressed” with the way video game graphics, particularly across the Onimusha series, have evolved alongside the action genre over the past two decades since Onimusha’s start. 

Having just finished the remasters of Onimusha: Warlords and its sequel prior to this June trip, I was curious to discuss the series’ “Sengoku Biohazard” origins because Warlords, especially, is so clearly a Resident Evil game with a samurai skin (and it still rules today). 

“One of the producers at the time behind the Resident Evil series was looking at what they were able to achieve with the pre-rendered graphics for Resident Evil, which has a focus on gunplay and long-distance combat, but felt that it would be quite interesting to see what they could do in the vein of a close-range action-based game, and that’s where that idea was born from,” Eshiro tells me. “Setting it during the Sengoku period, the Warring States period, would provide them a good setting to essentially have this close-range combat system with swords, so that’s where that [setting] and code name originated from.” 

Eshiro says he joined the development of Onimusha: Warlords after it had already begun, so much of the game was set in stone already. But he was promoted from planner to director for the sequel, Onimusha 2, and says his main goal was to expand the scale. 

 

“The first game was a very complete package, but it was also quite simple,” Eshiro tells me. “So, in approaching the next project, the sequel, we wanted to expand on the scale and really make players feel that the world was more alive and more liveable. [That’s why we] introduced elements such as the friendship system and having allies, so you get a bit of human drama there to get closer to the characters and understand them better. But we also wanted to improve the visuals as well.” 

I still adore pre-rendered backgrounds, and though the indie space in 2026 is still using them, triple-A has abandoned the practice. Eshiro tells me it was a case of limitations back in the day, but says full camera control gives players additional layers of immersion. The tradeoff, however, is “with pre-rendered, you can have these really curated and crafted settings and scenes, so there’s definitely space for both beliefs.” Onimusha: Way of the Sword director Satoru Nihei adds, “the camera does allow for more freedom but there’s the downside that you can have these perfectly crafted scenes where you have this historic building, like Kiyomizu-dera Temple, that you want people to focus on, but because people can control the camera, they’re not really going to necessarily do that.

“There are definitely some downsides to having cameras, but in terms of pre-rendered, yeah, there’s the same kind of strengths.” 

At the end of Onimusha: Warlords, Samanosuke takes on an Oni Form in a cutscene. But in Onimusha 2, Jubei can transform into his Oni Form at will. Eshiro says the team knew players thought the Oni Form was “cool,” and really wanted to double down on the cool factor in the sequel. Capcom reached out to Japanese film director, screenwriter, and character designer Keita Amemiya to create Jubei’s form. His rendition of Jubei’s Oni Form was cool, and that was that. 

At this point in the interview, it was time to ask Eshiro the most important question of this entire cover story trip: Did the Resident Evil 4 team steal the jetski idea from the Onimusha 2 team? 

“I really doubt it,” Eshiro says, probably practicing some professionalism instead of saying, “Of course they did,” like he probably wants to. 

Similarly, I then ask Eshiro about robots and TVs appearing in Onimusha 2. He says the designs came from Amemiya and were put in the game to further push the dark fantasy aspect of the game and push for modernism or realism – I guess TVs and robots were all the hotness in 2002. Of note, Nihei tells me we won’t see TVs, robots, “or anything like that” in Way of the Sword. 

I close out my interview with Eshiro by asking him why he thinks Onimusha was a success back in the early 2000s. He points to the use of real-world stars in the games. 

“There are quite a few elements, but one of them is that at the time, in particular, it was quite rare to use real-life movie stars and actors as main characters in a game, and that was one of the big selling points for [Onimusha: Warlords] at the time,” Eshiro says. “But as well as that, the gameplay was also quite unique at the time. There weren’t really many other games out there doing the same things, necessarily. So, for instance, the soul absorption mechanics, or the Issen with Onimusha 2 – we introduced the Chain Issen and Charge Issen to kind of really flesh out that system. And even with pre-rendered background, which you know were features in Resident Evil, a lot of people maybe saw those pre-rendered backgrounds in Onimusha and thought, ‘Oh, it’s just like Resident Evil,’ but then saw our unique spin with the swordplay and the setting. So, all of those elements combined contributed to the success of the original games.” 

You can read about how Capcom landed on using the late Toshirō Mifune’s likeness for Musashi’s appearance in Way of the Sword here. 

Since the release of Onimusha: Warlords in 2001, the series has gone on to sell more than 9 million copies, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword is set to push that number further when it launches this September. 

I’ll be diving deeper into Capcom’s return to Onimusha as part of Game Informer’s month of Way of the Sword coverage. We’ll be publishing exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos (including a Rapid-Fire Interview) on the Game Informer YouTube channel as well. Keep an eye on the Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub so you don’t miss any of it. 

 

In the meantime, here’s some additional Onimusha: Way of the Sword reading for you:

Have you played Onimusha 1 and 2? Let us know which one you think is better in the comments below!

Starsand Island Coming on August 18, Physical Release on November 12

PS5™ & Switch – Japan

Get your tools ready and your farm plots cleared! Developer Seed Sparkle Lab has officially announced that the anime-inspired life and farming sim Starsand Island is officially leaving Early Access.

Digital downloads drop first on August 18, with physical collector fans getting a special treat later this fall when physical releases for PS5 and Switch 2 hit shelves on November 12!

Watch the release date trailer below. 

Thanks, Gematsu! 

So…

The physical release for PS5 and Switch 2 is available for pre-order here at Playasia. So, what are you waiting for? Click the button below to pre-order yours now! 

PRE-ORDER NOW

Plus, if you want to grab the digital version, buy our digital cards now as it’s always available here!

GRAB YOUR DIGITAL CARDS NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

【TRAILER】

【FEATURES】

• Live in Harmony with Nature – Cultivate tropical fruits and vegetables on your own farm, nurture bonds with charming animals, and design a unique countryside villa tailored to the island’s terrain. Decorate cascading terrace gardens and shape the island’s landscape—every corner invites your creativity and stewardship
• Freedom to Roam – Thrills to Claim Glide on a longboard along pristine coastlines, zip through lush forests on a retro scooter, or sail to uncover neighboring islands’ secrets. With a diverse range of vehicles, embrace the joy of speed—or cruise the iconic coastal highway to witness breathtaking vistas at your own pace
• Heartwarming Bonds with Islanders – In this close-knit community, every resident has a story to tell. Forge lasting friendships through daily interactions and special quests. As connections deepen, you might even find that special someone to share your island life with
• Uncover the Island’s Mysteries – Venture into fog-shrouded depths where ancient ruins, rare treasures, and hidden mineral veins await. Master combat skills, and face off against bizarre creatures—each battle promises unexpected surprises and rewards

【SCREENSHOTS】

© 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact. 

Super Robot Wars Y Anniversary Expansion Pack DLC Coming on August 5

by
Fem

·
2026-08-03

PlayStation 5™ & Nintendo™ Switch – Asia

It’s time for a new update as Bandai Namco will bring the Anniversary Expansion Pack for Super Robot Wars Y on August 5. Plus, version 1.4.0 comes on August 4.

Check out the details of the upcoming content below.

Version 1.4.0 Update

• • 20 Million Sales Commemoration Mission
  • 35th Anniversary Commemoration Mission
  • New game mode “BOOST” added
  • Pilot level cap unlocked
  • Other improvements for enhanced stability
• “Anniversary Expansion Pack”
  • 33 new Area Missions
  • 12 new weapons
  • Five new playable units
  • One new Assist Crew member
  • Bonus Mission “Anniversary Expansion Pack Purchase Bonus”

Watch the trailer below. 

Thanks, Gematsu! 

So…

Super Robot Wars Y is still available on our website (PS5 & Switch). So, what are you waiting for? Click the button below to grab yours now! 

BUY NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

【TRAILER】

【FEATURES】

• Rise – Place your units strategically and command them to defeat their enemies!
• Unite – Upgrade your units and train your pilots with credits and resources you earn after every mission. Strengthen your heroes to overcome the next challenge!
• Triumph! – Enjoy the impossible epic battles where units and pilots from all the series clash together! Embark on a journey into lore-rich, new saga of Super Robot Wars!

【SCREENSHOTS】

© 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact. 

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Tags: Anniversary Expansion PackAsiaBandai NamcoBandai Namco GamesDLCEnglishnintendo switchPlayStation 5PS5Super Robot WarsSuper Robot Wars YSwitchversion 1.4.0

• Previous story Playasia Merch Price Drop Alert: Limited-Time Savings From July 31 to August 7!

The Video Games And More You Should Play This Weekend – July 31

If you are even casually familiar with anime broadly, then you know about isekai, which is a genre where a typically contemporary person gets transported to an alternate, typically magical world. The actual getting transported part doesn’t matter as the bulk of the story is about coming to terms with being in a fantasy setting and all that entails technically and emotionally. The recurring, noncommittal hand-wave explanation for why a person ends up in a new world, for some inexplicable reason, is usually related to getting hit by a delivery truck. There are probably research papers about why this is a recurring story trope that can explain the exact moment its repetition became a parody, but I am not familiar with why, and similar to the plot reason for why someone gets isekai-ed (to use it as a verb), it really doesn’t matter.

What does matter is the well-titled video game, Truck-kun is Supporting me From Another World?!, is out this week, and in it you play as the rarely, if ever, characterized truck driver who isekais a young woman into another world right before she is set to get a big raise. She can still communicate with you, though (and is mad) and tasks you with isekai-ing as many people as possible with your truck to help her in the alternate world and eventually get her home.

It’s a great premise ripe for jokes, and the gameplay’s closest comparison is Crazy Taxi. You have a short period of time to drive around a small city, deliver packages, and hit as many people with your truck as possible. It’s arcade-y, bombastic, and funny. I wish it ran a little better (I am playing it on Steam Machine, so maybe it just needs a few performance updates to sync with Valve’s new platform), but I am finding the whole experience pretty dang charming.

The game is also available on Xbox.

Super Mario Sunshine Joins Nintendo Switch Online GameCube

Super Mario Sunshine is the next classic GameCube title joining Nintendo Switch Online’s classic game catalog. The 2002 platformer arrives on August 13.

Super Mario Sunshine sees Mario and friends travel to the tropical Delfino Island, where an imposter known as Shadow Mario vandalizes the destination with graffiti and abducts Princess Peach. Mario teams up with a talking water hose/jetpack named F.L.U.D.D. to clean up the island and rescue Peach. Sunshine’s jetpack-centric twist on 3D platforming, combined with blasting enemies and levels using F.L.U.D.D., made it both a celebrated and polarizing entry in the franchise. Sunshine is also notable for featuring the debut of Bowser Jr.

Dark days loom over Isle Delfino!

Clean up a polluted island with FLUDD at your side in Super Mario Sunshine, coming to Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics on Nintendo Switch 2 for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members on Aug 13! pic.twitter.com/8j5iWvjnJz

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 31, 2026

As a reminder, GameCube titles are only available on Switch 2 and require a subscription to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Super Mario Sunshine joins the small but slowly expanding roster of GameCube titles, which include Luigi’s Mansion, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, among others.

You can see where Super Mario Sunshine ranks against other Mario games in our complete ranking of the Mario series. You can also watch former Game Informer editors play the game in this classic episode of Replay. Lastly, you can keep up with every game available on Nintendo Switch Online by visiting our database. 

Limited-Time Savings From July 31 to August 7!

It’s official: Playasia’s Merch Price Drop Alert is live! Running from July 31 through August 7, this limited-time promotional drop slashes prices across a hand-picked lineup of official video game soundtracks, setting books, exclusive collectibles, and official literature.

If you’ve been waiting to expand your media shelf or add rare Japanese imports to your collection, now is the time. Below are the 5 spotlighted items available at a special discount while supplies last!

Pokémon / Pocket Monsters Black 2 & White 2 Super Music Complete

A massive 4-CD collection featuring 173 remastered tracks totaling over 4 hours of music. Supervised directly by the Game Freak Sound Team, this set contains crisp audio, unrecorded bonus tracks from Pokémon Emerald and Platinum, and a 24-page full-color booklet loaded with liner notes and artwork.

Persona 5 Official Setting Art Book

Spanning over 500 pages, this is the ultimate visual chronicle of Shigenori Soejima’s iconic art direction. Packed with early character drafts, All-Out Attack cut-in illustrations, promotional art, and exclusive developer interviews exploring hidden Phantom Thieves lore.

Kingdom Hearts III, II.8, Unchained χ & Union χ Cross Original Soundtrack

An indispensable 8-disc compilation for Kingdom Hearts collectors. Features Yoko Shimomura’s sweeping arrangements across Kingdom Hearts III (including Re Mind), Kingdom Hearts II.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and the mobile sagas, alongside Hikaru Utada’s vocal themes like “Face My Fears” and “Oath”.

Dorohedoro – Hungry Bug Beer Mug

Direct from Q Hayashida’s dark fantasy world, this heavy-duty glass mug displays the emblem of Hole’s finest gyoza shop, Hungry Bug. An authentic piece of fan apparel designed for everyday use or display.

Silent Hill f Official Novelization

Delve into the psychological horror of 1960s Japan crafted by acclaimed writer Ryukishi07 (When They Cry). This novelization expands on Hinako’s story, offering deeper lore and chilling prose not seen in the game’s teaser reveal.

FAQ

When does this Merch Price Drop take place?

This limited-time sale begins today, July 31, and runs through August 7. Discounts are applied directly on product pages while promotional stock remains.

Does Playasia ship internationally?

Yes! Playasia ships worldwide with tracking and secure, collector-friendly packaging.

Don’t Miss Out: Upgrade Your Collection Today!

Deals this good don’t stick around forever, and with high-demand import collectibles, quantities are strictly limited. Once these items sell through their promotional allocation between July 31 and August 7, prices will return to normal.

SHOP NOW

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Everything D&D Announced At Gen Con, Including A Huge World of Warcraft Collab, Star Wars Crossover, And The New Psion Class

Dungeons and Dragons has a lot planned for the coming year. Following the 2024 release of its revised fifth edition ruleset (which the developers have come around to calling “5.5e” after initially resisting), the D&D team has crafted a seasonal content structure reminiscent of a live-service video game like Overwatch or Fortnite. At today’s Gen Con presentation, we got a decent look at all the expansions, collaborations, and tie-in products on the horizon for the coming year. It’s a lot, so here’s a rundown of what to expect in chronological order.

Season of Magic: July – September 2026

Arcana Unleashed

The first (and technically ongoing) season brings a pair of Arcana Unleashed books, themed around magical subclasses, items, and an adventure that pits players against the Red Wizards of Thay (a faction you might recognize from the 2023 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie).

Arcana Unleashed is the gameplay expansion, which includes eight subclasses, 33 spells, 10 backgrounds, 29 feats, 47 magic items, and more. It also concludes with a short adventure for first-level characters to test out the new arcane additions. Meanwhile, Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall is a “magical espionage campaign” that has you face off against Szass Tam, the dreaded lich. It’s designed to bring players from level 11 up to level 20. Both Arcana Unleashed books drop September 15.

DnDBeyond.com/LFG

Next, Dungeons & Dragons is adding a new game-finding feature to D&D Beyond, and you can check it out at dndbeyond.com/lfg. This page has three functions. First, you can use it to find in-person games near you. Second, D&D is partnering with startplaying.games to give players a discount when using the service, which connects people to for-hire Dungeon Masters online. Specifically, it makes the first game cost just 99 cents. Finally, there will also be a server to connect players with players through Discord.

Season of Champions: October – December 2026

Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft

The next season is headlined by Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft, one of the TTRPG’s more ambitious crossovers. Not only does it bring Azeroth to the world of D&D, but the designers are boasting that it’s a very thorough crossover. With 11 new species and 9 subclasses, the team says you can play as any World of Warcraft race and class combination that you could play in the game. It also includes seven World of Warcraft dungeons, 30 dungeon boss stat blocks, over 60 new spells, over 50 new monsters, and bespoke mechanics for professions, mounts, companion creatures, and faction rewards.

Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft, alongside a new DM screen, a pack of Icecrown Citadel maps (with an included adventure), and two packs of miniatures, launch on November 17. Like with all D&D products, you can also access them two weeks early if you purchase them from a local game store or pay for the D&D Beyond subscription Master Tier. The whole suite of products is available for pre-order today.

D&D: Universes Beyond

This is the first collaboration in a new initiative called Universes Beyond, which seeks to partner D&D content and mechanics with compatible crossover universes. While this is the first and only example we’ve seen so far, it’s not hard to imagine that the D&D team will take some guidance from the numerous crossover collections seen in Magic: The Gathering in recent years.

Season of Survival: February – July 2027

Dark Sun

Dark Sun returns next year, kicking 2027 off with a bloody bang. It’s set in Athas, a brutal world of city-states ruled by sorcerer kings, and with intense violence and sexual themes, the setting is pretty mature for D&D standards. The art is graphic, but so are some of the rules – in a private briefing of the news, we heard designers tease an optional decapitation mechanic, for example.  It’s actually extreme enough that it comes with a content warning, and copies in stores will have to be shrink-wrapped on shelves so sensitive audiences don’t accidentally view its graphic art. The news was accompanied by a particularly gruesome animated trailer, complete with cartoon dismemberment, to set the tone.

That trailer also has footage of a person fighting foes with psychic powers, because this book will finally re-introduce the Psion class to the D&D world. While it initially appeared in some playtesting material early in fifth edition’s lifespan, Wizards of the Coast ultimately chose to add psychic-themed subclasses to its existing classes instead, saving the new rules for another time. Last year, it was released again as Unearthed Arcana, and it seems that this time, the design team was able to make enough progress to move it on the path towards publication.

The content release includes two main books: Dark Sun: Edge of Oblivion is a setting expansion, while Dark Sun: Blood and Power is a gameplay expansion. The drop will also include a map pack, a Dark Sun DM Screen, and a limited edition 5.5e Player’s Handbook with Dark Sun cover art.

Season of Sword & Sorcery: September – October 2027

Greyhawk: Crown of the Witch Queen

The last announced season, scheduled for late 2027, will bring a new Greyhawk campaign setting, returning players to one of D&D’s earliest original worlds. Greyhawk: Crown of the Witch Queen will be a 160-page hardcover book that is villain-focused, centering on Drelzna, the vampire daughter of Iggwilv (who is also known as Tasha). It’s over a year out, so details are limited, but we know the book will be accompanied by a Greyhawk DM screen and a map pack.

Other Announcements

Finally, here’s a rundown of everything else mentioned in the presentation that don’t have a specific date tied to them.

D&D Icons

D&D Icons is a new collaboration campaign to bring storied creators to work with the current design team on upcoming D&D content. Joe Manganiello (who I played HeroQuest with last year) will be the program’s chief creative officer, and the program will launch with collaborations with Luke Gygax (who will work on Greyhawk materials), Margaret Wies and Tracy Hickman (who will work on Dragonlance materials), and R. A. Salvatore (from The Legend of Drizzt). D&D says this group of cohorts is just the start of the Icons program, and hopes to work with more creators in the future.

D&D Beyond Improvements

Next, the presenters announced an overhaul to the D&D Beyond app, which is intended to make it a more helpful mobile companion for use at the table, not just for online play. It looks streamlined, with more intuitive menus and a cleaner interface. A version is scheduled to drop in 2027, but the developers stressed it will be a “very early version” and that they’ll be relying on player feedback to shape the final product.

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons

We also learned more about Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, the upcoming third-person action-adventure game. Every warlock needs a patron, and today we learned the patron in this story will be Tasha, the Witch Queen. We also learned she’ll be voiced by Maggie Robertson (best known for playing Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village), and that we’ll get our first glimpse of gameplay at Gamescom next month.

Annual Setting Support

We also learned that D&D is teaming up with third-party TTRPG designers to create a more regular cadence of releases in its existing campaign settings. Ghostfire Gaming is developing a Ravenloft adventure for next year, Visionary Productions is developing an Eberron adventure featuring the Lord of Blades for 2028, and Kobold Press is working on future content set in the Forgotten Realms. 

D&D/Star Wars Crossover

Details are scarce, but Wizards of the Coast also used its showcase to reveal upcoming plans for a “Season of Rebellion” related to some kind of Star Wars crossover. Wizards of the Coast published one of the main iterations of the Star Wars TTRPG starting way back in 2007, but a more recent Star Wars RPG (with different rules) has been published by Fantasy Flight in more recent years. We’ll have to wait to learn precisely what this new crossover might involve.

Everything D&D Announced At Gen Con, Including A Huge World of Warcraft Collab And The New Psion Class

Dungeons and Dragons has a lot planned for the coming year. Following the 2024 release of its revised fifth edition ruleset (which the developers have come around to calling “5.5e” after initially resisting), the D&D team has crafted a seasonal content structure reminiscent of a live-service video game like Overwatch or Fortnite. At today’s Gen Con presentation, we got a decent look at all the expansions, collaborations, and tie-in products on the horizon for the coming year. It’s a lot, so here’s a rundown of what to expect in chronological order.

Season of Magic: July – September 2026

Arcana Unleashed

The first (and technically ongoing) season brings a pair of Arcana Unleashed books, themed around magical subclasses, items, and an adventure that pits players against the Red Wizards of Thay (a faction you might recognize from the 2023 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie).

Arcana Unleashed is the gameplay expansion, which includes eight subclasses, 33 spells, 10 backgrounds, 29 feats, 47 magic items, and more. It also concludes with a short adventure for first-level characters to test out the new arcane additions. Meanwhile, Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall is a “magical espionage campaign” that has you face off against Szass Tam, the dreaded lich. It’s designed to bring players from level 11 up to level 20. Both Arcana Unleashed books drop September 15.

DnDBeyond.com/LFG

Next, Dungeons & Dragons is adding a new game-finding feature to D&D Beyond, and you can check it out at dndbeyond.com/lfg. This page has three functions. First, you can use it to find in-person games near you. Second, D&D is partnering with startplaying.games to give players a discount when using the service, which connects people to for-hire Dungeon Masters online. Specifically, it makes the first game cost just 99 cents. Finally, there will also be a server to connect players with players through Discord.

Season of Champions: October – December 2026

Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft

The next season is headlined by Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft, one of the TTRPG’s more ambitious crossovers. Not only does it bring Azeroth to the world of D&D, but the designers are boasting that it’s a very thorough crossover. With 11 new species and 9 subclasses, the team says you can play as any World of Warcraft race and class combination that you could play in the game. It also includes seven World of Warcraft dungeons, 30 dungeon boss stat blocks, over 60 new spells, over 50 new monsters, and bespoke mechanics for professions, mounts, companion creatures, and faction rewards.

Dungeons & Dragons: World of Warcraft, alongside a new DM screen, a pack of Icecrown Citadel maps (with an included adventure), and two packs of miniatures, launch on November 17. Like with all D&D products, you can also access them two weeks early if you purchase them from a local game store or pay for the D&D Beyond subscription Master Tier. The whole suite of products is available for pre-order today.

D&D: Universes Beyond

This is the first collaboration in a new initiative called Universes Beyond, which seeks to partner D&D content and mechanics with compatible crossover universes. While this is the first and only example we’ve seen so far, it’s not hard to imagine that the D&D team will take some guidance from the numerous crossover collections seen in Magic: The Gathering in recent years.

Season of Survival: February – July 2027

Dark Sun

Dark Sun returns next year, kicking 2027 off with a bloody bang. It’s set in Athas, a brutal world of city-states ruled by sorcerer kings, and with intense violence and sexual themes, the setting is pretty mature for D&D standards. The art is graphic, but so are some of the rules – in a private briefing of the news, we heard designers tease an optional decapitation mechanic, for example.  It’s actually extreme enough that it comes with a content warning, and copies in stores will have to be shrink-wrapped on shelves so sensitive audiences don’t accidentally view its graphic art. The news was accompanied by a particularly gruesome animated trailer, complete with cartoon dismemberment, to set the tone.

That trailer also has footage of a person fighting foes with psychic powers, because this book will finally re-introduce the Psion class to the D&D world. While it initially appeared in some playtesting material early in fifth edition’s lifespan, Wizards of the Coast ultimately chose to add psychic-themed subclasses to its existing classes instead, saving the new rules for another time. Last year, it was released again as Unearthed Arcana, and it seems that this time, the design team was able to make enough progress to move it on the path towards publication.

The content release includes two main books: Dark Sun: Edge of Oblivion is a setting expansion, while Dark Sun: Blood and Power is a gameplay expansion. The drop will also include a map pack, a Dark Sun DM Screen, and a limited edition 5.5e Player’s Handbook with Dark Sun cover art.

Season of Sword & Sorcery: September – October 2027

Greyhawk: Crown of the Witch Queen

The last announced season, scheduled for late 2027, will bring a new Greyhawk campaign setting, returning players to one of D&D’s earliest original worlds. Greyhawk: Crown of the Witch Queen will be a 160-page hardcover book that is villain-focused, centering on Drelzna, the vampire daughter of Iggwilv (who is also known as Tasha). It’s over a year out, so details are limited, but we know the book will be accompanied by a Greyhawk DM screen and a map pack.

Other Announcements

Finally, here’s a rundown of everything else mentioned in the presentation that don’t have a specific date tied to them.

D&D Icons

D&D Icons is a new collaboration campaign to bring storied creators to work with the current design team on upcoming D&D content. Joe Manganiello (who I played HeroQuest with last year) will be the program’s chief creative officer, and the program will launch with collaborations with Luke Gygax (who will work on Greyhawk materials), Margaret Wies and Tracy Hickman (who will work on Dragonlance materials), and R. A. Salvatore (from The Legend of Drizzt). D&D says this group of cohorts is just the start of the Icons program, and hopes to work with more creators in the future.

D&D Beyond Improvements

Next, the presenters announced an overhaul to the D&D Beyond app, which is intended to make it a more helpful mobile companion for use at the table, not just for online play. It looks streamlined, with more intuitive menus and a cleaner interface. A version is scheduled to drop in 2027, but the developers stressed it will be a “very early version” and that they’ll be relying on player feedback to shape the final product.

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons

We also learned more about Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, the upcoming third-person action-adventure game. Every warlock needs a patron, and today we learned the patron in this story will be Tasha, the Witch Queen. We also learned she’ll be voiced by Maggie Robertson (best known for playing Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village), and that we’ll get our first glimpse of gameplay at Gamescom next month.

Annual Setting Support

Finally, we also learned that D&D is teaming up with third-party TTRPG designers to create a more regular cadence of releases in its existing campaign settings. Ghostfire Gaming is developing a Ravenloft adventure for next year, Visionary Productions is developing an Eberron adventure featuring the Lord of Blades for 2028, and Kobold Press is working on future content set in the Forgotten Realms. 

Here’s How The Late Japanese Actor Toshirō Mifune Became The Face Of Musashi In Onimusha: Way Of The Sword

It’s becoming increasingly common to see deceased actors, musicians, and the like recreated digitally for hologram concerts, movies, video games, and more. There is a wide range of ways studios and creators approach doing so. Using generative AI (for image and voice) is absolutely the worst way to go about it, as it’s a disgrace to both the deceased and the living; there are also digital recreations made by artists, which is less disgraceful, I guess, but still murky waters – look no further than Ryu Ga Gotaku Studio’s use of deceased West Coast hip hop artist Tupac in Stranger Than Heaven. 

I’m always surprised when any creator or studio decides to resurrect the dead for a project. Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Capcom’s upcoming return to the samurai action series after a 20-year hiatus and the latest game to grace the cover of Game Informer, is using the likeness of late actor Toshirō Mifune for its protagonist Miyamoto Musashi. 

Toshirō Mifune

Fortunately, Capcom isn’t using generative AI to do so, nor is it attempting to create a Musashi that moves, acts, and talks like Mifune – it’s strictly using Mifune’s visual likeness for the character, and according to Way of the Sword director Satoru Nihei, that was the plan from the jump. 

“[Using Mifune’s likeness] was something we felt very strongly about from the beginning,” Nihei tells me. “Wanting to have this very iconic samurai image, the first name that came to mind was Mifune. Once we decided on that, I approached the producer to ask if we could do this [and it went from there].”

As for why Mifune was the first name that came to Nihei’s mind, it’s because Mifune famously portrayed the historic Musashi in various films. 

Born in 1920, Mifune performed various iconic roles throughout his life before his death in 1997. He’s likely most famous to many for his leading parts in Akira Kurosawa films, including some that put him in the armor of a samurai, but Mifune also portrayed Musashi in director Hiroshi Inagaki’s 1950’s Samurai Trilogy, which consists of Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954), Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955), and Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956). 

Pundits argue that Inagaki’s trilogy and Mifune’s portrayal of the iconic samurai, alongside other seminal Japanese works like Eiji Yoshikawa’s newspaper serial-turned-novel-epic Musashi, solidified Miyamoto Musashi as the most legendary swordsman in Japanese history. That’s why Mifune’s likeness for Way of the Sword’s Musashi was part of the original pitch for the game. 

During our discussion, Nihei correctly points out that Onimusha has always used celebrity likenesses: Onimusha: Warlords’ protagonist, Samanosuke Akechi, is played by Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro, for example, while late actor Yūsaku Matsuda was the model for Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny’s protagonist, Jubei Yagyu. Even Onimusha 3: Demon Siege did this, featuring French actor Jean Reno as Jacques Blanc in the time-traveling threequel. In that sense, Mifune’s likeness being used for Way of the Sword’s Musashi falls in line with the series. But, as someone generally in favor of allowing the dead to stay dead, I still press Capcom on how such a resurrection works. 

Producer Akihito Kadowaki tells me it all began with Mifune’s family. Capcom first requested permission to use Mifune’s likeness. Then, the artists got to work digitally recreating the late actor in the RE Engine, ensuring that drafts and associated materials were passed along to the family throughout the process for approval (and tips, pointers, and suggestions, too). Kadowaki says the family was impressed with Capcom’s recreation, though he’s quick to note that Way of the Sword’s Musashi is unique to Onimusha, despite the visual likeness. 

Toshirō Mifune as Miyamoto Musashi in the Samurai Trilogy

“[We were not] necessarily looking to recreate and feature Toshirō Mifune as the face of the series; it’s more of a case that we wanted to create our own particular unique Miyamoto Musashi […] and we felt that Mifune-san was a really good match, just because a lot of his characteristics, his performance, and his expressions were a good match for elevating that vision we had for Musashi,” Kadowaki explains. The team tells me this Musashi, in his 20s, hasn’t yet discovered his dual-wielding technique, which is why his only weapon will be his one katana (and the Oni Armaments, but those are separately equipped from the sword). It’s also why he’s more brash, arrogant in his abilities, and selfish in his values and ways – he hasn’t yet learned all that the Musashi learned across his 40-plus years of samurai life.

Animation team lead Hiroshi Yugen says he and the rest of the team behind Way of the Sword’s combat took some inspiration from Mifune’s movies and other entries in the samurai-action genre, taking special care to capture the human element of this feudal combat. Yamashita adds that seeing Mifune come to life as Musashi’s likeness was one of his favorite things about Way of the Sword, especially as a fan of Mifune’s breadth of work. “I’m quite proud of what we’ve managed to achieve,” he says.

Art director Hiroyuki Nara says using Mifune’s likeness for Musashi made the artistic process easier for his team. It’s much easier to have that base to follow than a blank canvas, he explains, before noting that it wasn’t a concern having to check in with Mifune’s estate, but rather an exciting and helpful part of the process.

Though I’m ultimately team let-the-dead-stay-dead, after talking with Capcom, I ultimately feel far more comfortable playing Onimusha: Way of the Sword with its Mifune-likeness recreated onto Musashi than, say, Stranger Than Heaven, with its posthumous use of Tupac. If there is such a way to do this respectfully, it seems like Capcom has attempted to pursue that path. 

I’ll be diving deeper into Capcom’s return to Onimusha as part of Game Informer’s month of Way of the Sword coverage. We’ll be publishing exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos (including a Rapid-Fire Interview) on the Game Informer YouTube channel as well. Keep an eye on the Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub so you don’t miss any of it. 

 

In the meantime, here’s some additional Onimusha: Way of the Sword reading for you:

How do you feel about the deceased appearing in video games? Let us know in the comments below!

Pop-Punk Action RPG Stupid Never Dies Gets October Launch Date

Stupid Never Dies, an upcoming pop-punk action RPG by a team of former Capcom veterans, has a release date. Look for the wacky supernatural adventure on October 21. 

First revealed last December during The Game Awards 2025, Stupid Never Dies is a single-player, third-person action game starring Davy, an extremely weak and timid zombie on the bottom rung of the monster hierarchy. After falling in love with a human college girl named Julia, who was frozen to death during a war, he embarks on a quest to revive her by defeating KOM, the King of Monsters, and gaining his power. 

To save Julia and recover humanity’s lost knowledge, Davy must repeatedly battle through monster-ridden dungeons in a run-based, roguelike fashion. Although very weak in his base zombie form, Davy can wield his enemy’s powers by defeating them and devouring their cores. The roster of supernatural creatures he can mimic includes vampires, werewolves, harpies, merfolk, and a cyclops. Davy’s body parts can also be replaced with gear called Overtech to boost his stats and unlock active and passive skills, allowing for multiple build combinations. 

 

Stupid Never Dies’ progression systems promote expedited growth, as Davy gains increased experience points in each run. This means he levels up a little faster and becomes stronger more quickly every subsequent dungeon run.  

Stupid Never Dies comes from GPTRACK50, which includes action game veterans of series such as Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, and Dragon’s Dogma. It will launch on PlayStation 5 and PC on October 21. You can read our extended, hands-off preview of the game here. 

Thimbleweed Park 2 Announced, Launching In 2028

2017’s Thimbleweed Park was a successful throwback to the LucasArts point-and-click adventures of yesteryear helmed by Manic Mansion co-creators Gary Winnick and Ron Gilbert (the latter of whom also created the Monkey Island series). Nine years later, the team at Terrible Toybox has announced a sequel.

Thimbleweed Park 2 once again stars Agents Ray and Reyes, who take on a murder mystery at the Edmund Mansion. In true “whodunit” fashion, each of the mansion’s quirky occupants is a suspect, and it’s up to you to investigate each person to deduce the culprit. Returning characters from the first game include Delores and Franklin Edmund, and Ransome the Clown. Unfortunately, Terrible Toybox has not released a trailer.

“Not really a sequel. Not really a prequel. It’s more Thimbleweed Park and just as weird,” reads the game’s Steam page. “And just like last time, in a town like Thimbleweed Park, a dead body is the least of your problems.”

The original Thimbleweed Park launched on March 30, 2017, following a successful Kickstarter campaign. The game was well-received, with former Game Informer editor Elise Favis giving it an 8.5 out of 10 in her review, writing, “Thimbleweed Park revels in its humor, and succeeds in its efforts toward better puzzle design. The narrative takes some twists and turns that didn’t always hit home with me, but I enjoyed the whimsical journey nonetheless. With its stellar characters and smart puzzles, Thimbleweed Park is a joy to play from beginning to end.”

Bubbly Basin Coming on August 5

Nintendo™ Switch 2 – US, Europe, Japan & Asia

It’s time to make a splash as The Pokemon Company, Game Freak and Koei Tecmo will bring the Expansion Pass Part 1: Bubbly Basin DLC to Pokemon Pokopia on August 5. Plus, version 2.0.0 update will also be available on the same day. Parts 2 and 3 are coming, with Part 2 launching in late 2026.

Check out the details below via The Pokemon Company. 

New Details Revealed for “Expansion Pass Part 1: Bubbly Basin”

In Part 1, players can look forward to making a splash in the new underwater town, Bubbly Basin. In this submerged space, players can grow watermelons with the help of Pokemon with the Water specialty, while Pokemon with the Generate specialty can power bubble machines or activate streetlights. Players can also discover more Pokemon, new outfits, a power-up for the move Surf, and a newly added prepared food – smoothies.

Players can traverse a hole in the sea floor to explore the deep sea shrouded in darkness and enjoy an exciting adventure alongside Pokemon by following the glowing coral.

Building reaches a new depth in Bubbly Basin with buoyant blocks, which allow players to make buildings that are only possible underwater, floating at different levels. Players can also build a Sharpedo submarine to make a room which feels like a Secret Base.

New Feature Revealed for “Expansion Pass Part 2”

Scheduled for release in late 2026, players can look forward to dressing up alongside their favorite Pokemon by wearing accessories in Part 2 of the paid downloadable content. Players will also be able to find more furniture pieces and Pokemon. More details regarding Part 2 will be revealed in the future.

Version 2.0.0 Free Software Update

Available to everyone who owns Pokemon Pokopia from August 5, players will be able to learn the move Dive from Manaphy as part of the version 2.0.0 free software update. Once learned, players will be able to swim alongside Water-type Pokemon and build underwater.

Watch the trailer below. 

Game Overview

Check out the official game description below via The Pokemon Company. 

Shape the land and build a cozy new life with Pokemon.

Play as a Ditto that has taken the appearance of a human! Find and befriend your fellow Pokemon and carve out a life for yourself by learning their moves to shape the land. Use Bulbasaur’s Leafage to make wild grass grow, keep it healthy with Squirtle’s Water Gun, and more. As nature flourishes, more Pokemon will appear for you to meet and learn from!

Build homes, farm crops, and more in a world with days, nights, and varied weather.

Collect rocks and wood to build with, till the fields to grow delicious crops, build homes for the Pokemon you meet…there’s so much to do here! No need to rush, though—go at your own pace and enjoy the journey. With a day and night cycle, varying weather, and other surprises, just taking a nap in your bed and letting time pass can be pretty relaxing.

As you make progress, you’ll eventually be able to build a nice big home of your own—and then invite Pokemon and even other players* to visit and hang out with you!

So…

Pokemon Pokopia is still available on our website (US, Europe, Japan, Asia). So, what are you waiting for? Click the button below to order yours now! 

ORDER NOW

Grab your eShop cards now and avail this DLC as soon as it launches!

GRAB YOUR ESHOP CARDS NOW

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Going Overboard! Launches Nov 12 (PS5 & Switch 2 Pre-Orders Live)

PS5™ & NSW2™ – Japan

Disgaea fans and board game enthusiasts, prepare for maximum chaos, dood! Nippon Ichi Software has officially announced Prinny Party: Going Overboard! (known in Japan as Minna de Poi-to! Prinny Sugoroku), a competitive 4-player party RPG set in the iconic Disgaea universe.

The game is scheduled to launch in Japan and Asian territories on November 12, 2026. Physical edition pre-orders for the Japanese import version are now live on Playasia for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2.

Quick Overview & Key Details

What is Prinny Party: Going Overboard!?

Prinny Party: Going Overboard! combines classic Sugoroku board game exploration, turn-based tactical strategy, and classic RPG progression with the trademark humor and over-the-top mechanics of the Disgaea franchise.

Players step into the shoes of iconic generic character classes—such as the Archer, Thief, Fight Mistress, Ninja, Spirit, and the infamous Prinnies—as they traverse a sprawling game board to defeat the Supreme Overboard and his terrifying boss lieutenants.

Key Gameplay Features

1. Competitive “Co-opetition” Gameplay: Players must work together to defeat massive bosses (like the Four Heavenly Kings). However, there can only be one winner: the player who backstabs their teammates and successfully carries the defeated boss back to the starting point claims ultimate victory!

2. Lift-and-Throw Mechanics: Use Disgaea’s signature throw mechanic to toss friends, enemies, and obstacles across the board to steal objectives or disrupt your rivals’ turns.

3. Facility Building & Upgrades: Claim spaces to construct hospitals, armories, and shops. Stack and upgrade facilities to unlock powerful buffs for yourself—or force rivals to pay up when landing on your territory.

4. The Dark Assembly Returns: Vote on unconventional and game-changing bills through the Dark Assembly to alter board rules, double movement distance, or unleash massive demon cannons on leading players.

5. Modern Multiplayer Features: Features 1–4 player local and online multiplayer. The Nintendo Switch 2 version supports GameShare, allowing friends to join local sessions without needing to own separate copies of the game.

Die-hard Disgaea veterans and gamers looking for the next chaotic party game to wreck friendships on game night will find an absolute blast of tactical board game action in Prinny Party: Going Overboard! Head over to Playasia today to lock in your PS5 or Switch 2 pre-order and ensure your physical copy arrives safe and sound for the November 12 launch!

PRE-ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Capcom Says Onimusha: Way Of The Sword Being The ‘Pinnacle Of Swordplay Action Games’ Is What Success Looks Like After A 20-Year Gap

The last time a new Onimusha game launched, it was 2006. But now, 20 years later, Capcom is just months away from the release of Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and as a fan of those previous games, I’m stoked – doubly so after playing the game for several hours and interviewing the developers for the latest Game Informer cover, which subscribers can read right now. 

Given the 20-year gap between Way of the Sword and the last release before it, 2006’s Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, I was curious about what success for this new game even looks like to Capcom.

An enemy from the first game alongside a similar enemy from Way of the Sword

“We’ve built this game with the intention of essentially creating a new swordplay experience – the pinnacle of swordplay action games,” producer Akihito Kadowaki tells me. “Just releasing [the game] and it being cool for [familiar] players is not quite enough. We want this to be accessible to as many people as possible. So, for people who are not familiar with action games, we want them to feel they can jump in, explore, and enjoy this kind of game. We created the modular difficulty settings for that – we have story, we have action difficulty settings, and even between those, you can change the settings [on a more granular scale].

“Hopefully, we get as many people to enjoy the action and see the game through to the end because there are a lot of people that do pick up these kinds of games and then they can’t see them through to the end because they’re too difficult.”

Kadowaki says that if the game can reach as many people as possible globally, introduce many new players to the action genre, and help them reach the end, the team would consider that a “big success for the series.” 

I was somewhat happy to hear this answer, specifically in how it’s void of any talk of sales numbers. I’m sure there are those at Capcom with sales targets in mind, but I hope the publisher-developer isn’t expecting Onimusha to compete with its other franchises just because Onimusha is also technically a franchise. With a 20-year gap between releases, Way of the Sword feels more like a new series than a continuation of one, though it’s definitely still an Onimusha game. 

To put some of what I mean in perspective, Resident Evil has surpassed 200 million units sold across its many games; Monster Hunter sits at 127 million copies sold; and Street Fighter at 59 million. Onimusha has just barely eclipsed 9 million, so if Capcom plans to compare it to the aforementioned heavy-hitters franchises, there’s no world where Way of the Sword lives up to expectations. 

I’ll be diving deeper into Capcom’s return to Onimusha as part of Game Informer’s month of Way of the Sword coverage. We’ll be publishing exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos (including a Rapid-Fire Interview) on the Game Informer YouTube channel as well. Keep an eye on the Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub so you don’t miss any of it. 

 

In the meantime, here’s some additional Onimusha: Way of the Sword reading for you:

Where do you want to see the Onimusha series go? Let us know in the comments below!

Pokémon Pokopia Bubbly Basin Expansion Gets Extended Gameplay Trailer And August 5 Release Date

Nintendo has released an extended deep-dive video showcasing Pokémon Pokopia’s upcoming free Dive update and paid Bubbly Basin expansion. We also know both updates arrive on August 5.

As previously announced, a free update lets Ditto learn the new Dive ability from newcomer Manaphy. Dive lets players explore underwater indefinitely, allowing them to build just about anything below the waves, with various water Pokémon joining you along the way. Players will first need to complete the “Raise the Environmental Level” mission in Bleak Beach and learn the moves Jump and Surf to trigger the free update content. 

On the same day, Pokémon Pokopia’s Expansion Pass, a three-part paid DLC pack priced at $34.99, introduces Part 1 – Bubbly Basin, a new abandoned town lying beneath the ocean. Upon arrival, players meet Popplio and begin the usual process of building habitats to attract new Pokémon to restore the submerged village. New buoyant blocks allow you to construct floating houses (which can be decorated with new ocean-themed furniture) and other buildings. When it gets dark, Chinchou can use its electricity to power light sources and other electronics. Bubbly Basin features a deeper, pitch-black area you can only explore by relying on glowing coral. What lies at this depth remains a mystery for players to discover. 

 

The video also teases the second piece of Expansion Pass content. Part 2, arriving later this year, will add Pokémon accessories. The roadmap also shows Part 3, which introduces another town, to launch in 2027. These DLCs will not be sold separately, so you’ll need to purchase the full Expansion Pass to play them. Buying the Expansion Pass also gives owners the Dynamic Ditto print recipe, obtained by visiting the “Downloadable Content” option in the main menu, as well as 30 rare Pokémetal ingots. You can grab the ingots either by entering a serial code sent to the registered Nintendo Account email after buying the Expansion Pass or by using the in-game Mystery Gifts feature. Those using the code have until August 31 to claim it, and, once they have it, September 30 to redeem it. 

Pokémon Pokopia is now available on Switch 2. You can read our review of the game here. 

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Sequel Announced With A New Team Led By Original Director

Souls-like action game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is getting a sequel. Publisher 505 Games has announced a new development team that helms the project, led by the series’ director. 

Less than a year after Wuchang’s release in July 2025, its development team, Lenzee Games, was reportedly disbanded in April due to a leadership dispute. The sequel will be led by Indolphinity, a new team founded by Wuchang creative director Xia Siyaun. 505 will once again serve as publisher. The announcement comes after 505’s parent company Digital Bros Group acquired the Wuchang IP in April.

“Through this partnership, 505 Games and Indolphinity reaffirm their shared belief in the long-term potential of the Wuchang franchise and their joint commitment to preserving the authenticity and cultural identity of the IP,” reads a press release. “All future creative development will remain firmly rooted in China through the close collaboration between the original creator and 505 Games, ensuring continuity of vision, quality, and execution.” 

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

Digital Bros Group will establish a new Chinese subsidiary in Chengdu to work closely with Indolphinity on the project. The sequel has no formal title, gameplay details, or release window.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers centers on a pirate named Bai Wuchang, who is afflicted with a supernatural disease giving her demonic abilities. Set during China’s Ming Dynasty, the action game scored a 7.75 out of 10 from Game Informer, writing in our review, “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn’t reach the upper echelon of its stronger contemporaries, but it is a generally well-executed checklist of genre tropes with inventive ideas for combat customization and a unique form of dynamic difficulty scaling” 505 recently announced the game has reached over 5 million players in the year since launch.

Wuchang is far from the only Souls-inspired action game getting a sequel. Be sure to check out the announcements of Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, Lords of the Fallen II, and Mortal Shell II.

Nioh 3 Hell Rising DLC Coming on August 19

PS5™ – US, Europe, Japan & Asia

Get ready, folks, as Koei Tecmo and Team NINJA will bring the Hell Rising DLC for Nioh 3. Mark your calendars, as this DLC launches on August 19.

Check out the DLC overview below via Koei Tecmo.

A New Shadow of Intrigue Takes Over Future Edo in Hell Rising

Our protagonist and appointed shogun, Takechiyo, journeys through time and is led to Edo in the future by an unknown yokai he met in his dreams. There, following the death of the future Takechiyo, the era of peace has ended, and Edo has been retaken by the Crucible. With the cooperation of a one-eyed swordsman, Yagyu Jubei, and a Spanish envoy, Rodrigo, Takechiyo faces yet another plot revolving around Spirit Stones and an enemy with a strong resentment towards the shogunate.

• New Stage: Edo in 1651, the Keian Era – In 1651, during the Keian era, Edo was supposed to be enveloped in peace. However, the large castle town that was once proof of the shogunate’s authority has transformed into a hellish wasteland plagued by the gales of the Crucible. Yokai, human rebels, and alchemists from foreign lands have descended on Edo, creating a battlefield fraught with chaos. With the shogun’s absence, areas across the Edo castle town have been overridden with yokai. Amidst tense battles against unknown yokai and new mysteries, new encounters await.
• New Weapons: Hoko & Shield and Ninja Hoko & Shield – A weapon set that balances the offensive capabilities of the short spear with the defensive capabilities of the shield. The hoko & shield and the ninja hoko & shield have a great many uses in battle, ranging from basic attacks like defending with the shield while attacking with the short spear, to tactical moves like flinging the shield at the enemy.
• A New Enemy Stands Before Takechiyo – Enemies with unprecedented strength stand in Takechiyo’s way, including the one-eyed swordsman, Yagyu Jubei. Dominate fierce battles and obtain new equipment and Soul Cores in order to grow even stronger.
• A New Horizon: Enlightened One’s Journey – The Enlightened One’s Journey, a difficulty mode that exceeds the Shogun’s Journey, is now available. This mode offers more possibilities for growth, including stronger equipment, additional Soul Cores, higher level caps, and higher +value caps through Soul Matching. (Note: This mode is unlocked by completing the Shogun’s Journey.)

New Equipment: Hundred Demon Realms Picture Scrolls

Fight highly customizable battles over and over again, while carefully selecting the effects of Hundred Demon Realms Picture Scrolls to create self-imposed challenges. Winning the unique battles of each scroll will enable players to unlock that scroll as a piece of equipment and earn the chance to obtain special effects by winning further battles.

The combination of enemies, stages, and special rules offer countless variations. Highly valuable scrolls may also appear at times.

This feature is available not only for solo play, but for multiplayer sessions as well. Train alongside your friends by challenging yourself on millions of battlefields.

Other New Elements

• New Guardian Spirits, skills, Martial Arts, Ninjutsu, Onmyo Magic, Graces, and more.

Watch the trailer below. 

Game Overview

Nioh 3 is an action RPG from Team NINJA and Koei Tecmo. This is the third installment in the Nioh series.

Check out the official game description below via Koei Tecmo. 

Conquer the crucible, become shogun.

Overcome difficult challenges in an open field.

This game is set in an open field, in which players can freely explore, while enjoying the unique tension that accompanies all Nioh titles. Face formidable encounters with powerful yokai, explore villages where suspicious beings lurk, take on the daunting challenges of The Crucible, and enjoy the thrilling, hostile new environments as you fight to survive the cursed kingdom!

Two Styles: Samurai and Ninja

In Nioh 3, players can enjoy two different fighting styles: Samurai and Ninja.

Based on the tendencies of the enemies and stages, players can switch seamlessly between Samurai and Ninja techniques instantly at any time, or choose to fight using only one style continuously based on the challenge ahead. Feel free to play with the style you like best.

• Samurai Style – This style provides a gameplay experience similar to previous Nioh titles. New actions such as “Arts Proficiency”, which enhances the power of martial arts, and “Deflect”, which allows players to block enemy attacks at the last moment, have been added, helping create a series of intense and deadly face-to-face confrontations.
• Ninja Style – This style excels in quick movements like dodging and aerial actions, giving ninjas the advantage of being able to attack from outside of the enemy’s range by utilizing a variety of “Ninjutsu” techniques according to the situation on the battlefield. Players have the ability to use techniques like “Mist”, which leaves a clone after an attack, and “Evade”, which allows for narrowly avoiding enemy strikes. Both techniques help players outmaneuver foes while delivering devastating speed attacks from behind.

Online Multiplayer

Players will now be able to assist and seek help from other players through the “Summon Visitor” mode, or even explore the open field with others through the online multiplayer mode “Expeditions”, popular in the previous entries of the Nioh series.

This feature will come in handy to those who have reached a stalemate playing solo, or those who would like to overcome challenges together.

Thanks, Gematsu! 

So…

Nioh 3 is now available for PS5 (US, Europe, Asia & Japan). Grab yours now! 

ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

【TRAILER】

【FEATURES】

• Two Styles: Samurai and Ninja – In “Nioh 3”, players can enjoy two different fighting styles: Samurai and Ninja. Based on the tendencies of the enemies and stages, players can switch seamlessly between Samurai and Ninja techniques instantly at any time, or choose to fight using only one style continuously based on the challenge ahead. Feel free to play with the style you like best
• Online Multiplayer – Players will now be able to assist and seek help from other players through the “Summon Visitor” mode, or even explore the open field with others through the online multiplayer mode “Expeditions”, popular in the previous entries of the “Nioh” series. This feature will come in handy to those who have reached a stalemate playing solo, or those who would like to overcome challenges together

【SCREENSHOTS】

© 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if the copyright note stays intact.

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Top Discounted AAA & Blockbuster Games at Playasia

If you have been holding off on buying modern $70 PlayStation 5 releases, your patience is about to pay off. You don’t need to break the bank or wait for digital subscription services to play the biggest games of the generation.

Through the Playasia PS5 Clearance Sale, gamers can grab top-tier physical PS5 releases at massive markdowns. If you are building a physical game library on a budget, here is how you can catch up some of the biggest games without breaking your savings.

5 PS5 Blockbusters You Can Score on Clearance

Metaphor: ReFantazio

You save: 59%

Created by the core development team behind Persona 3, 4, and 5, this flagship RPG combines turn-based party combat with real-time field strikes. It delivers over 80 hours of campaign content, making its discounted physical price an extraordinary value per hour played.

Stellar Blade

You save: 38%

A high-octane PS5 exclusive centered on fast, precision-based parrying and combo mechanics. Built ground-up for PlayStation 5 hardware, it showcases native 4K support, rapid load speeds, and full DualSense haptic feedback.

Rise of the Ronin

You save: 58%

Set during the turbulent Bakumatsu period in late 19th-century Japan, this open-world title features Team Ninja’s signature stance-based melee combat, extensive weapon trees, and branching narrative choices.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

You save: 22%

One of the most recognizable system-sellers on the platform, offering a compact, cinematic adventure through ray-traced New York City with zero loading screens.

Horizon Forbidden West

You save: 60%

Aloy’s journey across a post-apocalyptic frontier remains a gold standard for PS5 visual fidelity, offering intense tactical battles against massive robotic beasts.

Game Title
Gameplay Focus
Estimated Campaign Length
Physical Disc Perk

Metaphor: ReFantazio
Turn-Based Strategy & Social Bonding
80+ Hours
Complete massive RPG on disc

Stellar Blade
Precision Action & Boss Battles
25–30 Hours
Full dual-sense showcase

Rise of the Ronin
Open-World Samurai Combat
30–50 Hours
Deep weapon variety & stance systems

Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Open-World Traversal & Combat
12–15 Hours
Ideal quick-play blockbuster

Horizon Forbidden West
Tactical Ranged Combat & Exploration
35–60 Hours
Premier visual benchmark title

The Playasia PS4 & PS5 Clearance Sale is still actively ongoing, but physical stock is limited and disappearing fast. Once these physical disc editions sell out, they may not be restocked at these low prices again.

PS: Free shipping is on-going for $99 until July 31. So, grab the opportunity while it’s still here. 

SHOP THE CLEARANCE SALE NOW

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Double Fine Announces Layoffs Following Split From Xbox

Psychonauts developer Double Fine Productions was among the five studios spun off from Xbox as part of its ongoing restructuring, and while it (thankfully) avoided closure, the divorce has forced the team to make cuts. Specifically, the studio has announced the departures of 23 staff members.

In a post shared on social media, Double Fine head/founder Tim Schafer writes,  “As a small, tightly-knit team, these actions are not taken lightly. Only the survival of our studio would ever make us consider such a painful action. Our transition to becoming an independent company also means becoming a size that we can sustain.” Double Fine states it is working with affected staff “as best we can” during their transition. 

Double Fine was granted independence from Xbox alongside South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games earlier this month; both studios retained their IP and game catalogs as part of the split. Xbox also spun off three other studios; Ninja Theory and Undead Labs were sold to unspecified buyers, and Arkane Studios’ fate remains up in the air as it undergoes mandatory consultation in France. 

Double Fine’s most recent release is the pottery-themed multiplayer party game Kiln, which launched in April. Under Xbox’s ownership, the team shipped Psychonauts 2 in 2021 and Keeper in 2025. 

There Are No Minigames In Onimusha: Way Of The Sword, But It Sounds Like The Phantom Realm Is Back

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the latest game to grace the cover of Game Informer, and after traveling to Osaka, Japan, last month to visit Capcom’s HQ, play the game, and interview the team, I’m excited to bring you weeks of exclusive coverage. Subscribers can read my cover story right now, but you clicked on this link because you want to read about minigames.

Minigames were more abundant in previous generations of games, and considering all four previously released Onimusha games launched between 2001 and 2006, it’s no surprise they featured these gameplay tangents. Onimusha: Warlords featured Oni Spirits; Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny featured the Puzzle Phantom Realm, The Man In Black, and Team Oni minigames; Players could play the Genma Puzzle Space, Oni Target Practice, and Adventures of Heihachi minigames in Onimusha 3: Demon Siege; and finally, Onimusha 4: Dawn of Dreams featured just one minigame in Arena. 

 

While these minigames might be relics of game development past, I was still curious if Onimusha: Way of the Sword would continue the lineage when it launches this September. Director Satoru Nihei quickly shattered my hopes and dreams, stating I won’t find any “minigames that you associate with” previous Onimusha games. “We really wanted to focus on the swordplay action there, so we didn’t put any extra time into minigames,” he says. 

Bummer, but, as any Onimusha fan knows, the Phantom Realm is a bit of a minigame itself in these games. As far back as Onimusha: Warlords, you start on a floor in the Phantom Realm and demons/Genma/Oni arrive to kill you – you must kill them all, collect the potential rewards that drop, and advance to the next floor. Reaching and completing the final floor comes with a powerful reward. 

When I ask Nihei if the Phantom Realm is in Onimusha: Way of the Sword in this capacity, he looks at producer Akihito Kadowaki beside him, they smile, and then he says, “Hmm, we’ll see.” 

While not confirmation, it’s exactly the kind of cheeky answer that tells me I might be onto something, so I’m choosing to let the copium flow through my veins. 

I’ll be diving deeper into Capcom’s return to Onimusha as part of Game Informer’s month of Way of the Sword coverage. We’ll be publishing exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos (including a Rapid-Fire Interview) on the Game Informer YouTube channel as well. Keep an eye on the Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub so you don’t miss any of it. 

In the meantime, here’s some additional Onimusha: Way of the Sword reading for you:

What’s your favorite minigame in the Onimusha series? Let us know in the comments below!

Nioh 3’s Hell Rising Story Expansion Launches Next Month

The first major expansion for Nioh 3 has a release date and trailer. Titled Hell Rising, the expansion takes players to a new time period and landmass while introducing new weapons, abilities, and more.

Hell Rising arrives on August 19 and sees players travel to 1651 Edo during the Keian Era to deal with the fallout of the death of Takechiyo, Nioh 3’s protagonist and the future shogun. Players team up with Yagyu Jubei, a one-eyed swordsman, and Rodrigo, a Spanish envoy, to solve new mysteries centering on the Spirit Stones. 

The new Keian Era map features new human and yokai enemies and a fresh Crucible. Players can take them on using the new hoko and shield weapons for both the Samurai and Ninja styles, allowing them to attack using the short spear hoko and defend with the shield, which can also be tossed at threats. 

 

Additionally, Hell Rising adds the new equipment category called the Hundred Demon Realms Picture Scroll. Defeating enemies sometimes causes them to drop a picture scroll as rare loot; equipping it requires winning an automatically generated battle tied to that scroll. These battles are replayable and allow players to change the scroll’s special effects while strengthening it too. 

Hell Rising also adds a new extreme difficulty unlocked on the third playthrough called the Enlighted One’s Journey. This setting makes it so certain enemies receive a random curse buff that makes them stronger but rewards players with divine-rarity loot upon defeat. You can also improve character builds with divine-rarity Grace set bonuses and other special effects.

Hell Rising will be available for all versions of Nioh 3 on August 19. It is the first of two story expansions planned. The second DLC, Bloody Insurrection, is coming at a later date. For more on Nioh 3, be sure to read our review. 

Nioh 3’s Hell’s Rising Story Expansion Launches Next Month

The first major expansion for Nioh 3 has a release date and trailer. Titled Hell’s Rising, the expansion takes players to a new time period and landmass while introducing new weapons, abilities, and more.

Hell’s Rising arrives on August 19 and sees players travel to 1651 Edo during the Keian Era to deal with the fallout of the death of Takechiyo, Nioh 3’s protagonist and the future shogun. Players team up with Yagyu Jubei, a one-eyed swordsman, and Rodrigo, a Spanish envoy, to solve new mysteries centering on the Spirit Stones. 

The new Keian Era map features new human and yokai enemies and a fresh Crucible. Players can take them on using the new hoko and shield weapons for both the Samurai and Ninja styles, allowing them to attack using the short spear hoko and defend with the shield, which can also be tossed at threats. 

 

Additionally, Hell’s Rising adds the new equipment category called the Hundred Demon Realms Picture Scroll. Defeating enemies sometimes causes them to drop a picture scroll as rare loot; equipping it requires winning an automatically generated battle tied to that scroll. These battles are replayable and allow players to change the scroll’s special effects while strengthening it too. 

Hell’s Rising also adds a new extreme difficulty unlocked on the third playthrough called the Enlighted One’s Journey. This setting makes it so certain enemies receive a random curse buff that makes them stronger but rewards players with divine-rarity loot upon defeat. You can also improve character builds with divine-rarity Grace set bonuses and other special effects.

Hell’s Rising will be available for all versions of Nioh 3 on August 19. It is the first of two story expansions planned. The second DLC, Bloody Insurrection, is coming at a later date. For more on Nioh 3, be sure to read our review. 

High School Dirty Secrets PS5 Physical Edition Heading to Japan on November 26 With Multi-language Support

PS5™ – Japan

Physical game collectors and visual novel enthusiasts have something exciting to mark on their calendars. High School Dirty Secrets is officially heading to the PlayStation 5 with a physical release in Japan on November 26.

Importantly for global fans, this release includes multi-language support, meaning players worldwide can import and enjoy the game without facing a language barrier. Both standard and physical Limited Editions are now available for international pre-order here at Playasia. 

At a Glance: Key Release Details

Quick Summary:

• Title: High School Dirty Secrets (高校のダーティー・シークレット)

• Release Date: November 26

• Platform: PlayStation 5 (PS5)

• Region & Compatibility: Japan Region / Region-Free PS5 Disc

• Language Support: Multi-language (Includes English, Japanese, French, Russian, Spanish, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional)

Standard vs. Limited Edition Comparison

If you are looking to add this physical release to your PS5 library, publisher COSEN is offering two distinct options:

Feature / Item
Standard Edition
Limited Edition

Physical PS5 Disc Game
Included
Included

Character Acrylic Stand
—
Included

Exclusive Pin-up Card
—
Included

Collectible Sticker Sheet
—
Included

Collector’s Storage Box
Standard Case
Special Outer Box

What’s Inside the Limited Edition Box?

For collectors who prefer physical extras and display items, the High School Dirty Secrets Limited Edition bundles the full PS5 physical game along with several physical goodies:

1. High School Dirty Secrets Base Game (PS5 Physical Disc)

2. Character Acrylic Stand: Perfect for displaying alongside your PS5 game collection.

3. Exclusive Pin-up Card: Featuring artwork from the game.

4. Sticker Set: Premium stickers featuring characters and logos.

Mark November 26 on your calendars! Between the region-free PS5 disc, built-in multi-language options, and exclusive Limited Edition goodies, High School Dirty Secrets is an easy pick-up for import fans. Pre-order your copy at Playasia now to guarantee your disc on launch day.

PRE-ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

【TRAILER】

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Update: Xbox Online Services Fully Restored After Hours-Long Outage

Update, 7/27/26, 7:24 p.m.: After suffering an outage that began late yesterday evening, several Xbox online services have been restored according to the Xbox Status page. 

The original story continues below…

Original Story, 7/27/26, 3:03 p.m.: Xbox is currently suffering a major service outage, days after PlayStation was hit with a similar issue. Services such as booting up digital games, logging into your account, and browsing the Xbox Store are said to be affected.

The service was first reported last night, July 26, at 11:10 p.m. ET.  As of publishing, Xbox is still working to resolve these problems, according to the Xbox status page, which was last updated at 2:48 p.m. ET. 

Four features are affected across Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and backwards compatibility. We’ve listed them below along with the official descriptions of their issues.

Account & Profile: You may not be able to sign-in to your Xbox profile, may be disconnected while signed in, or have other related problems. Features that require sign-in like most games, apps and social activity won’t be available.

Store & Subscriptions: You might not see a game you’re looking for in the Store right now.

Games & Gaming: You may have problems playing your digital games right now.

Apps & Mobile: You may have problems launching apps.

These outages may not affect every person –or every game, for that matter – equally; to test the outage for this story, I logged into my Xbox account on my Series X and booted up several games, both owned and downloaded from Game Pass, without problem. Still, this situation is worth keeping an eye on if you’re planning to jump into your Xbox over the next couple of hours.

PSA: Xbox Platforms Suffering Major Service Outage

Xbox is currently suffering a major service outage, days after PlayStation was hit with a similar issue. Services such as booting up digital games, logging into your account, and browsing the Xbox Store are said to be affected.

The service was first reported last night, July 26, at 11:10 p.m. ET.  As of publishing, Xbox is still working to resolve these problems, according to the Xbox status page, which was last updated at 2:48 p.m. ET. 

Four features are affected across Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and backwards compatibility. We’ve listed them below along with the official descriptions of their issues.

Account & Profile: You may not be able to sign-in to your Xbox profile, may be disconnected while signed in, or have other related problems. Features that require sign-in like most games, apps and social activity won’t be available.

Store & Subscriptions: You might not see a game you’re looking for in the Store right now.

Games & Gaming: You may have problems playing your digital games right now.

Apps & Mobile: You may have problems launching apps.

These outages may not affect every person –or every game, for that matter – equally; to test the outage for this story, I logged into my Xbox account on my Series X and booted up several games, both owned and downloaded from Game Pass, without problem. Still, this situation is worth keeping an eye on if you’re planning to jump into your Xbox over the next couple of hours.

Puzzle Boxes Are Gone In Onimusha: Way Of The Sword, But Bigger Environmental Puzzles Have Taken Their Place

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the latest game to grace the cover of Game Informer, and you can read my cover story about Capcom’s return to its samurai action series right now. I traveled to Osaka, Japan, to play the game for a few hours and interview the development leads, and one of the more surprising elements of my hands-on time was the lack of puzzle boxes. 

A staple of all four Onimusha games – Warlords, Samurai’s Destiny, Demon Siege, and Dawn of Dreams – they were curiously absent from my three hours of hands-on time with Way of the Sword. When I got the chance to talk to director Satoru Nihei about the game, I had to ask if I had missed any. It turns out, I didn’t – there just aren’t any in Way of the Sword. 

 

“As you observed, it’s not really the same kind of puzzle elements we had like usual, like the puzzle boxes,” Nihei tells me. “As you observed, we have puzzle elements in the actual stage, and we’ve introduced those as a way to break up the action.”

What Nihei is talking about there is an environmental puzzle I had to solve about halfway through my demo in Dokyo’s underground lab. Hidden beneath the imperial castle in Kyoto, the evil and demented genma Dokyo is concocting new demonic creations by splicing together Genma, humans, animals, and whatever else she/it can find. This entire stage plays like a classic Japanese ghost house, and I’ll be writing about that in a later feature, but in between the action, I had to pause and solve a puzzle unlike anything in any Onimusha game before. 

In a large kabuki theater-like room, there were four masks adorning the wall before me. It was very clear I needed to interact with them, or use them, to advance forward through the stage, but as much as I circled around the room, I couldn’t find any way to do so – no switch, no lever, nothing. So, I left the room. 

That’s when I noticed the way light was shining through decorative windows on a wall. Floating ornaments hung in each window, and the patterns of light shining through them matched the masks inside. Specifically, each ornament highlighted a number of holes in the matching mask – one hole to the first mask, two holes to the second mask, and so on. Looking at the ornaments from left to right yielded the solution I needed to interact with the masks inside the room. 

I spent longer than I care to admit solving this puzzle. Shizuka, the mysterious woman who either is protagonist Miyamoto Musashi’s Oni Gauntlet, or at least living inside of it somehow, lightly nudged me in the right direction with helpful and polite tips, and I was able to solve it with her help. Don’t worry: Shizuka wasn’t annoying and I didn’t find her tips to be immersion-breaking or anything like that. It’s the kind of help you want a companion to give and hey – if you’re still worried about Shizuka’s help, just be smarter than me when you play the game!

Overall, this puzzle probably took me about five minutes to solve, and then boom, I was right back into the sword action that makes up 90% of Onimusha: Way of the Sword. I enjoy a good environmental puzzle, and this one was quite unique. It doubles as a small break from the combat, too, and that’s by design, according to the game’s director. 

“Obviously action is a big focus of the game, but just having action is maybe not so exciting for people,” Nihei says. “So we’ve introduced these puzzle elements into each stage that can get people thinking in between those action sections.” 

 

I’ll be diving deeper into Capcom’s return to Onimusha as part of Game Informer’s month of Way of the Sword coverage. We’ll be publishing exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos (including a Rapid-Fire Interview) on the Game Informer YouTube channel as well. Keep an eye on the Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub so you don’t miss any of it. 

In the meantime, here’s some additional Onimusha: Way of the Sword reading for you: 

Are you going to miss the puzzle boxes? Let us know in the comments below!

A Final Fantasy VI Remake Could Be Tricky To Make According To Final Fantasy Directors

For years, fans clamored for a modernized remake of Final Fantasy VII, which was at last announced in 2015. Now that the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy is finally set to conclude in 2027 with Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the fan community has begun looking at what other classic entries in the legendary RPG series could be the next to receive the remake treatment. While it has already received the Pixel Remaster treatment, Final Fantasy VI has emerged as the most-wanted candidate. However, over the last month and a half, two prominent Final Fantasy directors have spoken on the topic of a hypothetical Final Fantasy VI Remake, and they don’t sound particularly enthused about taking it on.

Naoki Hamaguchi has spent more than the last decade of his life directing the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, which immediately put him at the top of the list in the minds of many fans. However, when I asked the director what he thinks is next for him and his career following the launch of Final Fantasy VII Revelation in 2027, he, unprompted, seemed to shoot down the notion that he’d take the reins on a remake of Final Fantasy VII’s beloved predecessor. 

“Right in this moment, I’m fully focused on completing FFVII Revelation and ensuring we’re delivering the FFVII Remake series in a perfect state, so that’s where I’m right now,” Hamaguchi told me in June. “At the same time, I do see a lot of fans and community asking me to take on the helm for a [hypothetical] FFVI remake. [laughs] So, I’m seeing a lot of that floating online, but, you know, a Final Fantasy VI Remake or any other remake, it could be me, or it could be someone else. Personally, I think that it might be in better hands if it went to another creator in Square Enix.”

During that same weekend, Bloomberg asked Hamaguchi a similar question about his next project, to which he replied, “It’s not going to be a remake! As a team, I do think there’s an opportunity to work on a smaller scale, like a double-A title, or a new Final Fantasy title or even a new triple-A franchise. I think all those would be good.”

Then, this past weekend at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Berlin, Germany, Hamaguchi was in conversation with Final Fantasy XIV director and Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida. Hamaguchi commented that Final Fantasy VI was the most influential game for him and the reason he wanted to work in games. “Every time I give that answer to a journalist or someone, the next day, there’s an article online saying, ‘Hamaguchi will be remaking Final Fantasy VI. So I also say, ‘No, I am not’ at the same time,’ Hamaguchi told the crowd with a laugh.

Yoshida also chimed in on that topic, claiming that a Final Fantasy VI Remake project would take an immense amount of work, and could end up being even more entries than the drawn-out Final Fantasy VII Remake series. “Of course, I understand the feelings of the players, but you’ve got to think about it,” he said on stage. “Look at Final Fantasy VI; it’s such an incredibly huge game. The scale is just immense, and the same applies for other titles like Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX. So of course now, since you’re working on the Final Fantasy VII Remake series, I do get that people would be asking for remakes of other titles, but if we did remake those other titles, we’d probably end up having to release them in four installments, or maybe even five installments.” 

While neither explicitly came out and said Final Fantasy VI Remake isn’t happening, it does sound as though neither of the series’ most prominent current directors are overly enthusiastic about taking it on. However, as longtime Final Fantasy director and producer Yoshinori Kitase told me in 2023, the notion of Final Fantasy VII Remake was borne out of the Final Fantasy XIII U.S. media tour, when interviewers continually asked him about the existence of such a project. Once that idea was planted, he returned to Japan to discuss it with fellow Final Fantasy luminary Tetsuya Nomura. 

During that interview, Nomura also opened up about how motivated he and Kitase felt about taking charge with Final Fantasy VII Remake, as well as the current remake culture within Square Enix. “Within Square Enix, gradually, remakes were being made, and these ideas for remakes were coming up in other departments,” Nomura told me. “If we weren’t going to do Final Fantasy VII, others were going to do it, so we had to rise up and do it! We had the sense that we had to guard Final Fantasy VII and have to be the ones taking this on, or someone else is going to do it. I thought it may be a bit troublesome is other teams without us took on the project.”

Just like Final Fantasy VII, Kitase directed Final Fantasy VI, with Nomura working on the art of the classic RPG. Though Hamaguchi and Yoshida sound hesitant to take on the project, perhaps that same tenacity that Kitase and Nomura felt about Final Fantasy VII Remake, which resulted in the project getting made, could serve as a source of hope for those looking for a remake of Final Fantasy VI. Until such a day comes, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the long-awaited conclusion to the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, is set to arrive in 2027 across all major modern platforms simultaneously.

[via videogameschronicle]

New Trailer For S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s Cost Of Hope Expansion Reveals August Release Date

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s first major story expansion, Cost of Hope, is coming on August 20. The expansion was first announced during the Xbox Partner Preview in March, and it will launch alongside Update 2.0, a massive overhaul to the entire post-apocalyptic adventure. 

In Cost of Hope, which is a paid expansion, players once again assume the role of protagonist Skif in a new narrative that unfolds in parallel to the events of the base campaign. A mysterious PDA signal draws Skif into a new storyline centered on rising tensions between the Duty and Freedom factions. Cost of Hope introduces two new regions, Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Iron Forest, along with new weapons, gear, and, naturally, mutated enemies. Cost of Hope will be the first of several planned expansions for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. 

 

Alongside Cost of Hope will be the arrival of Update 2.0, which upgrades S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 to a new version of Unreal Engine 5 to improve stability and performance. Additionally, this free update introduces new content and gameplay improvements for all owners of the game.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope will be available for all versions of the base game on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.  The price of the expansion is currently unlisted, but it will be included in the Deluxe and Ultimate Editions of the game. 

A Cozy Game for Anyone Who Has Ever Loved a Dog

PS5™ & Switch – Asia

Losing a pet is a quiet, specific kind of heartbreak. The house gets a little too silent, the floor near the front door stays empty, and you catch yourself looking for a tail that isn’t there anymore. Because society often expects people to “move on” quickly from losing an animal, pet owners are frequently left holding a heavy weight of unspoken grief.

Enter My Little Puppy, an indie adventure game that gently creates space for that exact grief.

Instead of treating pet loss purely as a tragedy, My Little Puppy uses interactivity, perspective, and genuine warmth to turn mourning into a celebration of love, offering players a rare, cathartic experience that feels less like playing a game and more like receiving a long-awaited hug.

Seeing Beyond the Grief: The Genius of the Dog’s Perspective

When we lose a pet, our grief is naturally tied to our human point of view: the empty leash, the veterinary bills, the final goodbye. My Little Puppy shifts the camera entirely.

By placing players in the paws of Bong-gu, a happy-go-lucky Welsh Corgi, the game subtly reframes how we think about our pets’ final journey. Bong-gu doesn’t wake up in Dog Heaven feeling defeated or sad. Instead, the moment he catches his owner’s familiar scent floating on the breeze, he is driven by one pure, joyful purpose: “Dad is coming! I need to go meet him!”

Meeting the “Restless Souls” Along the Rainbow Bridge

Grief isn’t a straight line, and My Little Puppy reflects this through the secondary characters Bong-gu encounters. As the little Corgi travels through snowy ridges, desert dunes, and glowing forests, he meets other animals and lost spirits who are stuck in place.

Some are waiting stubbornly because they miss their human’s voice; others are confused or carrying lingering regrets. By using simple, dog-centric interactions—offering a bark, sharing a gentle nuzzle, or running together—Bong-gu helps these souls find peace.

Through these small vignettes, the game acknowledges several different stages of pet grief:

• Guilt: “Did I do enough for them at the end?”

• Longing: “I just want to hear their paws on the floor one more time.”

• Acceptance: “Their love transformed me, and that doesn’t disappear.”

It gives players permission to cry without feeling hopeless. It validates the grief while gently pointing toward closure.

Keep a Physical Piece of Bong-gu’s Story on Your Shelf

For those who treat physical games as keepsakes, My Little Puppy is a story worth preserving.

Physical editions for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 (including standard and Deluxe Editions) are available for order worldwide via Playasia. Having a tangible copy on your shelf serves as a quiet, physical reminder of the pets who have graced your life.

HONOR THE BOND THAT TRULY NEVER ENDS

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Atari And Universal Sign Deal For The Rights To Adapt 10 Classic Games Like Pong And Breakout Into Films

Over the past few years, video game adaptations have gone from “almost always bad” to “sometimes pretty good,” so it’s no surprise that more and more of gaming’s biggest (and oldest) companies are looking to turn their digital properties into box office hits. According to Deadline, the latest instance of this comes from Atari (partnering with production company Entertainment 360), which just signed a deal with Universal Pictures to adapt ten of its most iconic games into film adaptations. Those games are:

• Asteroids
• Adventure
• Beserk
• Breakout
• Centipede
• Crystal Castles
• Millipede
• Missile Command
• Pong
• Yars’ Revenge

The first screenplay will come from a duo of writers, Matt Reilly and Carl Hampe, both of whom will also produce said picture. Reilly reportedly penned a spec script that kicked off the whole Atari/Universal negotiation process. Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady, who will also be a producer on the film, said, “The best Atari games dropped you into a world and let your imagination do the rest. Carl and Matt saw an opportunity to take that same spirit and build an original, large-scale adventure around it. From the moment we read the screenplay, we believed there was a great movie here.”

Reilly is best known as a studio executive, working in leadership roles at Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox, though he was most recently the executive vice president at Universal. According to LinkedIn, Reilly is currently president of production and creative at The Arena, a film-producing division of SNK, which Game Informer readers will most likely recognize as the company behind games like Fatal Fury and King of Fighters. SNK has also been scrutinized in recent years due to its acquisition by the Saudi government-owned Electronic Gaming Development Company. Meanwhile, Hampe is better known as a producer and production supervisor, working on films like 2019’s Hellboy, Jungle Cruise, and most recently, 65. Neither Reilly nor Hampe seem to have prominent writing credits.

 

While Atari has been out of the console game for quite a while now, it’s still around in the modern scene, publishing games like Bubsy 4D and co-publishing Total Chaos. Atari is perhaps best known through its subsidiary, Digital Eclipse, which we recently learned would be releasing retro collections of classic Barbie and Toy Story games.

[Source: Deadline]

Update: The Majority Of PlayStation Network Services Are Back Online

Update, 2:37 p.m. ET, 07/24/26

After being down for roughly eight hours, the majority of PlayStation Network services are back online. The only PSN service still experiencing issues is the PlayStation Store, but account management, gaming and social, PlayStation Video, and PlayStation Direct are back up and running. 

The original story continues below…

Original story, 12:41 p.m. ET, 07/24/26

The PlayStation Network (PSN) is down. That means all of its online services, such as account management, the PlayStation Store, and gaming and social content, are unavailable to players, leaving only offline services in effect. PSN has been down for more than six hours, interrupting online gaming for many, including the highly anticipated open beta for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, which was set to begin today. 

With PSN down, PlayStation players are unable to check out the PlayStation 5 console-exclusive title. “We’re aware that some PlayStation players are experiencing login and network issues,” the Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls X account posted this morning. “Our team is actively investigating the problem and working to identify the cause. We’ll share updates as soon as we have information.” 

 

Unfortunately for developer Arc System Works, which just revealed that Phoenix Cyclops will be the first DLC character to hit Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, it sounds like it’s out of its hands. The PSN service page shows all services as “experiencing issues.” Those services are as follows: 

• Account management
• Gaming and Social
• PlayStation Video
• PlayStation Store
• PlayStation Direct

While PSN being down is never great, the timing couldn’t be worse – PlayStation just earlier this month announced that it is ceasing production of physical discs for new games in January 2028. During PSN outages such as this, a physical disc often ensured players could at least access offline-playable content stored on the disc, while some digital games, even single-player ones, require an online check to play, leaving players unable to access those games when PSN is down. This move by PlayStation to end physical disc manufacturing is just another way the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S generation has been a race to the bottom. 

Game Informer will update this story when PSN comes back online. 

Onimusha: Way Of The Sword Isn’t Connected To Previous Games, But There Are Homages

Onimusha is finally back after a 20-year hiatus with Way of the Sword, which launches this September. In anticipation of its release, and for Game Informer’s latest cover story, I traveled to Capcom’s Osaka, Japan, HQ to play the game for a few hours and interview the development leads working on it. As an avid fan of the series, I was keen to learn if Onimusha: Way of the Sword is connected to previous Onimusha games in any way, so I asked the team. 

The tl;dr answer is no; there are no connections between Way of the Sword and other games in Capcom’s samurai action series. However, as was abundantly clear while playing the game, there are homages everywhere with (demon) eyes to see. 

“So there’s no direct kind of connection to the old games in the game world [of Onimusha: Way of the Sword], but we have tried to pay homage to some of the elements from those older games,” director Satoru Nihei tells me. “So some of the enemies you’ll see, for instance, are based on some older enemies; that’s so fans of the series have something they can touch base with.” 

Below, you can see the Reynaldo Genma from Onimusha: Warlords side-by-side with the Chijiko enemy from Way of the Sword. In the former, this tentacled demon can send its tentacles underground to attack from below, and they also split and mutate into multiple enemies when you “kill” one; the latter can do the same, using tentacles (and more) to attack you and splitting into two, unless you defeat them with a special move that prevents the split mutation from happening. 

Reynaldo (left), Chijiko (right)

The Raynaldo/Chijiko is just one of the homages I spotted during my time playing Way of the Sword at Capcom. Another is the Bazuu, an enemy in various Onimusha games. In Onimusha: Warlords, for example, one of its primary attacks is a spinning roll towards you that hits over and over. Though I don’t have the name, there’s a similarly designed enemy in Way of the Sword who also attacks by rolling into you, and it features the same armadillo-esque look, too. There’s also the soul-sucking Gyaran from Onimusha: Warlords; though its Way of the Sword counterpart doesn’t seem to suck Musashi’s souls, instead firing projectiles your way, it’s hard to deny a visual similarity between the two. 

“All of the enemies in this game are brand new, so while we do pay homage to some of the older games, we’ve kind of taken elements from them and remixed them for the new Genma in this title,” Nihei says. 

I look forward to discovering more of these homages in the final game when Onimusha: Way of the Sword hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC on September 4. 

 

I’ll be diving deeper into Capcom’s return to Onimusha as part of Game Informer’s month of Way of the Sword coverage. We’ll be publishing exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos (including a Rapid-Fire Interview) on the Game Informer YouTube channel as well. Keep an eye on the Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub so you don’t miss any of it. 

In the meantime, here’s some additional Onimusha: Way of the Sword reading for you: 

Anything else you want to know about enemies in Onimusha: Way of the Sword? Let me know in the comments below!

All PlayStation Network Services Are Down

The PlayStation Network (PSN) is down. That means all of its online services, such as account management, the PlayStation Store, and gaming and social content, are unavailable to players, leaving only offline services in effect. PSN has been down for more than six hours, interrupting online gaming for many, including the highly anticipated open beta for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, which was set to begin today. 

With PSN down, PlayStation players are unable to check out the PlayStation 5 console-exclusive title. “We’re aware that some PlayStation players are experiencing login and network issues,” the Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls X account posted this morning. “Our team is actively investigating the problem and working to identify the cause. We’ll share updates as soon as we have information.” 

 

Unfortunately for developer Arc System Works, which just revealed that Phoenix Cyclops will be the first DLC character to hit Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, it sounds like it’s out of its hands. The PSN service page shows all services as “experiencing issues.” Those services are as follows: 

• Account management
• Gaming and Social
• PlayStation Video
• PlayStation Store
• PlayStation Direct

While PSN being down is never great, the timing couldn’t be worse – PlayStation just earlier this month announced that it is ceasing production of physical discs for new games in January 2028. During PSN outages such as this, a physical disc often ensured players could at least access offline-playable content stored on the disc, while some digital games, even single-player ones, require an online check to play, leaving players unable to access those games when PSN is down. This move by PlayStation to end physical disc manufacturing is just another way the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S generation has been a race to the bottom. 

Game Informer will update this story when PSN comes back online. 

Phoenix Cyclops Revealed As First DLC Character In Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls At San Diego Comic Con

We’re just weeks away from the release of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, but developer Arc System Works intends to support the game well past launch, and they demonstrated that yesterday by revealing the game’s first DLC character. Phoenix Cyclops is the first character in the game’s upcoming wave 1 DLC, and you can check him out in action below.

 

“Phoenix Cyclops” isn’t exactly the name of a superhero, to be clear; this is an iteration of X-Men’s Cyclops being inhabited by the Phoenix force, a powerful, fiery cosmic entity, and a nod to the character’s appearance as a member of the Phoenix Five in the Avengers vs. X-Men comics. The character is voiced in English by Ray Chase, who also plays Cyclops in Marvel Rivals and X-Men ’97.

“In addition to powerful Optic Blasts and exceptional hand-to-hand combat abilities that define the character, this Cyclops also possesses the Phoenix Force, so expect Scott Summers to bring the heat!” Takeshi Yamanaka, producer of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, wrote on the PlayStation blog. “We’ll have more to share about how these abilities are incorporated into his gameplay, so please stay tuned for future updates on his fighting style.”

Phoenix Cyclops is the first of four characters in the Year One DLC pack, which will also include a new stage and a set of result screen character poses. The Year One DLC is also included in the game’s ultimate edition, which also includes alternate chromatic colored skins for each character, one skin each for Spider-Man, Storm, Iron Man, Captain America, and Doctor Doom, and cosmetics to be worm in the game’s explorable lobby.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches on PS5 and PC on August 6, but if you want to try it out sooner, you can play the free open beta this weekend.

How Capcom Decided On Miyamoto Musashi For Its Onimusha: Way Of The Sword Protagonist

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the latest game to grace the cover of Game Informer, and after playing it for a few hours, experiencing never-before-seen parts of it, it’s one of the more titillating releases on the horizon for me. It helps that it’s the first Onimusha game in 20 years, reviving a franchise that many others and I considered abandoned by publisher-developer Capcom. It also features one of Japan’s most celebrated samurai, Miyamoto Musashi, as the protagonist – a bold but exciting decision in a series with some beloved leads. 

While using Musashi, a legendary samurai in Japanese history, seems like an obvious choice for an Onimusha game, Capcom chose the historical figure because of his life (and the stories about it) and how it could connect to Way of the Sword mechanically. 

“In terms of picking Musashi for the story, obviously we wanted to have a samurai as the lead, and when we were thinking about famous samurai and the masters of the sword, Musashi’s name came up,” director Satoru Nihei tells me. “But looking more into his background and the elements of his real history, where he would use any means necessary to claim victory or use the environment around him, these are things we thought would feed in very nicely to the gameplay to introduce new elements into it. And then also, Musashi is a hero that wants to rise to the top on his own strengths, so him being paired with the gauntlet, this power that he doesn’t want, we thought it would provide an interesting contrast to the previous heroes we’ve had in our Onimusha series.” 

While he isn’t using his famous dual-sword stance in Onimusha: Way of the Sword, as he’s portrayed in his 20s here and hadn’t yet developed that combat style, Musashi’s real-life stories are already evident in their inspiration for Capcom’s action game. Speaking to environmental “help,” we’ll call it, Musashi has no problem picking up a pallet of wood, for example, to use it as a shield for incoming arrows. And of course he’s going to kick it toward surrounding Genma to gain an upper hand – there’s no honor when fighting a demon, right? He can also kick large wagons into a cohort of enemies for a surprisingly damaging entrance. 

There are explosive barrels I utilized when fighting Genma in Dokyo’s underground lab in Kyoto, and though all of this was just a taste of using what’s around me in combat, I can already imagine the other boons in each stage I’ll use to defeat enemies. 

Dokyo

When I ask Nihei how Musashi compares to other heroes of the Onimusha series, it’s his reticence to use the Oni Gauntlet. Onimusha: Warlords’ Samanosuke uses his gauntlet to rescue a princess; Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny’s Jubei uses his newfound demon powers to stop Nobunaga (again) and get the girl; Musashi just wants to get the dang thing off his wrist. It’s why he kills demons using it – he suspects the only way forward is through (hordes of Genma). Ultimately, using the gauntlet gets in the way of his quest to be the best swordsman in Japan, with Nihei likening it to an athlete using steroids and performance-enhancing drugs – Musashi wants to prove he’s the best on his own merits alone. 

Musashi is based on deceased Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune’s likeness; Mifune famously portrayed the samurai in director Horishi Inagaki’s 1950s Samurai Trilogy, which consists of Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954), Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955), and Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956). That tracks with the aforementioned Samanosuke and Jubei, with the former played by Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro and the latter modeled after late actor Yūsaku Matsuda.

All this said, I’ll be diving deeper into Capcom’s iteration of Musashi, including how it went about using Mifune’s likeness, in upcoming stories. We’ll be publishing exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos (as well as a Rapid-Fire Interview) on the Game Informer YouTube channel too, so keep the Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub bookmarked to ensure you don’t miss any of it. 

 

In the meantime, here’s some additional Onimusha: Way of the Sword reading for you: 

Anything else you want to know about Onimusha: Way of the Sword? Let me know in the comments below!

Star Wars Zero Company Cast Includes Actors From Clone Wars, Hades II, Resident Evil, And More

Star Wars Zero Company is a turn-based tactics game set in a galaxy far far away, and today, ahead of a July 25 panel at San Diego Comic Con, we got a rundown of the actors in the game’s voice cast. It includes returning favorites, like Dee Bradley Baker as a clone trooper and Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker, reprising their respective roles from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but it also introduces plenty of new voices to the Star Wars universe. Here’s the full list:

Zero Company Operatives:

• Captain Hawks: Jonathan Freeman (M) (Goliath, Children’s Hospital) / Erica Luttrell (F) (Star Wars: Squadrons, Steven Universe)

• Trick: Dee Bradley Baker (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

• Kabb Uppercut: JB Blanc (Arcane)

• Jae Mordant: Judy Alice Lee (Marvel Rivals, Hades II)

• Tel-Rea ‘Tel’ Vokoss: Nicole Rainteau (Criminal Minds)

• Cly Kullervo: Alex McKenna (Red Dead Redemption 2)

• Luco Bronc: Jason Spisak (Arcane)

Other Cast Members And Cameos:

• Bennic Halloren: Leo Howard (Kickin’ It)

• Runa Blask: Vic Michaelis (Dropout, PONIES)

• Neesh Renark: Jim Pirri (Marvel’s Spider-Man 2)

• M-3VO, “Meevo”: DC Douglas (Mass Effect, Resident Evil 5)

• Anakin Skywalker: Matt Lanter (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

• Gorga: Kevin Michael Richardson (The Super Mario Bros. Movie)

• Fathom: Rekha Sharma (Star Trek: Discovery)

• Typhon: Hunter Smith (Monster Hunter Wilds)

• Visser: Dylan Kenin (Mayor of Kingstown)

It’s a pretty large cast with some fun pre-existing connections. For fans of Arcane, the animated adaptation of League of Legends, the cast includes the actors for both Silco and Vander (Jason Spisak and JB Blanc, respectively), two of the show’s earliest rivals. The cast also includes video game actors like Jim Pirri, who played Kraven in Spider-Man 2, Judy Alice Lee, who played Melinoë in Hades II, Alex McKenna, who played Sadie Adler in Red Dead Redemption 2, and DC Douglas, who plays Albert Wesker in the Resident Evil series. (Speaking of which, a new trailer for the movie came out today!)

If you’re my age, you’re especially delighted to see Disney’s Leo Howard, who previously had a role starring in the Disney XD sitcom Kickin’ It, and Vic Michaelis, star of Dropout shows like Very Important People.

 

“In Star Wars Zero Company, former Republic officer Hawks gathers unconventional allies and forms a diverse squad that operates in the shadows of the Clone Wars,” the cast reveal article on starwars.com reads. “Work alongside ranks of recruits from across the galaxy, known as Operators, as you race against time to hunt Kundri Fathom, the dangerous leader of the Infinite Coil, a Separatist-aligned cult.”

Star Wars Zero Company launches on August 27, a little over a month from today, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It’s being developed by Bit Reactor, a development studio founded by people who formerly worked on the XCOM series, and so far, it looks pretty good.

New Zach Cregger Resident Evil Trailer Features Bullet Scavenging And Raccoon City

Resident Evil, a movie adaptation of the massively successful video game franchise directed by Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian), comes to theaters on September 18, and today, Sony Pictures Entertainment put out its first full-length trailer. You can watch it for yourself below.

 

While earlier teasers introduced the protagonist and the general vibe of the world, this trailer gave us our first look at the plot and some supporting cast members. Bryan, played by Austin Abrams (who you might recognize from Weapons or Euphoria), transports transplant organs for a living. The reason he’s out at night in the snow is because he’s bringing some kind of extra special package to Raccoon City, which we happen to know from series lore is about to get absolutely devastated by a zombie outbreak.

The trailer includes a few nods to the game series, including the way Abrams scrounges for ammo (which is the brand from the games) and a mysterious typewriter in the house he visits, but it’s otherwise a completely original story so far. 

The movie also stars Zach Cherry (Succession), Kali Reis (True Detective: Night Country), and Paul Walter Houser (The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Inside Out 2) as scientists working for Umbrella, the Resident Evil universe’s corrupt research corporation, though this trailer only gives us a glimpse at Houser’s character Carl.

Resident Evil premieres in theaters on September 18. For more of the survival horror series, check out our review of Resident Evil: Requiem and watch the trailer for Resident Evil: Veronica.

Carveout 2160 Is An Upcoming Sci-Fi Snowboarding Game That Is Giving Serious SSX Tricky Vibes

There has been a giant SSX Tricky-sized hole in my life for many, many years now, which is why I became immediately interested in developer byteparrot’s Carveout 2160, which I saw a post about on Bluesky this morning. It’s an extreme-action snowboarding game set in Space and is “inspired by SSX, with tricks, combos, and boost.” 

After watching the trailer, I’d take it a step further and say it must be specifically inspired by 2001’s SSX Tricky. From the fantastical tracks filled with exuberant neon, half pipes, rails to grind, ramps, and more, to the way each snowboarder performs tricks, Carveout 2160 might be the snowboarding game that finally fills the aforementioned SSX Tricky void. There’s no release date for it yet, but you can wishlist the game on Steam right now. 

Check out the Carveout 2160 trailer below to see what I’m talking about: 

 

“Carveout 2160 is a snowboarding game centered around the most dangerous competition in the universe, because this tournament is not on Earth,” the game’s description on Steam reads. “Land risky stunts to earn boost, use it to burst into shortcuts or wipeout the competition and rocket yourself around the planets and onto the podium.” 

The game’s Steam page highlights arcade snowboarding mechanics, including tricks, combo systems, and rail sliding. Plus, you can utilize earned boosts to take down opponents and break barriers. Players can also use gadgets like a grappling hook or rocket thrusters to get first place. 

When Carveout 2160 launches, it will feature splitscreen multiplayer for up to four players and online multiplayer for up to eight. 

What’s your favorite snowboarding game? Let us know in the comments below!

Splash Sale Alert is On from July 23 to July 30

Hold onto your ink tanks — Splatoon Raiders has officially landed on the Nintendo Switch 2! To mark the long-awaited launch of Deep Cut’s chaotic campaign across the Spirhalite Islands, Playasia is throwing a week-long celebration with their Splash Sale Alert running from July 23 to July 30, 2026.

Featured Sale Deals (July 23 – July 30)

Here is a quick overview of the top featured Japanese imports included in Playasia’s week-long celebration:

Item Name
Category
Highlights

Splatoon 2 Original Soundtrack – Splatune 2
Music / CD
2-disc physical soundtrack featuring Off the Hook, Wet Floor, and battle tracks.

HaikaraWalker By Splatoon 2
Art / Lore Book
272-page in-universe fashion magazine & Octo Expansion artwork collection.

Splatoon 3 Ikasu Art Book
Design / Art Book
Massive 400+ page hardcover packed with character concepts, Splatlands design, & weapon art.

Splatoon 3 Original Soundtrack – Splatune 3
Music / CD
4-disc set with all Deep Cut anthems, Squid Sisters tracks, and Splatfest themes.

Splatoon 3 All Star Collection Plush SP45: Shiver (S)
Merchandise
Official S-size plush of Deep Cut’s shark-master master of ceremonies.

Splatoon 3 All Star Collection Plush SP46: Frye (S)
Merchandise
Official S-size plush of Deep Cut’s energetic eel-tamer.

Ready to Gear Up?

Whether you are looking to deck out your shelf with high-grade imported art books or jam out to the high-energy tracks that inspired the chaotic world of Splatoon Raiders, these official Japanese imports won’t stay in stock long. Don’t let your favorite items get splatted away—secure your merch before the sale dries up on July 30!

SHOP NOW

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Awakening Steam Key at Playasia

Steam

Imagine stepping into a vast, breathtaking open world brimming with fluid action combat and a deep roster of playable heroes—without ever hitting a stamina cap or pulling on a gacha banner. DragonSword: Awakening delivers exactly that.

Crafted by Hound13 on Unreal Engine 5, this fantasy action-RPG strips away live-service microtransactions in favor of a pure, buy-to-play single-player experience. Every character, skill, and secret hidden across its world can be unlocked entirely through gameplay, giving fans of anime RPGs the grand scope they love with the complete freedom of a classic premium release.

What is DragonSword: Awakening?

Originally envisioned as a live-service mobile title, DragonSword: Awakening underwent a massive overhaul into a full-featured, stand-alone PC game.

You follow the journey of Lute, a young boy who gets drawn into a band of mercenaries alongside Johnny and the elf Castella. Together, you embark on a grand quest to trace the legacy of six legendary heroes and stop an ancient dragon threat reawakening after 60 years.

Is DragonSword: Awakening available on Steam Deck?

Yes. DragonSword: Awakening supports Steam Deck play, allowing you to explore the open world of Orbis on the go.

Skip the microtransactions and jump straight into an unrestricted open-world fantasy adventure today.

Get the Standard Edition now at 5% off!

ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Super Yanoman Collection Launching in Japan on December 10 for PS5 & Switch

PS5™ & Switch – Japan

Retro gaming enthusiasts and physical media collectors, mark your calendars! Super Yanoman Collection is officially releasing physical editions in Japan on December 10, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.

What is Super Yanoman Collection?

The Super Yanoman Collection gathers classic 16-bit Super Famicom / SNES RPGs and strategy titles originally published by Yanoman Corporation into one modern physical package. Known for cult-classic titles like the Aretha series and Federation of Dark Lord, this anthology brings nostalgic 1990s Japanese gaming history onto contemporary consoles with updated quality-of-life features.

Standard vs. Special Edition: What’s Included?

Collectors can choose between two physical editions for both PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.

1. Standard Edition

2. Special Edition (Collector’s Package)

For fans who want the ultimate physical release, the Special Edition comes packed with exclusive physical merchandise celebrating Yanoman’s legacy:

Why Pre-Order from Playasia?

Since physical releases of niche Japanese classic collections often have limited print runs, securing a pre-order early guarantees you won’t face second-hand market price markups after release day.

Both the PS5 and Nintendo Switch are region-free, meaning Japanese physical cartridges and discs will work seamlessly on console hardware worldwide.

Pre-order link: You can lock in your copy now by clicking the button below!

PRE-ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

EA Sports UFC 6 Leads Game Sales For June, A Month Where Spending Fell 21% Compared To Last Year

U.S. video game spending in June of this year dropped a substantial 21% compared to June of 2025. While that kind of decline might sound dismal, especially placed within the context of current economic struggles and abundant price increases everywhere, it’s also due to just how good June 2025 was for video game spending, bolstered by the record-breaking launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, as reported by the latest Circana analyst report. 

EA Sports UFC 6 took the top spot for best-selling game of 2026 for U.S. spending on physical and full game digital dollar sales, with Meccha Chameleon behind it in second, followed by 007 First Light and Star Fox, the recently released Nintendo Switch 2 remake of Star Fox 64. 

 

The top 10 is as follows: 

1. EA Sports UFC 6
2. Meccha Chameleon
3. 007 First Light
4. Star Fox
5. Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
6. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
7. Forza Horizon 6
8. MLB: The Show 26
9. Minecraft
10. NBA 2K26

U.S. video game spending reached $4.5 billion during June (in totality), and first-half spending for the year finished 1% behind 2025’s pace, at $27.5 billion. For June 2026 itself, video game hardware spending dropped 62% compared to June 2025, down to $383 million, driven by the aforementioned Switch 2 launch. Switch 2 hardware spending in the U.S. actually dropped 79% compared to its launch month last year, though that’s likely to be expected given a console launch is a massive month, if not the biggest, for sales. That said, the Switch 2 remained the best-selling hardware across both units sold and dollars for June 2026 and 2026 year-to-date, with PlayStation 5 ranking second across the same measures. 

PlayStation 5 spending fell 19% year-on-year, and Xbox Series spending fell more than double that, according to Circana’s report. 

Looking more broadly at U.S video game spending, content (games, etc.) spending fell by 12% last month, compared to June 2025, down to $3.9 billion. Year-to-date content dollars remain flat compared to 2025, though, sitting at $24.3 billion. 

 

Surprisingly, subscription service spending was the only content segment in video game spending that experienced growth last month, jumping up 7% compared to June 2025; even mobile spending is down, which is rare. 

Finally, June accessories spending fell 21% from last year, to $232 million, and controller spending, specifically, dropped 31%. 

For more, read Game Informer’s reviews of EA Sports UFC 6, 007 First Light, Star Fox, and Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. 

Are you surprised by any of these spending reports? Let us know in the comments below!

Insomniac Interview Reveals Marvel’s Wolverine Takes Place When ‘The X-Men Don’t Yet Exist’

Marvel’s Wolverine, Spider-Man developer Insomniac’s upcoming action game, launches in less than two months, but we still know very little about its world and story. Sony’s recent summer showcase gave us our first real look at its gameplay and featured a slice of the narrative, but we’re still eager for more information about the violent journey Logan will be taking on. Luckily, Entertainment Weekly published an interview today with several of the game’s developers, and it sheds some light on the state of mutants and the X-Men in the video game world.

More specifically, it reveals that the X-Men don’t exist yet.

“Marvel’s Wolverine, which will release on PlayStation 5 consoles this Sep. 15, is set in a world where the X-Men don’t yet exist,” the article reads. “While humanity knows about superheroes like Spider-Man (hence, the events of the previous games), mutants are still largely living in the shadows.

“Those that do know of them, either fear them or see them as subjects for extermination. Wolverine works for Team X, a black-ops group (inspired by the team from the comics) fighting for mutant survival.”

Based on what we’ve seen in the trailers, this makes sense – Wolverine is generally acting alone, and while he’s familiar with other mutants, we’ve yet to see anyone with a matching yellow suit. Even Jean Grey, who appears in the Summer State of Play footage, wears blue and black, and her relationship with Logan is pretty vague. Still, it’s a bit disappointing for folks who have wanted to see a narrative-driven game featuring the X-Men team, but hopefully this paves the road for Xavier’s Academy in the future.

As for Team X, the team Wolverine is a part of in the game, it’s not clear exactly who’s on the roster. Sabretooth, Omega Red, Lady Deathstrike, and Mystique have all been members in various adaptations of the group, and they’re all confirmed to be in the game, but Wolverine also seems to be battling each of them at some point or another, so either he has a falling out with his teammates (very likely), or they’re enemies of Team X (also likely).

Aside from that detail, the interview largely focuses on Insomniac’s take on Wolverine as a character, as well as actor Liam McIntyre’s performance. McIntyre tells EW that he watched footage of rabid dogs to get in touch with Wolverine’s feral side, a level of commitment his collaborators called “terrifying.”

 

“I guess that’s good, right? Being terrifying,” McIntyre told EW. “But, suddenly, I was like, ‘I’m really scared to go all out with this,’ but they’re such a good team that you feel safe. They will help me if it’s not gonna work. They will tell me. They won’t just let it happen. So I got to take some really huge swings with my character as a result of being able to trust them so much.” Later in the piece, animation director Brian Wyser says that trust makes the final product “look good.”

Marvel’s Wolverine launches on September 15 as a PS5 exclusive. For more detailed breakdown, check out our preview of the game, analyzing its extended gameplay trailer. For more Marvel games, read how to sign up for the open beta for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Why Kyoto Was The Perfect Setting For Onimusha: Way Of The Sword

Onimusha: Way of the Sword marks the return of Capcom’s samurai action series after a 20-year hiatus. While previous entries were set during Japan’s Sengoku period – the Warring States period – Way of the Sword brings players to the Edo period. Though Edo, known in the modern day as Tokyo, was the country’s capital then, protagonist Miyamoto Musashi’s adventures in Way of the Sword will largely take place in Kyoto. 

For Game Informer’s Onimusha: Way of the Sword cover story, I spoke to various leads working on the game to learn more information about this long-awaited return. While Kyoto is a great city and the setting of various games, it’s also a historic location that makes sense for Capcom’s goals in Way of the Sword. 

The Sengoku period began in the 1400s and ended in 1600, and that’s where the first four Onimusha games took place (and also modern-day Paris in Onimusha 3: Demon Siege – it’s a whole thing). Way of the Sword takes place in the early Edo period, which began at the turn of the 17th Century. Director Satoru Nihei tells me that Musashi is in his 20s in Way of the Sword, which means the game likely takes place between 1603 and 1613. And while he’ll visit other locations, like the Oni Realm, the game largely takes place in Kyoto. 

“Whilst investigating and researching Kyoto, we started finding all these strange dark stories and myths tied to Kyoto, and felt it was a really good match for Onimusha in terms of having the Genma involved in some of these dark elements of Kyoto’s history,” Nihei says. “That became a point for selecting Kyoto as a location.” 

While the real-life Musashi did visit Kyoto, Capcom has taken some creative liberties with why and when in Onimusha, for obvious reasons. Musashi didn’t go to Kyoto looking to fight Genma – he went there looking to put another notch in his successful sword duels belt. When he arrives there in-game, he’ll be quite young compared to his Kyoto-based stories of legend, Nihei says. He didn’t factor into local politics in the real world, and Nihei says don’t expect him to do as much in Way of the Sword. “In terms of politics and the surrounding historical context, [Musashi] doesn’t really factor into that too much, and just because we wanted to release this game to a global audience, we didn’t want to delve too deep into Japanese history and politics, which may not be as accessible for people outside of Japan.” 

Kiyomizu-dera Temple, as depicted in Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Way of the Sword lead writer Hiroshi Yamashita says he and his team looked at the legends and myths of Kyoto, developing many of the characters from that starting point, taking bits and pieces from here and there to flesh out more mysterious figures into something more resembling characters. “But in terms of actually writing the characters themselves, a lot of that comes from [me], and then I take that to the director and the rest of the team,” he tells me. 

As you might guess, the team at Capcom visited Kyoto many times – it’s just a short 40-ish minute train ride away, after all – to research the area, experience its atmosphere and history, and take in sights and sounds it might want to include in Way of the Sword. Art director Hiroyuki Nara tells me Way of the Sword’s Kyoto is meant to align with the idea of an “eerily beautiful dark fantasy.” 

“The general depiction or impression of Kyoto, for a lot of people, is a vivid kind of green, beautiful place, and [I would have] loved to recreate that sense in the game,” he says. “But just because of the setting and the time that it is, it’s obviously got a much darker edge than real-life Kyoto, so it’s something [I had to hold back on].” 

That said, a lot of real-life Kyoto is in Way of the Sword, including pagodas, shrines, and locations you can still visit today. I even went to the Yasui Konpiragu Shrine with some of the development team to learn more about it, and the Kiyomizu-dera Temple as well. You can see both locations in the gallery below: 

 

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the latest game to grace the cover of Game Informer, and as part of my cover story coverage, I’ll be posting exclusive behind-the-scenes articles diving deep into the making of this game, the team’s thought processes, and more. We’ll also be posting exclusive gameplay and interview videos (including a Rapid-Fire Interview) on the Game Informer YouTube channel. Keep the Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub bookmarked so you don’t miss any of it!

In the meantime, here’s some additional Onimusha: Way of the Sword reading for you: 

Anything else you want to know about Onimusha: Way of the Sword? Let me know in the comments below!

NBA 2K27 Cover Athletes Revealed Alongside Roadmap To Launch

Another year, another NBA 2K game – this year, NBA 2K27 will hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC on September 4, with more expensive early access editions giving players the chance to hop in starting August 28. Ahead of the game’s launch, 2K has revealed the cover athlete stars alongside a roadmap to launch, so players know what to expect in the coming weeks. 

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, who was the NBA’s first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, will be on the cover of the Standard Edition of NBA 2K27; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, who was the 2024 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year and three-time WNBA All-Star starter, will be on the cover of the Deluxe Edition of NBA 2K27; and Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, who was a three-time NBA All-Star player and the youngest MVP in NBA history, will be on the cover of the Ultra Edition of NBA 2K27. 

You can check out all three NBA 2K27 covers below: 

 

The Standard Edition will cost $69.99. The Deluxe Edition and Ultra Edition, both of which grant players early access to the game starting August 28, will cost $99.99 and $149.99, respectively. 2K says the Ultra Edition will be a “limited-time” offering available through September 6. 

Alongside today’s cover athlete reveals, 2K has also released a roadmap to launch for NBA 2K27. Check it out in the image below: 

• July 28: Gameplay Trailer
• August 10: 2K Beats Soundtrack
• August 13: Apparel Brand Spotlight
• August 18: There’s no word on what’s happening on this day, but various posters in the image above say to “tune in.” 
• August 28: Early Access
• September 4: Official Launch

As part of today’s reveals, each of the cover athletes shared their thoughts on being on the cover: 

• Victor Wembanyama: “When you’re truly obsessed with basketball, the game doesn’t stop when you leave the arena. NBA 2K is the court that never locks up, it’s always open whether you’re in Paris or San Antonio. It’s how you study the game, sharpen your IQ, and live basketball 24/7. To be the face of a game that fuels that hunger for hoops and whose covers immortalize the all-time greats; that’s a dream come true for me.”
• Caitlin Clark: “Being on the cover of NBA 2K27 is special because this game reaches fans all over the world. To be the first WNBA player on her own global cover means women’s basketball gets to show up on that stage too, and I am proud to be part of that.”
• Derrick Rose: “It’s crazy looking back at being on the NBA 2K13 cover to now having my own edition for NBA2K27. During my journey, there have been coaches who believed in me, teammates who made me better, and fans who showed up louder than I ever expected. So, this is a chance to inspire young athletes to stay obsessed with the game. To show them that when you put in the countless hours of hard work, it rewards you.”

 

NBA 2K27 launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC on September 4. 

In the meantime, read Game Informer’s NBA 2K26 review. 

Which cover athlete are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!

Why 2026 Was The Year To Bring Onimusha Back After A 20-Year Gap With Way Of The Sword

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the latest game to grace the cover of Game Informer, and while the game has made quite a splash in the samurai-action scene, it’s easy to forget this is the first entry in the series in 20 years. Yes, we received remasters of the first and second games in recent years, and Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams (the fourth mainline game) is coming to PlayStation Plus’ Classics lineup next month, but Way of the Sword is the first new entry in two decades. That’s why, when it was time to interview the game’s director, Satoru Nihei, and one of its producers, Akihito Kadowaki, at Capcom’s Osaka, Japan, HQ for this cover story, my first question was: Why is 2026 the time to bring back Onimusha?

I half-suspected it was an issue of sales, considering the series has only sold 9 million copies, a far cry from Resident Evil’s 200 million, Monster Hunter’s 127 million, and even Street Fighter’s 59 million. The other half of me assumed Capcom had simply forgotten about Onimusha – after the first game, Onimusha: Warlords (which, after recently playing the remaster on Steam, I can confidently say still absolutely rips), launched in 2001, we received three sequels in the following five years. And that was it: Onimusha disappeared as fast as it arrived. Kadowaki tells me, however, that Onimusha’s departure from the action space wasn’t for lack of trying. 

“[Whilst Onimusha] was always well-received, there were, at Capcom at the time, other major series like Monster Hunter, Resident Evil games, and Street Fighter, but there were also up-and-coming developing titles,” he says. “And as development became more difficult, needing more time and more people, with all those people focused on those titles, it was very difficult to get a team together to make a new Onimusha game, despite wanting to internally for a long time.” 

Kadowaki says he personally wanted to have a hand in bringing the series back as a longtime fan of Onimusha. It took the RE Engine coming to fruition and a soft reset in 2020 for Capcom, as the publisher-developer looked at scheduling out the new/now-current generation of hardware and the games it intended to make for it, for Onimusha’s return. The team has been working on Way of the Sword for six years, and Kadowaki tells me that while Capcom paid attention to the action space and to what players expect of it, the team worked hard to ensure Way of the Sword retained everything that makes an Onimusha game an Onimusha game. He also specifically asked Nihei to direct Way of the Sword, aware that Nihei loved the games as a teen and wanted to make his mark on the series. Much to Nihei’s surprise, his opportunity to make a mark on Onimusha also became his first time as a director. 

When I ask Nihei where one even starts when making a new game in a series that’s been dormant for 20 years, he responds with one word: Issen. 

Present in every Onimusha game, the Issen is a powerful counterattack that players can perform by attacking just before an enemy attacks, often resulting in a critical hit. If you’re an Onimusha fan, it’s likely something you want to hear when it comes to this series’ return to the action space.

“[This] was one of the critical parts of that satisfaction and the feel of the period action, and the Oni Gauntlet, the tactical elements of it in terms of soul absorption, kind of weighing when to use those abilities and when not to, and then also the elements of the historical ties to the real history of Japan,” Nihei says. “Obviously, the previous titles were set in the Sengoku period, so the Warring States period, but just mixing those historical elements with dark fantasy elements is the core of Onimusha.”

This is just the first of many Onimusha: Way of the Sword articles I have planned for Game Informer’s month of coverage surrounding the game, and we’ll be publishing exclusive gameplay and behind-the-scenes videos (as well as a Rapid Fire Interview) on the Game Informer YouTube channel too. Keep the Onimusha: Way of the Sword coverage hub bookmarked so you don’t miss any of it!

In the meantime, here’s some additional Onimusha: Way of the Sword reading for you: 

What do you want to know about Onimusha: Way of the Sword? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll see what I can cook up for you!

Promising Time-Loop Metroidvania Echo Weaver Arrives On Consoles And PC This October

Since we first learned about it, Echo Weaver has been an indie Metroid-inspired game we’ve been keeping our eyes on it. Thanks to its persistent time-loop mechanic and unique approach to the Metroidvania genre (which developer Moonlight Kids calls “Metroidbrainia”), we’ve been eagerly anticipating getting out hands on it. Not only did we get our hands on it (you can read our preview in the new issue of Game Informer), but Game Informer can exclusively reveal that Echo Weaver arrives on consoles and PC on October 8.

In Echo Weaver, you take control of the last Weaver in the ruins of a dead world. In true Metroidvania fashion, you traverse an ever-expanding 2D map, solving puzzles, battling enemies, and learning new abilities. The keyword there is “learning” when it comes to new abilities, as the gating in this game doesn’t come down to unlocking new abilities, but rather you, the player, learning how to pull off certain mechanics. There are areas where it tutorializes the abilities, but if you stumble upon it before then, you aren’t prevented from using that power. In the early hours, the puzzles, combat, and platforming all felt thoughtful and well-designed, leading us to continue carrying our enthusiasm for the latest game from Moonlight Kids. 

 

If you’re a subscriber to Game Informer, you can read the digital preview of Echo Weaver right now. And if Echo Weaver sounds up your alley, you can look forward to the full release on October 8, when it comes to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC.

Cover Reveal – Onimusha: Way Of The Sword

Miyamoto Musashi is Japan’s most famous samurai. Presumed to have been born around 1583 (though the history surrounding his origins are murky at best) Musashi is famous for an undefeated record of 62 duels, the birth of dual-wielding Japanese swords in the katana and wakizashi, and for being the legendary figure at the heart of various movies, manga, novels, and more. He is now also a protagonist in Capcom’s Onimusha series, finally returning after a 20-year hiatus, with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, which is the latest game to grace the cover of Game Informer.

Game Informer video editor Eric Van Allen and I flew to Osaka, Japan last month to visit Capcom’s headquarters and learn more about how and why it was finally time for Onimusha to return. We played roughly three hours of the game, experiencing an extended demo of the “open-town” section of the game’s Edo-period Kyoto, where we eventually faced off against the terrifying Rasho-gan, the Wish Warper, before heading deep into an underground lab where we fought back against the sinister Genma creations of the demented Dokyo. We also interviewed various leads behind the game, including director Satoru Nihei, producer Akihito Kadowaki, art directors Hiroyuki Nara and Hiroshi Yugen, and lead writer Hiroshi Yamashita. Fresh off a replay of Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, I also got the chance to discuss the game (and its recent remaster) with its director, Motohide Eshiro. Leaving no stone unturned, Eric and I also went to a local arcade to play Onimusha VR: Shadow Team and traveled to Kyoto by train to check out the real-life locations that appear in Way of the Sword.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, Japan

You can expect a lot of Musashi in our coverage hitting the site over the next few weeks, starting with your first look at the Onimusha: Way of the Sword cover featuring the man himself. In the art, Musashi is pictured armed with an Oni Gauntlet and determination in his eyes, ready to defeat the surrounding Genma as Kyoto burns around him.

 

Perhaps I’m biased, but this is one of my favorite issues we here at Game Informer have made in a minute. That’s in part due to Onimusha: Way of the Sword being on the cover, yes, but also because the magazine is jam-packed with incredible writing. Contributors include JJ Bersch, who wrote an excellent retrospective on Kirby Super Star for its 30th birthday, Hayes Madsen, who chronicled the success of Capcom in recent years, and Luis Gutierrez, who went hands-on with The Blood of Dawnwalker and detailed why he’s so excited for more after three hours. We also have a big roundup of upcoming games from small teams with big potential, and it’s sure to make your wishlist grow three times as large. Plus, editor-in-chief Matt Miller went deep on Crowsworn, an upcoming action platformer you need to keep an eye on, and associate editor Charles Harte traveled all the way to Paris to play Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse in a deconsecrated church.

That’s not even half of the goodness you’ll find in this issue, either. We have previews of exciting upcoming games like Orbitals, Signet City, Resident Evil Veronica, Erosion, Fable, Clutch, ILL, Gen Atlas, Echo Weaver, Crossfire, and more, as well as reviews of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, Star Fox, Rhythm Heaven Groove, and Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. We tapped contributors Connor Trinske, Jay Guisao, and Danreb Victorio to review Gothic 1 Remake, EA Sports College Football 27, and NBA The Run, respectively, too.

All of this is to say this issue is an incredible one, and hey, guess what? You can read the digital edition right now! Physical versions will be arriving in your mailboxes mid-to-late August, just in time for some Onimusha reading before the game’s September launch. You can find the issue in bookstores and newsstands globally around the same time, too. Be sure to subscribe today to receive 10 Game Informer magazines a year (physical and digital) and get the Onimusha: Way of the Sword magazine as your first issue.

The First Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs Of The Past Footage Will Be Revealed During Gamescom’s Opening Night Live Stream

In case you missed the announcement a few months ago – and there wasn’t much fanfare, so I couldn’t blame you – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting a brand new expansion, over a decade after its release. Called Songs of the Past, we don’t know much about it yet, other than the fact that it’s being developed alongside Fools Theory, the team in charge of the Witcher 1 remake, and that it’s coming out in 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. However, today CD Projekt Red shared that the game’s first look will debut at this year’s Opening Night Live showcase at Gamescom, which will occur next month on August 25.

Held in Cologne, Germany and hosted by Geoff Keighley, Opening Night Live is the games industry’s third major showcase, alongside The Game Awards and Summer Game Fest. It’s open to the public (though this year is already sold out) and livestreamed around the world. As the name suggests, it’s presented at nighttime in Europe, but it occurs during the day in the US, at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CEST.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is widely regarded as one of the best games of the modern generation, with an elaborate open world, memorable side quests, and two major expansions that live up to the base game’s standards. Developer CD Projekt Red seemingly moved on after the second expansion, going on to develop Cyberpunk 2077 (spending years patching it) and its Phantom Liberty expansion. We even know that the studio is working on The Witcher 4, starring Geralt’s daughter Ciri, and while we don’t know for sure, we wouldn’t be surprised if Songs of the Past leads into the next mainline entry in some way.

 

Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, one of the directors of The Witcher 3, has since left CD Projekt Red and is now behind The Blood of Dawnwalker, an upcoming vampiric action RPG that shares some DNA with The Witcher games. For more on that, you can check out our exclusive cover story hub for behind-the-scenes details and watch the video above about Tomaszkiewicz’s transition from one series to the next.

Sunset Hills Pre-Orders Live at Playasia with Multi-Language Support!

Nintendo™ Switch – Japan

If you love warm narrative adventures, cozy visuals, and thoughtful puzzles, mark your calendar for November 12. Sunset Hills, the acclaimed hand-drawn puzzle adventure from CottonGame, is officially getting a physical release!

Pre-orders are officially open at Playasia, complete with full multi-language support on disc/cartridge so gamers around the globe can experience Nico’s heartwarming story in their native tongue.

What is Sunset Hills?

In Sunset Hills, you step into the paws of Nico, a discharged soldier turned novelist who boards a train to travel across a post-war world. As Nico visits various towns to meet his former comrades, he observes local cultures, assists charming anthropomorphic residents, and slowly unravels the shared memories of their past.

Key Features

• Hand-Drawn Novel Aesthetics: Immerse yourself in a cozy, illustrated world filled with warm color palettes and detailed environments.

• Story-Rich Exploration: Interact with diverse townspeople, learn their personal histories, and solve localized puzzles along Nico’s journey.

• Cozy Puzzle Mechanics: Engage in lighthearted brain-teasers and item-interaction puzzles that seamlessly fit into the narrative.

Multi-Language Support Details

Secure Your Copy Today

Don’t miss out on adding this heartwarming indie journey to your physical collection. Click the button below to pre-order Sunset Hills (Multi-Language) at Playasia ahead of its release on November 12!

PRE-ORDER NOW

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Clair Obscur Actor Jennifer English Steps Away From Tides Of Annihilation Protagonist Role

Jennifer English, the award-winning voice actor of Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has stepped away from voicing protagonist Gwendolyn in the upcoming action game, Tides of Annihilation. The game’s development team, Eclipse Glow Games, states that this is due to personal health reasons.

The official Tides of Annihilation X account shared a lengthy post announcing the news, stating that in early June, English informed them she would be unable to continue providing the English-language voice of Gwendolyn. “While we were, of course, saddened by her decision, we completely understood and respected Jennifer in prioritizing her well-being,” reads the post. “We are also deeply grateful for the care and responsibility she showed throughout this process.” 

 

English will continue to be involved in Tides of Annihilation’s production in an advisory role, according to the post. In fact, with English’s help and recommendation, Gwendolyn’s English-language voice performer has already been recast. The team does not reveal the new actor’s identity, only stating “Her recent work in video games left a strong impression on both Jennifer and our team—not only for the performance itself, but for the remarkable care and dedication she showed in understanding the character—and we’re excited for players to experience her interpretation of Gwendolyn.”

The new voice actor has already recorded lines that will appear in Tides of Annihilation’s upcoming Gamescom demo next month, so attendees will be the first to hear the new performance. Eclipse Glow Games also confirms that it will announce Gwendolyn’s new actor during this period.

Tides of Annihilation was first revealed in February 2025 and is a stylish action-adventure game based on Arthurian legend. Gwendolyn is a warrior and the last surviving person in London after an invasion by otherworldly forces. She must defeat this threat using the power of 10 legendary, colossal knights she encounters along the way. Tides of Annihilation has no release window, but it’s slated to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.  

Orbitals Arrives September 3 and You Can Pre-Order It Right Now

Nintendo™ Switch 2 – US, Europe, Japan

If you have been looking for that perfect game to break in your next-generation hardware with a friend, the stars might have just aligned. Developer Shapefarm and publisher Kepler Interactive are building a brand-new cooperative sci-fi adventure from the ground up: Orbitals.

Even better? Physical pre-orders are officially live right now at Playasia, with the intergalactic journey scheduled to drop on September 3.

What is Orbitals?

Orbitals is a co-op puzzle adventure set in a striking retro anime universe. Instead of just adding a second player as an afterthought, the entire game mechanics dictate that you must work together to survive.

You control Maki and Omura, two young explorers living aboard a bustling space station. When a supernatural cosmic storm hits, trapping their home, the inseparable pair must venture into uncharted, dangerous sectors of deep space to find a way to save it.

The game masterfully weaves together structural environmental puzzles, classic side-scrolling platforming, intense action sequences, and a deeply emotional coming-of-age story centered around hope and friendship.

Quick Game Overview & Specs

Feature
Specification Details

Developer / Publisher
Shapefarm / Kepler Interactive

Platform
Nintendo Switch 2 (Exclusive)

Release Date
September 3, 2026

Supported Players
2-Player Co-op (Local Split-Screen, Online, & GameShare)

Physical game collectors and enthusiasts can already secure their copy of the standard edition game cart. Playasia has opened worldwide pre-orders for multiple regional versions, including the US, Europe, and Japan editions.

PRE-ORDER NOW

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

What Comes After PS5 Physical Release in Japan: Pre-Orders Open at Playasia!

PS5™ – Japan

Are you ready for a deeply moving, beautifully animated journey on a train ride you’ll never forget? The critically acclaimed indie hit What Comes After is finally making its physical debut on the PlayStation 5 (PS5) in Japan!

Whether you are a physical game collector, an import enthusiast, or a fan of rich, emotional storytelling, this release is one to keep on your radar.

With an official launch date set for July 23, 2026, pre-orders are officially open right now at Playasia!

What is What Comes After?

Co-created by Mohammad Fahmi (the brilliant mind behind Coffee Talk) and developed in collaboration with Rolling Glory Jam (Rage in Peace), What Comes After is a short, heartwarming side-scrolling narrative adventure.

You play as Vivi, a young woman who accidentally falls asleep on a train and wakes up to find herself on a spectral locomotive carrying the souls of people, animals, and plants to the afterlife.

The Limited Edition: What’s Inside the Box?

For the ultimate collector, a standard edition isn’t enough. Alongside the regular physical release, a stunning Limited Edition has been unveiled. Packed with physical keepsakes that bring the train to the afterlife right onto your display shelf, it is the definitive way to experience the game.

Box Contents:

• What Comes After Game Disc: The complete physical game on PS5 with full regional system compatibility and multi-language support.

• Original Soundtrack (OST): Immerse yourself in the relaxing, emotional, and atmospheric score of the game anytime you want.

• Acrylic Stand: A high-quality acrylic display stand featuring beautifully detailed character art from the game.

• Pin-up Card: A beautifully printed, collectible art card to add to your gaming collection.

Release Date & Pre-Order Details

Mark your calendars! The official release and shipping window begins on July 23, 2026.

Because physical indie releases in Japan are printed in highly limited quantities, securing your copy early is essential before stock runs out. Fortunately, Playasia offers international shipping worldwide, meaning you can lock down your import copy regardless of where you live.

PRE-ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

【TRAILER】

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Has ‘No AI,’ Developer Evil Empire Says

We were recently invited out to Paris, France to play three hours of Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, and while we were there, we got to speak to the development team about how the game was made. In addition to behind-the-scenes details on the relationship between developers Evil Empire and Konami (which you can read more about here), we specifically wanted to know whether the game was made with any generative AI tools and whether the developers had any hard stances about its use. In short, it sounds like neither studio used it.

 

In Paris, I was able to interview three developers at once: producer Tsutomu Taniguchi from Konami as well as Evil Empire marketing director Bérenger Dupré and Evil Empire creative director Emmanuel Nouaille. After asking whether developers on Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse used AI, the question was translated for Taniguchi, who responded first.

“From Konami’s point, you know, we haven’t used AI. And we don’t know what’s going to happen next, but we don’t really have a stance on it,” Taniguchi told us through a translator.

Then, marketing director Dupré (who is French, for context) followed up with a joke, saying, “I must confess, I do use AI to correct my sentences in English.” After some laughter from the room, Nouaille gave the most in-depth response.

“To answer the question of the game, no AI,” Nouaille said. “It was very important to respect this direction for the team, for the fans, for the industry. For the moment, what is important is to have a real creation. To have our soul in the game. So, I don’t have any problem with AI, but in our job, in this game, there is no AI.”

We’ll have more details about Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, including exclusive art and hands-on impressions from three hours of gameplay, in the next issue of Game Informer, which is set to launch Tuesday, July 21. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC on October 15.

The Video Games You Should Play This Weekend – July 17, 2026

It’s always a good time on gameinformer.com, and this week is no different. But, we did load up the end of the week with a quite a lot of stuff. And Bethesda shared that it is working on Fallout 5 in the wake of more than 3,000 people being laid off, or being in the process of being laid off by its parent company, Microsoft. We likely have quite a lot of time to go before we play a Fallout 5, and until then, and for this weekend, we have recommendations of what you can play right now. But first, some of that “quite a lot of stuff” I promised a few sentences ago.

• Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Has ‘No AI,’ Developer Evil Empire Says
• The Unlikely Story Of How Konami Asked Evil Empire To Make Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse 
• The Mermaid Mask Review – Grimoire’s Greatest
• Denshattack Review – Come On, Ride The Train
• You Might Be Able To Play From Software’s The Duskbloods During A Network Test Next Month
• Bethesda Confirms Fallout 5 In Preproduction, Obsidian’s Fallout Game, Fallout 3 And New Vegas Remasters, And Updates On Elder Scrolls VI And Starfield
• Stardew Valley Is Coming To Magic: The Gathering Later This Month With A Limited Secret Lair Drop

The Mermaid Mask

Charles Harte

The Mermaid Mask, the latest entry in the Detective Grimoire series from SFB Games, tasks players with investigating the death of Magnus Mortuga, captain of a mysterious submarine. It combines point-and-click adventure mechanics with one-of-a-kind puzzles, but it mostly involves talking to a colorful cast of suspects and gathering evidence to track down the culprit. It’s a game I’d recommend to just about anyone: its character art is charming and lovingly animated, its music is exciting and intricate, and the writing is stellar, from the larger plot beats to the moment-to-moment dialogue. While it’s the third (or fourth, if you’re a stickler) game in its timeline, connections to prior entries are minimal, so there’s no need to get caught up. For my full thoughts, check out my review.

Denshattack

Kyle Hilliard

It was not specifically designed this way (unless Brian Shea was secretly masterminding this whole thing when he assigned me these reviews), but I reviewed Star Fox (2026), Rhythm Heaven Groove, and Denshattack back to back, which are all games where you play a level for about three to five minutes, and you need to make sure you do a bunch of things correctly in that short amount of time. It was an odd journey to play all those one after another, but perhaps the weirdest of the bunch is Denshattack, which is a high bar when you’re competing with Rhythm Heaven Groove, a game where you have to hide from a sneezing moon.

In my review I wrote that Denshattack is “the best post-apocalyptic stunt train driving action sports simulator anime ever created,” and I stand by that statement. I even approved it for use in a potential accolades trailer the game may want to use in the future. But the thing I am getting at is that even if it does take on a lot of influences and proudly display their appreciation and love for them, Denshattack feels truly unique. It’s a bit like a heightened action sports game, like a Tony Hawk or an SSX, but you’re driving a train. It’s kind of insane, but also pretty great for that reason. You can read my full review right here.

The Incident At Galley House

Marcus Stewart

Co-created by Evil Trout, developer of one of my favorite 2025 games, The Roottrees Are Dead, comes this ingenious new mystery. You control an investigator trying to learn the truth behind the mysterious deaths of a group of people at a mansion called Galley House that occurred in 1936, using a machine that allows you to reconstruct and view scenes from the time of the incident. Like Roottrees, the game becomes an engrossing exercise of listening to conversations and using context clues to determine the identities and whereabouts of each ill-fated visitor to Galley House on that fateful night, a timeline divided into 26 segments. Using deductive skills to fill in the blanks of who was doing what and where, while learning characters’ intriguing relationships with each other, and discovering the truth of the unfortunate circumstance that befell them, is fascinating, cleverly constructed, and keeps you guessing with numerous surprises. Mixing the detective gameplay of Roottrees with elements of Clue makes The Incident at Galley House another worthwhile puzzle game to lose yourself in this weekend.

D-topia

Marcus Stewart

On the surface, this D-topia’s sterile yet charming art direction suggests a cozy experience, and that’s true to an extent. As the 18-year-old Shiro, you’re the latest arrival to a domed AI-controlled city called D-topia, a human paradise according to its blissful human citizens. Designated as a Facilitator, your job is to maintain the city by helping residents with any problems and repairing mechanical issues; going to work involves solving increasingly diverse math/number puzzles that the AI tells you have no practical application other than keeping you productive.

Each day you wake up, go to work, roam the city’s sleek and pristine districts to interact and bond with a colorful cast, and go to bed. But what makes D-topia intriguing is how much its residents enjoy living a life where machines do their thinking for them. D-topia’s AI feeds them, structures their daily routines, and even controls what they see using visual manipulation tech, all in the name of eliminating any form of discomfort, physical and emotional. Despite the apparent lack of struggle, confronting situations that challenge D-topia’s euphoria, such as deciding the fate of a citizen who harmlessly ate more than his allotted snacks or finding a cat whose existence violates the AI’s strict laws, adds a potentially sinister undertone I’m gradually trying to excavate. Chipping away at D-topia’s cheerful facade will hopefully yield fascinating truths about how the sausage is made in this Pleasantville-esque futuristic adventure.

Heave Ho 2

Charles Harte

There are a lot of privileges in this line of work, but reviewing Heave Ho 2 was one of my favorites so far, since it meant I got to spend the day on the couch playing games with my brother. Heave Ho 2 is perfect for that, with its silly physics and collaboration-focused gameplay. As heads with arms, each clasps the other’s hand to form a long chain of limbs, clambering across eight worlds as hilarity ensues. I don’t love every world (I’m looking at you, Chef’s Orders), but it’s a hard game to stay mad at, especially because you can play through the areas in any order. At just $10, it’s also pretty cheap, and buying Heave Ho 2 during its launch week means you also get Heave Ho 1 for free, so it’s a great time to jump in. For my full thoughts, check out my review.

Ascend To Zero

Wesley LeBlanc

You have 30 seconds before the world ends (again) in Ascend to Zero. A clock at the top of your screen in every run of this survivors-like roguelite will not let you forget that, either. Using a variety of avatars, you must enter the final corridors existing on the precipice of the world’s end and fight your way to its apocalyptic core. Your stats will grow with each run, using a variety of currencies, as will your arsenal of weapons, both melee and ranged, and the armor set and other game-changing equipment you bring into this dash to the end. While 30 seconds fly by, your unique time-stop ability pauses the clock, allowing you to inflict heavy damage on surrounding enemies when you’re ready for the seconds to start ticking by again, and using this move to defeat bosses and mobs is key to adding more time to the clock.

While it looks like an action game at first glance, because of its survivors-like combat, where you build upon an auto-attacking set of weapons while moving around to ensure they hit their targets, Ascend to Zero plays more like a management game – how you manage your time, the ways different chips and abilities affect the seconds you have left, and your combat levels, which are always on the rise as more and more difficult enemies await you in the next room, is the difference between success and the end of the world. It’s only $12 but is currently on sale on Steam for less than $10 and is well worth your time.

Magic: The Gathering Unveils Its 2027 In-Universe Sets, Including Underwater Adventure And Giant Robots

Magic: The Gathering is starting to look ahead to 2027. While a handful of sets remain to launch this year, Wizards of the Coast used its stage time at MagicCon Amsterdam today to announce all of its in-universe sets for the coming year, as well as some travel plans for an expanded MagicCon lineup.

2027 will see Magic split between its in-universe and crossover Universes Beyond sets again, with three sets apiece. They’ll swap back and forth through the year, alternating releases, so no back-to-back UB sets in 2027. And while we didn’t see what the crossovers are, the in-universe sets look pretty fascinating. First up is a little trip under the sea, to Nauctis.

Nauctis: The Sunken Realm – February 5, 2027

Set in the new realm of Nauctis, this is Magic’s take on an undersea plane where merfolk and other aquatic creatures will, obviously, prevail. It’s not just a merfolk set, though, as we also got glimpses of diver suits and other interesting twists on the submerged zone.

 

Nauctis will kick off a new “multi-year” story arc for Magic: The Gathering, following Reality Fracture’s big conclusion this year. And after going underwater, we’ll be heading to a familiar plane; in fact, we’ll be seeing two of them.

 Kamigawa: Titanbreach – June 4, 2027

An Omenpath lights up the skies in Kamigawa, and through it, a mass of Ikoria comes plummeting through. The monsters of Ikoria get thrown into a chaotic fight with the denizens of Kamigawa, which lends itself well to both giant robots and kaiju.

 

I’m personally very excited for this one, as a longtime fan of both giant monsters and giant mechs. Kamigawa: Titanbreach will ring in the summer in June of next year, and then in October, we’ll get our last of the in-universe Magic sets: the return of a familiar locale.

Zhalfir – October 1, 2027

The kingdom of Zhalfir returns as its own plane, though not without some interesting changes thanks to everything that’s been going on since it phased out. The influence of both New Phyrexia and Mirrodin will also be seen here, so this one might be great for the Magic lore fans.

 

Wizards also confirmed the time-bending Teferi Akosa will make a return in the mind-bending, afrofantasy-inspired Zhalfir set. With that, here’s the calendar for 2027:

Wizards of the Coast

More MagicCons

Wizards of the Coast also confirmed today that it’ll be hosting four MagicCons in 2027. Here’s the list:

• MagicCon: Detroit – February 26-28, 2027
• MagicCon: Tokyo (Japan) – May 14-16, 2027
• MagicCon: Las Vegas – August 27-29, 2027
• MagicCon: Amsterdam – December 3-5, 2027

And as a bonus for those who love the Mystery Booster boxes you can pick up at events or through the online Festival In A Box line, there’s a new Mystery Booster set, focused on Commander. Wizards of the Coast says there will be some familiar cards mixed in with some new ones, which even include some wild new mechanics. Here’s a brief glimpse:

 

Reality Fracture looms

And while the big news of today’s panel focused on 2027, there were still some reveals to be had for the upcoming Reality Fracture set, which will be Magic’s last in-universe set for the year. The running theme is neat twists on familiar cards and characters, thanks to Jace’s multiverse meddling, and you can see that in different variations of cards like Titanbones and Enlightened Confidant. Here’s the gallery of what was shown today:

GALLERY

Reality Fracture will also get some Secret Lair attention through the Secret Lair Bundle, a new twist on the Magic Gift Bundle that includes two Collector Boosters, six Play Boosters, a set of basic lands, and two of 10 Secret Lair Bundle promo cards, all of which are reimagined from the main set with unique artist takes. If Final Fantasy’s Chocobo Track cards are anything to go by, those will be in high demand.

There’s still a lot more Magic on the way, including three unannounced Universes Beyond crossovers. We’re likely to hear more about those at MagicCon Atlanta later this year, but until then, there’s plenty of in-universe Magic to speculate on, and possibly some travel plans for anyone trying to go to the expanded MagicCon lineup. There won’t be any shortage of cardboard to sling in 2027.

Amazon’s God Of War TV Series Will Reportedly Recast Kratos Actor After Ryan Hurst Suffers Serious Injury On Set

We got our first look at Ryan Hurst and Callum Vinson as Kratos and Atreus in Amazon Prime’s God of War TV series adaptation back in February, and though the response to it was mixed at best, the studio’s track record with other video game properties, like Fallout, kept us optimistic. The show has been significantly set back, however, due to a serious injury Hurst sustained on set, which led Amazon, reportedly, to recast the role of Kratos. 

Deadline reports that Hurst, who gained 40 pounds of muscle in anticipation of this role, tore a bicep while performing a stunt on set in late June. He has since undergone surgery and is in recovery, and the TV set’s production has been paused and remains on hiatus today. With Hurst likely needing four to six months to recover from this injury and unable to continue the strength training needed to keep up with the stature of his Kratos, Amazon has opted to recast the role rather than wait until probably 2027 to continue shooting with Hurst. 

 

Before this injury, Deadline‘s sources report that Amazon and the crew had already shot four entire episodes. 

The publication reports that following this recasting of the titular God of War, preparations are expected to begin in August, with production and shooting set to resume in October. 

God of War has already received a two-season order, with both seasons expected to be shot back-to-back; that remains the plan, according to Deadline. In case you missed it, here’s the rest of the announced cast: 

In the meantime, read Game Informer’s reviews for the 2018 God of War and its sequel, Ragnarök. Check out the extensive reveal trailer for the next game, God of War Laufey, after that. For more on Amazon Prime’s video game adaptations, you can read our review of the second season of the Fallout show or see how Sophie Turner looks as Lara Croft.

Who do you think Amazon should cast as Kratos? Let us know in the comments below!

Stardew Valley Is Coming To Magic: The Gathering Later This Month With A Limited Secret Lair Drop

Stardew Valley is coming to Magic: The Gathering later this month with a limited Secret Lair drop, and we have our first look at the cards. Revealed during today’s MagicCon: Amsterdam panel, Wizards of the Coast says these three Secret Lair x Stardew Valley drops are part of the Superdrop of the Moonlight Jellies and will highlight the many sides of life in the game, including farming, making friends, fighting through mines, and more. 

This drop also introduces a brand new card for Magic: The Gathering called “Stardew Valley.” It features art from Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe and is inspired by the game’s “daily rituals of food, favors, and finding the right gift at the right time,” according to a press release. The Life In Pelican Town drop “celebrates the familiar stops that make the valley feel alive.” The Flicker In The Deep drop “heads below the cozy surface of the valley, where every glint in the dark could be treasure, trouble, or both,” and the Welcome to Stardew Valley drop “captures the rhythm of starting fresh in the valley, where crops, friends, recipes, and wizard-related problems can all fit into the same day.” The new “Stardew Valley” card is part of this set.

Here are the cards you can find in each set: 

• Welcome to Stardew Valley: Stardew Valley, Wedding Rings as “Mermaid’s Pendant,” Dawn’s Truce as “Pierre’s Truce,” Swords to Plowshares, Rites of Flourishing, Kynaois and Tiro of Meletis as “The Welcoming Committee,” Sol Ring, and Food Token
• Life in Pelican Town: Crop Rotation, Fountainport as “Community Center,” Homeward Path as “Pelican Town,” Command Tower as “Tower of Rasmodius,” and Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth as “Valley Farmstead.” 
• A Flicker in the Deep: Atsushi, Blazing Sky as “Royal Serpent,” Miotic Slime as “Big Slime,” Arcane Signet, Sword of Forge and Frontier as “Galaxy Sword,” Treasure Vault, Ooze Token, and Treasure Token

Check out the cards in the gallery below: 

 

These limited-quantity Secret Lair drops will go on sale later this month, at 9 a.m. PT/Noon ET on July 27. The foil sets will run you $39.99, and the non-foil ones will cost $29.99. 

Wizards of the Coast also revealed many other Secret Lair drops coming this year, as reported by games media freelancer Jason Fanelli, who was in attendance at the panel in Amsterdam. The drops are as follows: 

• Hatsune Miku (August 10)
• The Hobbit (August 17)
• Marvel (August 26)
• Lofi Girl (August 26)
• Gene Luen Yang (August 26)
• Ian Miller (August 26)
• Masters of the Universe (no date listed)

While waiting for all these cards to drop, read Game Informer’s Stardew Valley review, and then read Game Informer’s Stardew Valley retrospective interview with ConcernedApe/Eric Barone for the game’s 10th anniversary. After that, check out this story about why ConcernedApe has shown so little of its next game, Haunted Chocolatier. 

Are you going to try to pick up any of these Secret Lair drops? Let us know which ones in the comments below!

Bethesda Confirms Fallout 5 In Preproduction, Obsidian’s Fallout Game, Fallout 3 And New Vegas Remasters, And Updates On Elder Scrolls VI And Starfield

Bethesda Game Studios has penned a lengthy studio letter on the developer’s project pipeline for the next several years. Among the updates are confirmation of multiple Fallout projects, including Fallout 5, and notes about The Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield.

Bethesda details the future of Fallout, confirming that Fallout 5 is currently in preproduction, saying it “remains our long-range destination.” This echoes a similar statement he made in 2022, when he said Fallout 5 would arrive after The Elder Scrolls VI, which will likely still be the case. The game is being developed using Creation Engine 3, Bethesda’s next-generation game engine that will also power The Elder Scrolls VI. 

Additionally, multiple other Fallout projects are in the works. Bethesda confirms it is developing remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, the former of which was leaked in court documents back in 2023. There are no release windows for these remasters, however.

Fallout 76 will receive its next major expansion in 2027 called Raven Rock, a prequel story to Fallout 3. Fallout Shelter will receive new seasons while Bethesda teases the unscripted TV adaptation of the mobile game that’s currently in development at Amazon. Bethesda also confirms there will be no Fallout Day broadcast this year because it is planning to celebrate the franchise’s 30th anniversary in 2027 with a live celebration in Washington, D.C.

In the last Fallout-related update, Bethesda confirmed it is working with Obsidian Entertainment on a new Fallout game, corroborating an earlier report that Obsidian had been mandated to pivot to this project, canceling an Avowed sequel in the process. 

 

Bethesda’s next big project is The Elder Scrolls VI, a project it describes as “our primary development focus today, with the majority of our team currently working on the next chapter of the franchise.” 

“The next chapter is on the way. We’re where we planned to be, loving how it looks, and playing it every day,” Bethesda writes.

Bethesda is also promoting closer collaborations between its teams. ZeniMax Online Studios, the team behind The Elder Scrolls Online, will also “partner closely” with Bethesda on the Elder Scrolls franchise in addition to making new updates for ESO. “By aligning more directly across the franchise, we can create even better experiences for players,” writes Bethesda. 

As for Bethesda’s newest IP, Starfield, the team is not done with that universe. He states that Year 3 of the game will bring new stories, further gameplay improvements, and more as Bethesda prepares to launch new Starborn content in 2027. 

Bethesda’s updates come in the wake of an ongoing massive restructuring of Xbox’s game division initiated by CEO Asha Sharma as a “reset” of the brand, which saw 1,600 employees laid off across its entire game division, with 1,600 more cuts to come over the next several months. Xbox also divested itself of five of its development studios, with Bethesda’s parent company, ZeniMax, losing its subsidiary, Arkane Studios. ZeniMax as a whole has reportedly been hit hard by the layoffs, with Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, and ZeniMax Online losing hundreds of staff members amid the restructuring. 

Castlvania: Belmont’s Curse Has ‘No AI,’ Developer Evil Empire Says

We were recently invited out to Paris, France to play three hours of Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, and while we were there, we got to speak to the development team about how the game was made. In addition to behind-the-scenes details on the relationship between developers Evil Empire and Konami (which you can read more about here), we specifically wanted to know whether the game was made with any generative AI tools and whether the developers had any hard stances about its use. In short, it sounds like neither studio used it.

 

In Paris, I was able to interview three developers at once: producer Tsutomu Taniguchi from Konami as well as Evil Empire marketing director Bérenger Dupré and Evil Empire creative director Emmanuel Nouaille. After asking whether developers on Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse used AI, the question was translated for Taniguchi, who responded first.

“From Konami’s point, you know, we haven’t used AI. And we don’t know what’s going to happen next, but we don’t really have a stance on it,” Taniguchi told us through a translator.

Then, marketing director Dupré (who is French, for context) followed up with a joke, saying, “I must confess, I do use AI to correct my sentences in English.” After some laughter from the room, Nouaille gave the most in-depth response.

“To answer the question of the game, no AI,” Nouaille said. “It was very important to respect this direction for the team, for the fans, for the industry. For the moment, what is important is to have a real creation. To have our soul in the game. So, I don’t have any problem with AI, but in our job, in this game, there is no AI.”

We’ll have more details about Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, including exclusive art and hands-on impressions from three hours of gameplay, in the next issue of Game Informer, which is set to launch Tuesday, July 21. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC on October 15.

Mario Tennis Fever Version 1.1.0 Update Now Available

by
Fem

·
2026-07-17

Nintendo™ Switch 2 – US, Europe & Japan

Version 1.1.0 update for Mario Tennis Fever is now available. The update adds GameShare via GameChat support, Black Hole Racket Fever Racket, Galaxy Court stage, and more!

Check out the details below via Nintendo.

Added “GameShare” and “Play via GameChat”

• Added functionality to play the game with friends on GameChat who don’t have the game.
• In “Play via GameChat,” you can play tennis matches with swing controls in addition to tennis matches with button controls and games in Mix It Up. (Note: A Nintendo Switch Online membership is required to use GameChat.)

Added a New Fever Racket, the “Black Hole Racket”

• The new “Black Hole Racket” Fever Racket has been added which causes a black hole when the Fever Shot hits the ground.
• The black hole it causes has the effect of pulling players who are nearby into the black hole when it gets large.
• Your HP Gauge will take damage if you get close to the black hole. If your HP reaches 0 due to the black hole and you are knocked out, you will be sucked into the black hole.
• Black holes do not have the effect of drawing in incoming balls.

Added a New Court, the “Galaxy Court”

• A new court has been added based on Super Mario Galaxy.
• The court is made on a distant planet, and although the ball speed isn’t particularly fast, balls have a high bounce.
• The court has a different shape depending on whether you are playing Free Play or Ranked Match matches, or in Special Match.

Added a New Special Match, “Galaxy Court Match”

• Special “Galaxy Court Match” match rules have been added where you play on a spherical court made on a distant planet.
• As the match progresses, one of three types of “Prankster Comets” will appear and will greatly change the strategy of the match.

Added New Colors for Luma

• Added five new colors of Luma as playable characters.

Added Mario’s Classic Outfit

• Added Mario’s classic outfit as a reward for collecting 5 medals.

Changes to Character Specifications

• Changed specifications of some characters.

Character
Change(s)

Diddy Kong

• Slightly increased the strength of shots.
• The ability to aim for the sidelines has been increased slightly.
• Fixed a bug where backhand Star Shots are weak.

Kamek

• Increased the amount of spin on shots.

Dry Bones

• Increased movement speed while running.
• Increased the ability to aim for the sidelines.
• The distance the ball can be hit back stably from has been increased slightly.

Pauline

• Increased the ability to aim for the sidelines.

Bowser Jr.

• Increased the ability to aim for the sidelines.

Baby Peach

• The distance the ball can be hit back stably from has been increased.

Piranha Plant

• The distance the ball can be hit back stably from has been increased slightly.

Yoshi

• Fixed a bug where backhand Star Shots are weak.

Nabbit

• Fixed a bug where forehand Star Shots are weak.
• Increased strength of backhand shots.

Dry Bowser

• Increased strength of forehand shots.

Luigi

• Increased vertical reach.

Baby Luigi

• Increased vertical reach.

Toad

• Fixed a bug where racket effects are displayed incorrectly. Because of this, the distance the ball can be hit back stably from has increased slightly.

Rosalina

• Made it so you start running a little later when moving.
• Decreased the ability to aim for the sidelines.
• Made it so drop shots bounce more easily and travel farther.

Donkey Kong

• Made it so you start running a little later when moving.

Blooper

• The ability to aim for the sidelines has been decreased slightly.

Changes to Fever Racket Specifications

• Changed specifications of some Fever Rackets.

Racket Name
Change(s)

Mini Mushroom Racket

• Made it so the effect of being shrunken goes away when a point is scored.

Ice Flower Racket

• Shortened the amount of time you’re stopped for when you touch an Ice Ball.
• Decreased the maximum number of Ice Balls that appear from 5 to 4.

Star Racket

• While its effect is active, the racket now gets rid of Mini Mushrooms from the Mini Mushroom Racket.

Bullet Bill Racket

• Increased the ability to aim for the sidelines.

Freezing Racket

• The conditions for the racket’s effect disappearing were either 15 seconds passing, or 10 rallies. This has now changed so there is no rally condition, and it only disappears when 15 seconds pass.

Amp Racket

• The condition for the racket’s effect disappearing was 20 rallies. This has now changed to it disappearing when 12 seconds pass.

Metal Racket

• While its effect is active, you now move slower. Your movement speed will now be the same as when your HP is low. If your HP is already low while the effect is active, your movement speed will not decrease.
• While its effect is active, the racket now gets rid of Mini Mushrooms from the Mini Mushroom Racket.

? Block Racket

• Black Hole Shots have been added as a possible effect of its Fever Shots.

Changes to Shot Behavior

• Adjusted the star point detection to make it easier to execute Star Shots.

Other Changes

• In addition to the new “Galaxy Court”, you can now select “Academy Court (Grass),” “Academy Court (Hard),” and “Academy Court (Clay)” in court selection.
• You can now select “Random” on the racket selection screen. If you select “Continue” when the match ends, you can compete with a different racket each match.
• Added an option to disable pressing the A Button and B Button simultaneously to hit a flat shot.
• Adjusted how modes are randomly selected for “Search All Modes” in for Ranked Match matches.
• Added “Galaxy Court” as a Ranked Match court and adjusted the order courts appear in.
• Made it so when you’re playing the “Racket Factory Match” special game, if you don’t have a FV Gauge bar filled when picking up a Fever Racket, your FV Gauge will fill up to 1 bar.
• Several other adjustments and fixes have been made to improve the gameplay experience.

Watch the trailer below. 

So…

Mario Tennis Fever for Nintendo Switch 2 (US, EU, JP) is still available on our website. So, what are you waiting for? Click the button below to grab yours now! 

ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

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• Previous story Beast of Reincarnation: Watch the Combat Overview Trailer

Lady Deathstrike Faces Logan In New Marvel’s Wolverine Cinematic Trailer

A new cinematic trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine trades gameplay for an action-packed look at another villain closely tied to the titular mutant: Lady Deathstrike. The deadly assassin is the latest villain confirmed for Insomniac’s next Marvel action game.

The video is a cinematic montage of Wolverine taking on enemies across rainy city streets, atop a train, and in a snowy wilderness (where we also see his chief rival, Sabretooth). Towards the end of the video, we see Wolverine seemingly in Japan facing off against ninjas led by Lady Deathstrike, an assassin/mercenary who, like Logan, has the indestructible metal adamantium bonded to her skeleton, allowing her to slice apart foes using the long metal claws at each of her fingertips. We don’t get to see her and Wolverine battle head-on in the video, but it’s a nice tease of what’s (hopefully) to come. 

 

In addition to Lady Deathstrike and Sabretooth, other confirmed characters for Marvel’s Wolverine are Omega Red, Mystique, and, on the X-Men side, Jean Grey. Though not a character, per se, we’ve also seen Sentinels as a threat.

Marvel’s Wolverine launches on September 15 for PlayStation 5. You can watch the game’s first gameplay trailer here, and Game Informer subscribers can read our preview of the game from issue 379 here. 

The Open Beta For Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Starts Next Week

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, the superhero-themed fighter from Arc System Works, is still a few weeks away from its release on PlayStation 5 and PC, but if you want to jump into the action early, you’ll get a chance next week. From July 24 to July 26, the open beta will be available to play for free on PC and PS5. You can check out the details for yourself in the image below (or by reading the paragraph that follows it).

The action begins at 12 a.m. PDT, 7 a.m. UTC, and 4 p.m. JST. Once it’s live, it will run for 72 hours. You also don’t need to register – you can simply head to the digital store and download the game, according to the PlayStation Blog. You also won’t need a PlayStation Plus account to play, but you will need an internet connection and a PlayStation account to access the game on both PS5 and PC. 

The beta includes 15 of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls’ 20-character launch roster: Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, Storm, Magik, Wolverine, Danger, Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord, Peni Parker, Ghost Rider, Blade, Doctor Doom, and Magneto. You’ll also be able to play on six stages: Marvel’s New York (day and night versions). Savage Land, X-Mansion, Knowhere, and Wakanda. The open beta will have ranked and casual matches, as well as a practice mode, an explorable open lobby, and three episodes of the Amazing Guardian story campaign. 

 

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls comes out on August 6 on PS5 and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. For more Marvel news, check out today’s new trailer for Wolverine and the details about the newest season of Marvel Rivals.

Star Ocean: The Second Story R Gets Switch 2 Edition, But With The Usual Square Enix Caveats

Square Enix has surprise-released a Nintendo Switch 2 version of Star Ocean: The Second Story R, its sci-fi RPG that launched on Switch (and PlayStation and PC) in 2023. This Switch 2 version boasts 1080p resolution, both docked and in handheld mode, with a 60 FPS frame rate, making it a big improvement over the significantly lower resolution and 30 FPS frame rate of the Switch version. But, this edition comes with the usual Square Enix caveats. 

Similar to the Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler II Switch 2 editions announced earlier this week, anyone who wants to play this Star Ocean remake on Switch 2 will have to pay $49.99; there is no upgrade path for owners of the Switch 1 version, and your save data does not transfer. It’s another step down this disappointing trend for Square Enix, which expects players to fork over more money to play a game they already own on a new system – the company doesn’t even opt for low-cost upgrade paths, something even Nintendo itself does with games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and more. Maybe Square Enix is seeing enough purchases to justify it, but it’s not a player-friendly practice either way. 

Check out the Star Ocean: The Second Story R Nintendo Switch 2 edition trailer below: 

 

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a remake of the original Star Ocean: The Second Story, which launched on PlayStation in the U.S. in 1999. It’s about a Federation officer named Claude C. Kenny who is mysteriously transported to a mystical planet. There, he searches for a way home but is drawn into a quest to save the planet by a young girl who lives there, becoming wrapped up in an ancient prophecy in the process. 

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch 2, Switch, and PC. 

[Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove mention of Star Ocean: The Second Story R being an HD-2D game, as that is incorrect]

How do you feel about the way Square Enix handles Switch 2 re-releases? Let us know in the comments below!

Crimson Desert Gets Cross-Save Support Today

A new update for Crimson Desert adds cross-save today. This means that if you own the RPG on multiple platforms, you can now transfer save data between those versions.

Naturally, using cross-save requires players to own two or more versions of Crimson Desert on the following platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC via Steam or the Epic Games Store. You’ll need to have a Pearl Abyss ID for each owned copy of the game, and you’ll need to link these accounts to initiate cross-save. A new cross-save icon now appears in Crimson Desert’s in-game save data menu, which will begin the setup process as detailed in an FAQ. Crimson Desert is also available on Mac, but developer Pearl Abyss states that this version will not receive cross-save support until a future update. 

 

The addition of cross-saves is one of many major overhauls Pearl Abyss has planned for Crimson Desert as part of its post-launch update roadmap. One of the biggest changes will be to the game’s often-criticized narrative. You can read more about all of the updates coming to the game here. Be sure also to check out our Crimson Desert review. 

One Of Last Year’s Best Horror Games, Total Chaos, Is Getting A Low-Poly Retro Mode And It Looks Awesome

Developer Trigger Happy Interactive released its first-person horror game Total Chaos last year on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and it became one of my favorite horror games of 2025. The game was great at launch, made even better with a New Game+ update that arrived earlier this year with a brand-new finale alongside a Switch 2 version, and now, thanks to an upcoming “Retro Mode” update, is set to get even more tantalizing. 

Publisher Apogee Entertainment revealed on Bluesky today that Retro Mode will bring pixelated visuals, low-poly horrors, and yet another new ending to Total Chaos. This horror game began as a total conversion mod of Doom II, and Apogee says this new ending is inspired by those Doom II origins. You can see an example of the Retro Mode look in the header image at the top of this article, but here’s another look below: 

The game is set within the corridors, hallways, cliffs, and bunkers of an isolated and desolate mining town run amok by a rotting disease that has infected both the protagonist’s mind and the once-citizens of this place. Using first-person combat, a constantly expanding crafting system, and environmental puzzle-solving, Trigger Happy Interactive crafted an excellent horror adventure well worth the price of admission and the dozen or so hours of runtime. 

You can read more about why in Game Informer’s Total Chaos review. There’s no word on when Retro Mode will arrive in Total Chaos, but Apogee Entertainment says it’s coming soon. In the meantime, read my dissection of the game’s themes and how they intersect with hating cancer, cutthroat catharsis, and more. 

Total Chaos is available today on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. 

Have you played Total Chaos? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below!

Watch the Combat Overview Trailer

PS5™ & XSX™ – US, Europe, Japan, Asia

Fictions and Game Freak have dropped the combat overview trailer of Beast of Reincarnation. Are you ready to play this as it launches on August 4?

Watch the combat overview trailer below.

Game Overview

Check out the official game description below via Game Freak. 

Set in a post-apocalyptic Japan, humanity’s only hope lies with Emma, an outcast shunned from society for her affliction, and Koo, the blighted dog. Together, they embark on this expansive adventure in this one-person, one-dog action RPG.

Experience a journey where you feel moments of loneliness, and also the reliability and comfort of your companion. Savor a world of impermanence, where forests suddenly burst forth amidst the wasteland. As Emma and Koo travel through this beautiful yet harsh world, their bond and abilities blossom.

In this world ravaged by blight… What will you find at the end of your journey?

So…

Beast of Reincarnation launches on August 4 for PS5 and XSX. Here at Playasia, it’s now available for pre-order. So, what are you waiting for? Click the button below to pre-order yours now! 

PRE-ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of the item is subject to change without prior notice.

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Tatsujin Extreme Launches July 30 on PS5 & Switch 2!

PS5™ & NSW2™ – Japan

It’s on like Truxton! The legendary vertical-scrolling shoot ’em up franchise returns with Tatsujin Extreme, launching on July 30, 2026. Tatsujin Extreme delivers fast-paced shmup action, dense enemy waves, and precision bullet-dodging.

Physical multi-language editions for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 are now available for pre-order at Playasia.

Languages available

• Japanese
• English
• French
• Italian
• German
• Spanish
• Korean
• Chinese (Simplified)
• Chinese (Traditional)
• Spanish (Latin America)

What is Tatsujin Extreme?

Conceived under the guidance of original Toaplan mastermind and composer Masahiro Yuge, Tatsujin Extreme is a modern evolution of the classic 1988 arcade shooter. Preserving the iconic, high-intensity feel of old-school shooters while transitioning into 3D visuals, the game strikes a balance between nostalgic arcade design and modern presentation.

Standard Edition vs. Premium Box: What’s Inside?

For collectors and retro game enthusiasts, Tatsujin Extreme is launching with both a Standard Multi-Language Physical Edition and a packed physical Premium Box.

Edition
Platforms Available
Physical Box Contents
Included DLC

Standard Edition

PlayStation 5

 

Nintendo Switch 2

• Physical Game Disc/Card

• Tatsujin BGM + Skin

 

• Truxton II BGM + Skin

 

• Batsugun BGM + Skin

Premium Box

PlayStation 5

 

Nintendo Switch 2

• Physical Game

 

• 2-Disc Original Soundtrack

 

• Metal Figure (74 x 68 x 22 mm)

 

• Full-Color B5 Artbook

 

• Full-Color B5 Comic

 

• Collector’s Packaging

• Tatsujin BGM + Skin

 

• Truxton II BGM + Skin

 

• Batsugun BGM

Pre-Order Details

• Official Release Date: July 30, 2026

• Supported Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2

• Language Support: Multi-Language (Text includes English, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Korean, Traditional/Simplified Chinese, and more)

   

• Where to Pre-Order: Pre-orders for both PS5 and Switch 2 physical imports are available now on Playasia.

Tatsujin Extreme is shaping up to be a definitive release for physical media fans and shmup enthusiasts alike. Don’t leave your arcade legacy to chance—lock in your multi-language copy for PS5 or Nintendo Switch 2 at Playasia today and prepare to brave the bullet hell on July 30!

PRE-ORDER NOW

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Infinity Ward Details New Kill Block Multiplayer Mode For Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 4

Infinity Ward has revealed a new competitive destination for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 called Kill Block. Described as an “adaptive multiplayer battleground”  the mode pits players against each other across modular, constantly shifting maps. 

In a blog post, Kill Block  is billed as “a modular multiplayer battleground that reconfigures every match, challenging players to rethink routes, sightlines, and combat spaces on the fly.” The name Kill Block is actually a codename for the West Bridge Advanced Military Training facility, an off-the-books location designed as a live-fire training environment. Kill Block consists of two sectional outer areas called End Slabs and a single central combat space called the Central Slab, which can be reconfigured into various positions to create “hundreds of unique layout combinations that reshape combat flow.”

 

Slabs are essentially sections of mocked-up environments modeled after a mix of classic Modern Warfare locations and entirely new ones, and they shift between multiplayer matches and between Gunfight rounds. As such, elements such as cover placement and line of sight routinely change. Infinity Ward touts that Kill Block will feature over 500 possible configurations when Modern Warfare 4 launches. 

Each match is fought across a selection of three connected Slabs, called a Combo (basically a map), which Infinity Ward states will have roughly the same footprint size as the Shoot House map from 2019’s Modern Warfare. The two End Slabs bookend the map, with teams spawning there and fighting their way towards the Central Slab in the middle, though players can freely explore all three Slabs. Additionally, Slabs will feature simulated weather conditions such as misting water or snow flurries that challenge visibility. 

 

Infinity Ward’s press release features some example Slabs:

• [ Ambush ] // Central Slab: A slice of the classic Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare map, this training facsimile features a convoy-clogged main road with blown-out pre-fab buildings either side, with plenty of elevated sniper nests that look across the adjacent End Slabs. 
• [ Blacksite ] // End Slab: Three prefabricated structures are positioned around the slab with open access between each of them, with mud and grass thoroughfare, a rusted van, open cargo container, and stacked military gabions as well as concrete barrier stacks to tactically maneuver between.
• [ Killhouse ] // End Slab: A section of the seminal Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare map, with a similar aesthetic, with gabions placed at corners of prefab walls, some with gaps to climb over, with a central kill box in the middle, and smaller scenic cover opportunities along the far edge of the Slab.
• [ ME-Town ] // Central Slab: A kill box dirt courtyard surrounded by four prefabricated structures, roughly in each corner, some with significant interior and roof top space available for long-range overwatch coverage. The main turquoise building is a warren of tight rooms and scramble points constructed with mobility training in mind.
• [ Snow Block ] // End Slab: A maze of stacked gabion walls of varying lengths, along with tactically positioned open cargo containers and other concrete blocks. Operators must weigh the benefits of overwatching from the top of these fortifications, as your line sights improve at the expense of cover.
• [ Trench ] // Central Slab: A no-man’s land of sunken mud walls and pill boxes with sandbags, tires, and wooden trusses keeping the dirt trenches from collapsing. The action is particularly fraught in the exposed middle with concrete barriers, and a burned tank offer a modicum of protection and sight lines.

Kill Block will also launch with new Gunfight options, both 3v3 and a new 10v10 mode. For Kill Block Gunfight matches, teams switch sides after the first round; at the end of the second round, the Slabs change to a new map configuration and players receive a new random loadout. The Slab combos will continue to change every two rounds until one team wins in six rounds. 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches on October 23 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, and PC. To learn more about the game, read about its DMZ extraction shooter mode. 

PlayStation Shares New Details For Mobile Hero Shooter, Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble

Last November, PlayStation unveiled Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble, a new mobile hero shooter take on Insomniac Games’ flagship franchise. After soft-launching in various non-US regions over the last few months, a new blog post reveals more details about the game ahead of its yet-to-be-revealed global launch.

Developed by Oh Bibi in collaboration with Insomniac, Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble is a free-to-play multiplayer hero shooter coming to iOS and Android. The game takes place inside a combat simulation created by Captain Qwark to train new Galactic Ranger recruits. Players control a roster of 12 heroes (with more to come post-launch) that, while featuring Ratchet and Clank and other recognizable faces, largely consist of new characters. This includes robots, aliens, and even Lombaxes from other dimensions like Widget, a spunky investigative journalist, and Mopz, a mopey street gang member.

 

Ranger Rumble’s bread and butter are its PvP arena battles (featuring “dynamic PvE elements”) where players team up to blast competitors apart using the series’ signature wacky weaponry.  The blog post reveals the game will have six game modes at launch that promote PvP and PvE play. Modes include a take on battle royale and a soccer-inspired contest. 

“Staying true to the series has been at the heart of the project from day one,” writes Oh Bibi chief executive officer Stanislas Dewavrin in the blog post. “The signature humor, beloved characters, and gloriously inventive weaponry that have defined Ratchet & Clank for over two decades are all here, reimagined for fast-paced battles built specifically for mobile, with new characters and weapons to discover.

There’s no release window for Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble’s global launch, but players can pre-register to play on its website now to receive exclusive rewards. 

To read about other PlayStation franchises spinning out into multiplayer titles, check out the reveal of Horizon Hunters Gathering. 

You Might Be Able To Play From Software’s The Duskbloods During A Network Test Next Month

Elden Ring developer revealed during a June Nintendo Direct that its upcoming Switch 2 exclusive action game, The Duskbloods, would be getting a closed network test sometime this Summer. Now, the studio has revealed the test will take place next month, from August 21 through August 23. Applications to take part in the test will open up next week on July 22, and you will have until July 28 to complete the registration. 

A network test like this isn’t uncommon for From Software, which also held one for Elden Ring, and considering The Duskbloods is a PvPvE experience, it makes sense that the Tokyo-based studio wants to test online play and connectivity ahead of the game’s eventual launch. Speaking of launch, there’s still no release date for The Duskbloods, but it is set to launch sometime this year. 

 

From Software says the primary goals of this network test are as follows: 

• Game server load test: We will connect large numbers of players simultaneously to verify gameplay while putting a load on the game server.
• Multiplayer test: We will test for various problems that may occur when multiple people play together in different network environments, and various phenomena that may occur by having many users participate. 
• Game balance test: When real players test the game together, the developers can gather data about how well the game is balanced. 

From Software says this network test allows for “up to eight players to participate together in each of the multiplayer matches while the game is still in development,” and asks for understanding that bugs may occur during gameplay as a result. 

In order to take part in the test, you must apply next week, be accepted, have a Nintendo Switch, and have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. The application period starts on Wednesday, July 22, at 7 a.m. PT and lasts until Tuesday, July 28, at 6:59 a.m. PT. The selection announcement will happen on Friday, August 7, at 6 a.m. PT. The network test schedule is listed below: 

• Aug. 21, 2026 (Fri.) 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. PDT
• Aug. 21, 2026 (Fri.) 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. PDT
• Aug. 22, 2026 (Sat.) 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. PDT
• Aug. 23, 2026 (Sun.) 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. PDT
• Aug. 23, 2026 (Sun.) 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. PDT

For more about The Duskbloods, check out the latest trailer here, and then check out the reveal trailer for The Duskbloods. 

Good luck!

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Developer Ubisoft Barcelona Goes On Strike To Protest Layoffs

Update, 7/15/26:

Following the publication of the original story yesterday, a Ubisoft Barcelona employee set to be affected by proposed layoffs there reached out to Game Informer to provide additional details surrounding the strike, the studio’s work on Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, and more. They say that there were about 90 people at the strike rally outside Ubisoft Barcelona yesterday, but note that “despite that, Ubisoft is still offering us a very bad offer, that goes below any reasonable standard, and far lower than what you’d expect in this situation. Therefore, we will hold a new rally on Thursday, [7/16/26] during the new wave of negotiations at 10:30 am.” 

This employee also explained that in addition to the development of underwater shipwreck exploration in Resynced, the studio also worked on the following in the game: 

• All the swimming systems
• All the underwater mechanics, biomes, and animal behavior
• All the underwater wrecks
• All the smuggler dens
• 3 Main Quests: Proper Defenses, Diving for Medicines, Devil’s Advocate 
• 4 Assassin Contracts
• All Naval Contracts
• The region of Gibara and the following locations there: Crooked Island, Salt Lagoon, and Mariguana Island
• All bosses (divided with Ubisoft Quebec once that studio joined the project)
• All combat enemy AI (until Ubisoft Quebec joined the project)

They add that the team did all of this with less than 50 people in two and a half years, and that Ubisoft “has made it clear that it doesn’t want” Ubisoft Barcelona to work on any new Assassin’s Creed projects, “so right now, the only hope we have as a team to ever contribute to an AC game again is from the community’s pressure, if they think that they liked what we’ve done. Otherwise, it will only be [Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six series] from now on.” 

The employee shared the following new strike flyer and photo from yesterday’s strike rally: 

 

The original story continues below…

Original story, 7/14/26:

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launched last week, on July 9, and one of the various Ubisoft studios behind its development is facing impending layoffs, despite the remake’s early success. Ubisoft Barcelona, which is responsible for the game’s underwater exploration and tech, is set to lose 51 employees in the coming weeks as part of the layoffs. In response, the studio, represented by the Coordinadora Sindical del Videojuego union (CSVI), has begun a strike today that will last through Thursday, July 16, as reported by Video Games Chronicle.

During this strike, the CSVI union will be attempting to negotiate with Ubisoft over the proposed 51 layoffs. The strikers’ demands include the cancellation of the proposed layoffs, a return to the studio’s previous 60 percent remote working policy, the granting of previously promised promotions and raises, and stronger job security. 

Ubisoft Barcelona workers, supported by the CSVI union, previously went on strike in February of last year in response to more than 500 layoffs at Ubisoft studios worldwide, as well as the closure of three development studios. 

“Despite the game’s commercial success, 51 Ubisoft Barcelona workers will lose their jobs in the coming weeks,” a CSVI union statement on the strike reads. “After an intense production, the company claims a ‘strategic shift’ to justify these layoffs. After years of dedication to our team, the company has turned its back on us. We will never see the fruits of our labour, and the reward for our hard work will be the loss of our jobs.” 

Notably, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, a remake of the original Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, sold 2 million copies in just one day after its launch, according to Ubisoft. It also ranked Top 1 on Twitch on July 9 – its launch day – and reached a peak of 99,451 concurrent players on Steam within 24 hours of launch, “making it the highest concurrent player count ever recorded for an Assassin’s Creed title on the platform,” Ubisoft writes in a celebratory statement released yesterday on July 13. 

Many Ubisoft developers and other members of the game development industry have spoken out about these layoffs, particularly as they come after the successful launch of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced; it gives further credence to the idea that layoffs in game development are inevitable – if your game struggles, layoffs, and if it succeeds, like in this remake’s case, you’re still not safe from layoffs.  

[Source: Video Games Chronicle] 

[Editor’s Note: The article has been updated to provide clarity about the employee’s situation regarding employment at Ubisoft Barcelona]

The hearts of the Game Informer staff are with everyone who will be affected by these layoffs. 

City of the Wolves The Saga Continues Trailer Teases Stacked New DLC Roster

PS5™, PS4™, & XSX™ – US, Europe, Japan & Asia

SNK has dropped the “The Saga Continues” trailer for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. The trailer features the upcoming DLC characters Duck King, Kim Kaphwan, Rick Strowd, and Laocorn Gaudeamus.

Watch the trailer below.

Game Overview

Fatal Fury: City of Wolves is an upcoming fighting game from SNK. After 26 years, this is the first entry in the Fatal Fury series. Get ready for another clash in this fully packed roaster by SNK and CAPCOM legends on April 24, 2025.

Here’s the official game description below from SNK. 

SNK and CAPCOM legends clash in this star-studded crossover fighting game! The 2003 arcade hit SVC CHAOS is back and better than ever!

SVC CHAOS—a dream match of epic proportions! Worlds collide as 36 iconic characters across various series from SNK (mainly THE KING OF FIGHTERS) and CAPCOM (mainly STREET FIGHTER) do battle in a frantic fight to the finish! Brand-new rollback netcode and tournament modes allow for fun, fast-paced online matches—all while still retaining the classic visuals and controls of the original fan favorite. Also comes with a hitbox viewer and a gallery mode! Rise up and throw down with players all around the world in this new evolution of the SVC CHAOS legacy!

So…

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is still available on our website for PS5 (US, Europe, Japan, Asia), PS4 (US, Japan, Asia), XSX (US, Europe). So, what are you waiting for? Click the button below to order yours now! 

BUY NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

Read more about the game > HERE

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Muchi Muchi Pork! & PinkSweets Boosted Physical Pre-Orders Now Available

PS5™ & Switch – Japan

Attention shoot-’em-up (shmup) fans and physical game collectors! Two of the most legendary, high-octane titles in CAVE Interactive’s storied arcade history are making an explosive return. Muchi Muchi Pork! and PinkSweets ~Ibara Sorekara~ are officially bundled together in Muchi Muchi Pork! / PinkSweets ~Ibara Sorekara~ Boosted, releasing physically for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on October 1, 2026.

What is Muchi Muchi Pork! / PinkSweets ~Ibara Sorekara~ Boosted?

This double feature brings together two cult-classic bullet hell shooters originally developed by CAVE for Japanese arcades in the mid-2000s. Known for their quirky themes, deep scoring mechanics, and intense screen-clearing action, these games hold a special place in shmup history.

🐖 Muchi Muchi Pork!

Ride rogue flying machines and save the planet from alien space pirates intent on turning all of humanity into pigs! Featuring wildly imaginative character designs by Shinobu Tanna and fast-paced bullet patterns, Muchi Muchi Pork! delivers a delightful blend of colorful absurdity and tight arcade shooter mechanics.

💖 PinkSweets ~Ibara Sorekara~

Serving as the direct sequel to CAVE’s iconic Ibara, PinkSweets follows four sisters as they charge headfirst into battle to rescue their mother, who has been imprisoned on a remote island base. With its signature rank system, explosive bomb mechanics, and hyper-vibrant aesthetic, PinkSweets offers a challenging test of skill for bullet-hell veterans.

Release Overview & Game Details

Detail
Specifications

Title
Muchi Muchi Pork! / PinkSweets ~Ibara Sorekara~ Boosted

Developer / Publisher
CAVE Interactive / City Connection

Platforms
PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch

Release Date
October 1, 2026

Genre
Vertical Bullet-Hell Shoot ‘Em Up (Shmup)

Format
Physical Disc / Game Card

Reserve Your Physical Copy Today!

Don’t miss out on securing this essential piece of arcade shooter history for your physical collection.

PRE-ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Techland Cancels PlayStation 4 And Xbox One Versions Of Dying Light: The Beast

Techland launched Dying Light: The Beast last September for current consoles and PC, but had planned to bring the game to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at a later date. Unfortunately for players on those platforms, those plans have been axed.

The developer/publisher posted on X stating that it will no longer bring Dying Light: The Beast to last-gen consoles due to technical issues getting the game to run well on older hardware.

“Dying Light: The Beast was built from the ground up to take full advantage of current-generation hardware,” Techland writes. “Its open world, advanced visuals, and fluid combat and traversal all depend on processing power and memory that previous-generation consoles simply cannot provide. As development progressed, it became clear that bringing the game to those platforms would require compromises that would prevent us from delivering the experience we set out to create.

This was not a matter of choosing to leave those platforms behind. Rather, it reflected the technical realities of development and our commitment to delivering the best possible experience.”

After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision that Dying Light: The Beast will no longer be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Dying Light: The Beast was built from the ground up to take full advantage of current-generation hardware. Its open world,…

— Dying Light (@DyingLightGame) July 14, 2026

Techland states that any players who had planned to play Dying Light: The Beast on PS4 or Xbox One are eligible for a refund.

Dying Light: The Beast was released on September 19, 2025, and sees the protagonist of the first game, Kyle Crane, return as the playable character after suffering genetic mutations granting him special powers. We scored the game an 8.5 out of 10 in our review. Techland recently released a new edition of the game called Restored Land that adds a new persistent survival mode alongside every piece of available content. 

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Developer Ubisoft Barcelona Goes On Strike To Protest Layoffs

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launched last week, on July 9, and one of the various Ubisoft studios behind its development is facing impending layoffs, despite the remake’s early success. Ubisoft Barcelona, which is responsible for the game’s underwater exploration and tech, is set to lose 51 employees in the coming weeks as part of the layoffs. In response, the studio, represented by the Coordinadora Sindical del Videojuego union (CSVI), has begun a strike today that will last through Thursday, July 16, as reported by Video Games Chronicle.

During this strike, the CSVI union will be attempting to negotiate with Ubisoft over the proposed 51 layoffs. The strikers’ demands include the cancellation of the proposed layoffs, a return to the studio’s previous 60 percent remote working policy, the granting of previously promised promotions and raises, and stronger job security. 

Ubisoft Barcelona workers, supported by the CSVI union, previously went on strike in February of last year in response to more than 500 layoffs at Ubisoft studios worldwide, as well as the closure of three development studios. 

“Despite the game’s commercial success, 51 Ubisoft Barcelona workers will lose their jobs in the coming weeks,” a CSVI union statement on the strike reads. “After an intense production, the company claims a ‘strategic shift’ to justify these layoffs. After years of dedication to our team, the company has turned its back on us. We will never see the fruits of our labour, and the reward for our hard work will be the loss of our jobs.” 

Notably, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, a remake of the original Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, sold 2 million copies in just one day after its launch, according to Ubisoft. It also ranked Top 1 on Twitch on July 9 – its launch day – and reached a peak of 99,451 concurrent players on Steam within 24 hours of launch, “making it the highest concurrent player count ever recorded for an Assassin’s Creed title on the platform,” Ubisoft writes in a celebratory statement released yesterday on July 13. 

Many Ubisoft developers and other members of the game development industry have spoken out about these layoffs, particularly as they come after the successful launch of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced; it gives further credence to the idea that layoffs in game development are inevitable – if your game struggles, layoffs, and if it succeeds, like in this remake’s case, you’re still not safe from layoffs.  

[Source: Video Games Chronicle] 

The hearts of the Game Informer staff are with everyone who will be affected by these layoffs. 

Escape the Glitch: Death end re;Quest Code Z Coming on July 24

Nintendo™ Switch – Asia

JRPG fans and dark fantasy lovers, mark your calendars! Compile Heart’s acclaimed series returns with Death end re;Quest Code Z, delivering another intense blend of tactical JRPG mechanics and psychological horror.

Whether you want a straightforward physical copy or a full set of collector’s items, both the Standard Edition and Limited Edition are Playasia Exclusives! Pre-orders are open now for both physical releases.

Quick Overview: Key Details at a Glance

Feature
Details

Game Title
Death end re;Quest Code Z

Release Date
July 24

Availability
Playasia Exclusive Standard & Limited Editions

Region Compatibility
Region-Free (Plays on all systems worldwide)

Status
Pre-orders available now

What Is Death end re;Quest Code Z All About?

1. A New Threat in World DE-1.5

The story takes us beyond the tragic loops of World DE-1, which were previously unravelled through the efforts of Arata Mizunashi and his team. With her goodwill restored, Iris created World DE-1.5—a replica of Earth in the 2000s where feuds gave way to friendship and everyone lived in harmony.

However, peace is shattered when a mysterious man appears, leading a hostile group of individuals who look identical to the world’s former heroes. As new hero Sayaka Hiwatari, you must confront this rising chaos where friends and foes are impossible to distinguish, fighting to rescue your allies from total destruction!

2. Deadly 3D Dungeon Exploration & Strategic Combat

Take control of Sayaka as she navigates the dangerous, atmospheric 3D spaces of the Strain Area:

• Mindful Movement: Every step you take matters—watch out for hidden traps and manage your strategy as you delve deeper before insanity consumes you.

• Tactical Encounters: Engage in strategic turn-based combat that rewards careful positioning, resource management, and clever skill usage against lethal enemies.

3. Branching Narrative & Shocking “Death Ends”

Code Z delivers an engaging, dialogue-driven story loaded with choice-driven paths and numerous endings. True to the franchise’s roots, failing to navigate the Strain Area carefully results in gruesome Death Ends—brutal fates that Sayaka must actively avoid if she hopes to survive and escape!

Choose Your Edition

1. Standard Edition

Perfect for players who want to jump straight into the dark, bug-infested world of Sayaka Hiwatari without extra physical goodies.

2. Playasia Exclusive Limited Edition

Designed specifically for hardcore collectors and series enthusiasts. This collector’s set features a custom Collector’s Box packed with physical extras:

• Death end re;Quest Code Z Game (Region-Free)

• Soundtrack CD: Experience the atmospheric musical score anytime.

• Full-Color Artbook: Deep dive into character concepts and dark fantasy designs.

• Numbered Certificate: Official certificate of authenticity for your collection.

• Physical Game Manual: A detailed, old-school printed manual inside the box.

• Acrylic Standee: Character display piece for your collection shelf.

• Joy-Con™ Sticker Set: Custom decals to theme your Nintendo Switch hardware.

• Mini Case: Compact protective accessory tailored for fans on the go.

How to Pre-Order

Pre-orders are live now directly on Playasia ahead of the July 24 release.

PRE-ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

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  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

D23’s Lineup Includes ‘Deep Dive’ Kingdom Hearts Panel To Commemorate 25 Years Of The Series

Kingdom Hearts will celebrate 25 years next year, as the first game in the RPG series, which began life as a crossover between Disney and Final Fantasy, launched in 2002. Disney will mark the occasion a bit early with a “Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts” panel during D23 this year. 

D23 is the official Disney fan club, and it celebrates with a convention called D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event every other year. This year is likely to feature our first official look at Avengers: Doomsday and other upcoming Disney movies, as well as confirmed retrospective panels on classics like Beauty and the Beast and more. While we’re a bit bummed there’s no word on appearances from in-development games like Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, the action game starring Captain America and Black Panther, or Motive Studio’s Iron Man, the schedule Disney released today confirms we’ll be seeing Kingdom Hearts during the event. 

 

“Join us for a journey through light and darkness as we commemorate 25 years of Kingdom Hearts,” the schedule listing reads. “Discover how this saga united Disney, Pixar, and Square Enix, with insights from the creative minds, character voices, and more behind the magic.” 

Admittedly, this reads as though the panel will focus on the entire series and its history, but there’s always a chance something from Kingdom Hearts IV will be shown. After all, the game recently surprised fans by appearing in a Nintendo Direct (of all places), confirming a simultaneous console and PC release, including Switch 2. Only time will tell, but we don’t have to wait long, as D23 takes place next month, from August 14 to August 16. 

In the meantime, check out the very first Kingdom Hearts IV trailer, and then read about how the full game will be made in Unreal Engine 5. After that, read Game Informer’s review of Kingdom Hearts III. 

What do you hope to learn from this Kingdom Hearts panel at D23? Let us know in the comments below!

Agent 64, A Retro-Inspired Loveletter To GoldenEye And Perfect Dark, Launches Next Month

Agent 64: Spies Never Die is a retro-inspired homage to Nintendo 64 shooters, namely Rare’s classics GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark. First revealed as a prototype back in 2021, the shooter is finally launching on August 11.

Developed by Replicant D6, Agent 64’s story campaign stars secret agent John Walter, who must defeat his nemesis, Dominic Pulp, to save the world. Although the first-person shooting action and level design highly evoke GoldenEye and Perfect Dark, the action features modernized enemy AI. The 14-mission story campaign can also be played solo or alongside friends in 2-player local split-screen or 4-player online co-op. Each mission offers three difficulty levels that add more objectives and areas to uncover. You can also unlock and apply modifiers and cheats, such as “big head” mode, slow bullet speeds, disabling reload, and more.

 

Outside of the campaign, Agent 64 features 4-player competitive local splitscreen multiplayer and 8-player online multiplayer. You can also play against bots in these modes if you don’t have enough human players. Modes include Deathmatch, Briefcase (where players must capture and hold a briefcase as long as possible to score a point), Zone (capturing map zones to score points), and Challenges, special matches against bots tasking players with achieving a score under timed conditions.

Agent 64: Spies Never Die launches August 11 for PC via Steam. It also has a Steam demo to try ahead of its release.

Aerial Knight’s MrFreezy Is A ‘Light-hearted’ Puzzle Game About An Axe Murderer Who Decapitates Men

Developer Aerial Knight makes some interesting (and fun) games, so I’m always looking forward to what’s next from the team. Today, I learned about Aerial Knight’s MrFreezy, and it might take the record for the wildest puzzle-game pitch of all time, and I can’t wait to check it out. 

Aerial Knight’s MrFreezy’s Steam page features the following, intriguing text: “Play as a woman who’s an axe murderer, who kidnaps men, locks them in a basement, and decapitates them (in this light-hearted puzzle game.” There are plenty of light-hearted puzzle games out there; there are plenty of games about serial killers, too, I’m sure. But a light-hearted puzzle game about a fictional serial killer? That’s got to be a first, right? 

Check it out in the Aerial Knight’s MrFreezy trailer below: 

 

As you can see, AerialKnight’s MrFreezy is right around the corner, launching on PC on September 1. Unfortunately, September is the busiest month of the year (as developers aim to avoid the black hole of Grand Theft Auto VI’s November launch), so I’ll have to somehow find more time to fit this puzzle game into my gaming schedule. 

In the meantime, read Game Informer’s review of Aerial Knight’s Never Yield, then check out this list of our favorite puzzle games to play right now. 

Have you ever played an Aerial Knight game? Let us know your favorite in the comments below!

Games, Merch & Collectibles You Can’t Miss

The Playasia Summer Sale has officially arrived, bringing massive discounts across physical Asian import games, high-speed gaming hardware, highly detailed figures, and exclusive game soundtracks.

Whether you’re hunting for physical horror games with full English support, upgrading your next-gen console storage, or building out your figure collection, this year’s deals are hard to beat. Plus, all orders over $99 qualify for Free Shipping and automatic entry into the official Playasia Summer Sale Lucky Draw!

Here is our ultimate buyer’s guide breaking down the top featured deals across every category.

1. Top Pick: Shadow Corridor Collection (Multi-Language)

If you love pure, atmospheric survival horror rooted in Japanese folklore, the physical release of Shadow Corridor Collection is a must-own deal. Published by Arc System Works, this physical edition compiles the terrifying Noh mask-stalking gameplay into one cartridge. Because it features full English text and multi-language support, it plays seamlessly on any Nintendo Switch or next-gen Switch console worldwide without regional locks.

2. Top Pre-Order: Bunny Garden 2 (Multi-Language)

The sequel to qureate’s hit romance adventure is officially available for pre-order. Bunny Garden 2 expands on its predecessor’s charm, introducing new cast members, upgraded conversational keyword mechanics, and classic mini-games.

3. Top Steam Title: Shikhondo: Blue Pieta

For PC gamers seeking intense, high-octane bullet hell action, Shikhondo: Blue Pieta delivers a visually stunning experience. Blending traditional East Asian folklore with modern urban settings, this sequel refines the signature “Soul Collect” risk-and-reward mechanic. Graze enemy bullets to charge your power and unleash devastating counterattacks across ultra-wide 32:9 monitor setups.

4. Top Peripheral: Resident Evil Requiem Special Edition microSD EXPRESS Card (512GB)

Next-gen consoles require next-gen speed. Developed by Powin in official collaboration with Capcom, the Resident Evil Requiem Special Edition 512GB microSD EXPRESS Memory Card offers high-speed PCIe transfer rates built specifically to match the demanding load times of the Nintendo Switch 2.

5. Top Figure & Toy: figma No. 632 Ganondorf (Tears of the Kingdom Ver.)

Good Smile Company’s figma No. 632 Ganondorf captures the Demon King in all his intimidating glory. Featuring smooth yet poseable figma joints, flexible plastics for dynamic poses, and key weapon accessories from Tears of the Kingdom (including the Gloom Sword, Spear, and Bow), this figure is a centerpiece item for any Nintendo enthusiast.

6. Top Game Merchandise: Goddess of Victory: NIKKE OST (Be My Star)

Bring the high-energy electro-pop and rock tracks of Goddess of Victory: NIKKE home with the official “Be My Star” Original Soundtrack. Physical OST releases from popular gacha titles often go out of print rapidly, making this a high-priority pick up during the summer promotional period.

Stock for physical imports and limited collectibles often runs out quickly, so don’t wait too long to fill your cart. Combine your favorite items to reach the $99 threshold for Free Shipping, score your automatic entry into the Summer Sale Lucky Draw, and bring home the best imports of the season!

🏖️ BROWSE THE SUMMER SALE NOW

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

The Video Games You Should Play This Weekend – July 10, 2026

If you’re a lapsed Marvel Rivals fan (or someone waiting for a good opportunity to get into it), the superhero shooter’s latest update is its biggest yet, effectively redefining the game’s flow for the foreseeable future. The game’s most unique feature, the Team-Up mechanic, has been totally reworked. Originally, Team-Ups only activated when two compatible heroes were on the same team. Now, Team-Ups are always available, regardless of who’s on your team, and are instead enhanced when you have the compatible ally. For example, the Hulk can select his new Captain America Team-Up when spawning into a match, giving him a new move that slams the ground and refreshes his cooldowns. If Cap joins your team, the move now adds an extra debuff, making enemies take more damage. This rework has added new abilities to the majority of the game’s characters, and even those without new moves can use their older Team-Ups whenever they like. Season 9 also completely reworks Black Widow’s moveset (an overdue change) and adds Jubilee to the game. Whether you’re picking it up for the first time or seeing how your favorites have been tweaked, it’s a great time to jump in, because everyone will be learning, and that’s the best time to play a competitive game.

Exclusive Riftbound Vendetta Reveal – Ambessa’s Overnumbered Legend

League of Legends’ trading card game, Riftbound, is nearing the launch of its fourth official set, Vendetta. And true to its name, the set is embracing “enemy” color pairings; matching up both the color identities that are diametrically opposed, and corresponding Legends who love a good rivalry.

For our reveal during this preview season, Game Informer gets to show off another Overnumbered card, and it’s a doozy for those who love Arcane. Say hello to the Overnumbered variant for Ambessa’s Legend, Matriarch of War.

For those who need a refresher, Legends are the determining factor for the colors of your deck, and also add a persistent effect or presence  for you to utilize during the course of a Riftbound match. For Ambessa’s Legend, this means utilizing Empower, a new mechanic for the Vendetta set.

Ambessa’s Legend becomes Empowered when you Empower something else — usually for an additional cost described on the card — and you can then expend that Empowered state, along with recycling a Rune and exhausting her, to “ready” a unit. This means you can move creatures around the board quickly, make use of multiple exhaust effects, or any other number of potential combat tricks.

For this Overnumbered version, 196/166 in the set, we see Aliya Chen take up the pen to depict Ambessa in full battle gear. It’s a powerful visual, and I’m sure anyone running a beatdown deck with Ambessa at the helm will want this gorgeously ferocious art to match it.

Riftbound’s Vendetta set goes live on July 31 in English and Chinese. You can see the rest of the card gallery as preview season carries on here.

A New Update For The Adventures Of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Fixes The Game’s Most Annoying Feature

Octopath Traveler series developer Team Asano launched its HD-2D action RPG, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, last month on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Though many are enjoying the game, there is near-universal agreement that Faie, the companion fairy that accompanies Elliot on his adventure, talks way too much. A new update released today across all platforms lets you turn off Faie’s voice completely, providing a fix for the game’s most annoying feature. 

The Adventures of Elliot is, no doubt, aiming to be a Zelda-like adventure, and Faie can be seen as a stand-in for Navi. Despite general grievances with Link’s fairy in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who finds Navi to be more talkative than Faie. Team Asano was seemingly aware of Faie’s communication style, giving players the option to tone down how often she speaks in the game’s options – which was available from the jump. However, listening to player feedback since the game’s launch, today’s 1.1.0 update allows you to completely turn off Faie’s voice. 

 

The update’s patch notes are short and sweet. In addition to adding an option to turn off Faie’s voice, this update also “adjusts tutorial behavior,” fixes FPS drops on some PCs when Faie is present, and fixes some minor bugs. The update is available to download right now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. 

In the meantime, read Game Informer’s review of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales to learn why we enjoyed the game, despite Faie’s insistence on preventing any and all silence. After that, check out our reviews for Team Asano’s other games, like Octopath Traveler 0, Octopath Traveler II, and Triangle Strategy. 

What are your thoughts on Faie? Let us know in the comments below!

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Demo Now Available

Nintendo™ Switch 2 – US, Japan & Europe

Great news, folks! The demo for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is now available via the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch 2. It’s a great opportunity to try the game before buying it, even though it’s now available in the market.

Plus, the version 1.0.2 update is now available for the full game. This update includes the demo saved data, which will also be in the full game, and fixes some issues to improve the game.

Check out the full details of the update from the official website.

Game Overview

Check out the official game description below via Nintendo. 

Play as Yoshi and discover quirky creatures in the pages of a talking book named Mr. E!

Mr. E needs Yoshi’s help to remember all about the creatures living inside his pages. Open him up, explore each habitat, and experiment to learn about the creature that lives there. What does it do? What does it taste like? How does it interact with its environment? How will it react if you smash it, carry it around, or give it a piece of fruit? There’s only one way to find out!

Make discoveries, collect Stars, and…hey, what’s Bowser Jr. doing here?!

As you try new things with each creature, you’ll naturally make discoveries, clear habitats, collect Stars, and unlock more pages to explore. You can even give each critter a name!

But what’s this? Bowser Jr. is also popping up in these habitats?! What could he be up to?

Thanks, Gematsu! 

So…

Yoshi and The Mysterious Book is still available on our website for US, EU and JP version.

PRE-ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

【TRAILER】

【SCREENSHOTS】

© 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

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Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Named Advisor To U.S. Federal Reserve Task Force For Productivity And Jobs

The US Federal Reserve has announced new task forces for advancing monetary policy. Led by chairman Kevin Warsh, the list of advisors for each task force includes Xbox CEO Asha Sharma.

“The Federal Reserve’s commitment to price stability and maximum employment is unwavering. As is our resolve to pursue our mandate with rigor,” writes Chairman Kevin Warsh in a press release. “The U.S. economy has changed significantly over the last generation, and never more so than right now. Each task force will carefully consider whether policymakers’ means and methods, analytical tools and policy approaches can be improved upon. I am honored that the best minds from a range of disciplines have agreed to work with us to sharpen our performance as an institution. The goal is straightforward: to ensure the Fed is best positioned to achieve our objectives in this consequential time.”

The five task forces are Communications, Balance Sheet Policy, Data, Productivity and Jobs, and Inflation Frameworks. Each will be co-led by external advisors “with deep expertise in their fields.” Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has been named as one of three advisors for the Productivity and Jobs task force, which aims to “assess the economic impact of new general-purpose technologies, including artificial intelligence, to inform the Federal Reserve’s policy judgments.” 

Sharma was president of Microsoft’s CoreAI before becoming CEO of Xbox, which undoubtedly led to the role of providing expertise on the economic impact of AI. Notably, Sharma is also the only active CEO among the entire list of advisors, which largely includes professors and former business leaders/politicians.

Sharma was appointed Xbox CEO in February following the departures of former heads Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond. Among other moves, such as revealing new details of the next Xbox console, codename Project Helix, Sharma’s biggest initiative to date is a massive restructuring of Xbox that began this week, which will result in over 3,000 layoffs across each game division. The company has also divested from five development studios: Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, and Arkane Studios. 

Report: Obsidian Cancels Avowed Sequel To Begin Work On A New Fallout Game

Obsidian Entertainment is developing a new Fallout game, according to a report by Bloomberg. The report also states that the studio has canceled several in-development projects, including a planned sequel to its 2025 RPG, Avowed.

The ongoing layoffs across Xbox’s gaming division have reportedly impacted roughly 25% of Obsidian’s staff, including long-time art director Daniel Alpert. Bloomberg reports that, as part of Xbox’s new initiative to largely focus on its biggest existing franchises, Obsidian’s development pipeline has shifted toward developing a new Fallout game, with studio design director Josh Sawyer at the helm. Obsidian has worked in this universe before, having previously made 2010’s well-received Fallout: New Vegas. 

Obsidian had been working on Avowed 2, which was said to be going well and on track to be announced within the next year. However, the sequel did not fit into Xbox CEO Asha Sharma’s new company strategy. Although that project is effectively shelved, Bloomberg states that some employees will continue working on it as the new Fallout comes together in hopes of a potential revival.

Avowed was one of three games Obsidian released in 2025, alongside Grounded 2 (which launched in Early Access) and The Outer Worlds 2. Unfortunately, although Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 garnered generally positive reviews, both underperformed in sales. Despite pivoting to a new Fallout, Obsidian will also continue working on Grounded 2 and DLC for The Outer Worlds 2. 

For more on Xbox’s massive ongoing restructuring, read about how Doom developer id Software lost roughly half of its staff. You can also read how Hitman developer IO Interactive regained ownership of its online RPG Project Fantasy following its split from Xbox. For more on Obsidian, check out our reviews for Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2.  

[Source: Bloomberg]

Fortune’s Weave Is Now Available for Pre-Order!

Nintendo™ Switch 2 – US, Europe, & Japan

Tactical RPG fans, the next chapter in Intelligent Systems’ legendary franchise is officially taking shape on Nintendo’s next-gen hardware. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave brings the series into a high-stakes, arena-driven conflict set in the grand Dagdan Empire—and physical physical copies are now available for pre-order at Playasia!

Quick Summary 

• Game Title: Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave

• Developer / Publisher: Intelligent Systems / Nintendo

• Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 (Exclusive)

• Release Date: September 17, 2026

• Setting: Continent of Dagda (South of Fódlan, set in the universe of Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

What Is Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave?

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is the 18th mainline installment in Nintendo’s iconic tactical RPG franchise. Set on the continent of Dagda—located south of Fódlan—the story revolves around a gladiatorial tournament known as the Heroic Games. Held in the imperial capital of Dagsion, the games are hosted by the mysterious Divine Sovereign, who promises to grant a single wish to the victorious champion.

Key Gameplay Mechanics & New Features

Fortune’s Weave blends beloved classic mechanics with fresh strategic additions tailored for Nintendo Switch 2 hardware:

• The Heroic Games & Free Time Management: Between tournament rounds, explore training grounds, venture beyond the walls of Dagsion for experience, and build bonds with potential allies.

• Blaze Arts: A new tactical action that allows units to expend a portion of their HP to unleash devastating special attacks or maneuvers.

• New Classes & Mounts: Command airborne units like the new Ornius Rider or charge through enemy lines with heavy-hitting Charioteer classes.

• Refined Class & Combat Systems: Enjoy unit targeting aggro lines, class certifications, animated 2D dialogue portraits, and classic grid-based tactical battlefields.

Ready to claim your place in the Heroic Games? You can lock in your copy right now. Don’t wait until launch day to search for physical stock—reserve your pre-order today and prepare to forge your destiny in Dagda!

PRE-ORDER NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Must-Have Merch for the Playasia Summer Sale

Summer is officially here, and that means one thing for gaming and anime enthusiasts: the Playasia Summer Sale has arrived! Alongside massive discounts on physical import games, soundtrack CDs, and retro gear, Playasia is spotlighting exclusive merch featuring everyone’s favorite ghostly mascot, Obake Pam.

If you’re looking to upgrade your summer beach gear or add cute anime collectibles to your setup, the Obake Pam Summer Series lineup has you covered.

Top 4 Obake Pam Items to Grab This Summer

Here are the standout merchandise drops featured in this year’s seasonal sale:

Obake PAM Micro Fiber Beach Towel

Whether you’re heading to the beach, hanging out by the pool, or gearing up for an anime convention, a reliable towel is essential.

Obake Pam Summer Series Keychain

Take Playasia’s cute mascot on all your summer adventures.

Obake Pam Summer Series Fridge Magnet

Bring a pop of summer cheer to your kitchen, dorm room, or metal gaming rack.

Obake Pam Summer Series Sticker Set

Customize your gaming rig, laptop lid, water bottle, or Nintendo Switch dock.

Browse Our Full Summer Sale

Looking for more than just merch? The Playasia Summer Sale is stacked with discounts on physical video game imports, official soundtrack CDs, Japanese retro gear, and limited-edition collectibles. Whether you’re filling out your Nintendo Switch physical library or hunting down rare Asian-English physical releases, now is the best time of the season to clear out your wishlist.

Don’t wait—these seasonal discounts and exclusive Obake Pam drops are only available for a limited time while stocks last!

🏖️ BROWSE THE SUMMER SALE NOW

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Bithell Games Reveals Vampirium: 1997, An Immersive Sim Where You Work As An Assassin For Dracula

Bithell Games, creators of games such as Volume, John Wick Hex, and Tron: Catalyst, has announced a new immersive sim called Vampirium:1997. The game takes place in an England ruled by Dracula, with players controlling an assassin tasked with eliminating threats to his vampiric empire.

 

The minimalist point-and-click gameplay challenges players to infiltrate living areas to kill targets by whatever means they see fit. Vampirium: 1997 offers multiple methods for completing objectives, whether you prefer a stealthier approach that limits the body count or using weapons like a silver katana to massacre everyone in sight.

The living environments are designed to compel players to adapt to new conditions during missions. You can observe enemy patrol routes to effectively plan routes and access restricted areas, and manipulate environmental elements such as lights and other items to your advantage. Interacting with characters offers multiple responses to glean information or maintain your secrecy, including performing tasks for them. Or you can use the power of hypnotism to compel certain characters to do what you want. Missions are designed to be highly replayable since new tasks will unlock after you complete a level for the first time. Director Mike Bithell posted an 8-minute gameplay walkthrough that gives a better look at what Vampirium: 1997 has in store.

 

It’s nice to see Bithell Games bounce back with a new project after it was forced to lay off most of its staff last August due to funding issues. Vampirium: 1997 will launch into Steam Early Access at an unannounced date. 

Score H2 Interactive Games for Up to 80% Off!

The Playasia Summer Sale is officially live, and physical game collectors are eating good. If you love expanding your shelf with hard-to-find physical editions, import gems, and English-subtitled Asian releases, this is the mid-year event you can’t afford to skip.

Among the massive wave of markdowns, prominent Asian publisher H2 Interactive is stealing the spotlight with massive discounts of up to 80% off.

5 Must-Buy H2 Interactive Deals

Here are the standout titles featured in the sale, spanning survival horror, retro beat-’em-ups, and legendary JRPGs:

1. River City Girls [Complete Edition]

• Why it’s a must-play: This ultimate physical package brings Misako and Kyoko together to rescue their boyfriends (Kunio and Riki) in the ultimate pixel-art brawl. Known for its killer synth-pop soundtrack, fluid combat, and brilliant drop-in co-op, getting the complete edition on sale is a massive win for brawler fans.

2. SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered

• Why it’s a must-play: A stunning tactical masterpiece from Square Enix, beautifully brought to physical format by H2 Interactive. With its distinctive watercolor art style and multi-generational storytelling following Gustav and Wil, this remastered edition is highly coveted by physical collectors due to limited western physical footprints.

3. SaGa: Scarlet Grace Ambitions

• Why it’s a must-play: If you want a deep, challenging RPG that trades traditional dungeon crawling for one of the most brilliant, intricate turn-based combat systems ever designed, this is it. Follow four distinct protagonists on entirely different branching paths at a fraction of its normal MSRP.

4. Super Technos World: River City & Technos Arcade Classics

• Why it’s a must-play: This compilation is pure nostalgia food. Bringing together classic arcade brawlers and sports titles from the legendary Technos library, it offers unmatched pick-up-and-play arcade value. It’s a historical capsule that feels right at home on any physical shelf.

5. Shadow Corridor Collection

• Why it’s a must-play: A terrifying, procedurally generated psychological horror experience rooted deeply in traditional Japanese folklore. Navigating the dark, shifting corridors while avoiding deadly Noh-masked spirits requires pure stealth and quick nerves. The collection bundles the hair-raising action beautifully.

Add your top picks to your cart, hit that free shipping threshold, and secure these shelf-worthy physical gems before they sell out!

🏄 SHOP THE H2 INTERACTIVE SALE NOW

Beyond these top featured games, thousands of other physical editions, Japanese soundtracks, official anime merchandise, and limited console accessories are currently marked down across the site. Take a minute to browse through the full event catalog to discover hidden import gems, stack your order to unlock free shipping, and grab your favorite physical releases before supplies run out.

🏖️ BROWSE THE SUMMER SALE NOW

  © 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

Guilty Gear Strive Guest Character Coming in Winter 2026

PS4™, PS5™ & Switch – US, EU, JAPAN & ASIA

Get ready, folks, as Arc System Works will bring a new guest DLC character for Guilty Gear Strive this winter. So, stay tuned!

Check out the announcement via X. 

Game Overview

Guilty Gear: Strive is the latest entry in the critically acclaimed Guilty Gear fighting game franchise. Created by Daisuke Ishiwatari and developed by Arc System Works, Guilty Gear: Strive upholds the series’ reputation for groundbreaking hybrid 2D / 3D cel-shaded graphics and intense, rewarding gameplay.

There is a fully voiced story mode diving deep into the Guilty Gear universe, new characters joining fan favorites, and robust rollback net code.

So…

Guilty Gear Strive is still available on our website. So, what are you waiting for? Click the button below to grab yours now! 

BUY THE GAME NOW

Note: The availability of all items is subject to change without prior notice.

Read more about the game > HERE

Hence, here below are the game’s trailer, features, and screenshots for you to enjoy:

【TRAILER】

【FEATURES】

• The thrill of the fight – Sophisticated game mechanics designed to bring out the mind games we know fighting games for, including the audacious new wall-break mechanic. The drama heats up as you and your opponent clash!
• The most immersive yet – Stunning visuals such as vivid effects and character expressions bring the game to life. We’ve sought to bring you the best, down to the sound and even moments in between the action. You can experience the GG series’ satisfying play feel taken to a whole new level
• Viewers can now feel the intensity of the battle – With zoom-ins and slow-motion camera effects, impressive text visuals and top-notch animation quality, Guilty Gear -Strive- is filled to the brim with visual elements to make the show even more exciting, not only for you but also for those who watch it

© 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

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Doom Developer id Software Reportedly Loses Roughly Half Its Staff To Layoffs

In the wake of Xbox’s planned layoffs across its gaming division, which will impact 3,200 employees, with 1,600 of those workers immediately let go yesterday, Doom developer id Software has been hit particularly hard. A new report suggests the legendary studio has lost roughly half of its staff.

Game Developer reports that, per its sources, id’s headcount has been reduced by around 50 percent. An affected senior employee corroborated this figure in a LinkedIn post. The studio’s QA department was hit particularly hard, according to one of Game Developer’s sources. Most of id Software’s employees unionized last December, but it’s unclear how many of those employees were affected by the layoffs.

id’s most recent release is 2025’s Doom: The Dark Ages, which was released to positive reviews. It received a narrative expansion today called Revelations. The Texas-based studio, founded in 1991, is one of the most prolific in video games for innovating and popularizing the first-person shooter genre, dating back to Wolfenstein 3D and series such as Doom and Quake. id was acquired by ZeniMax in 2009; ZeniMax was then purchased by Xbox in 2021. 

 

id co-founder John Romero shared his condolences on social media, writing, “I know what it feels like to leave id while id goes on. It’s a strange and painful thing to step away from a place that holds so much of your work, friendships and history. The people at id have done a great job moving that legacy forward. DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein are not easy names to carry on, especially in today’s industry. The last few games showed real care, skill and respect for what those worlds mean to people.”

I’m so sorry for everyone at id Software affected by these layoffs.

I know what it feels like to leave id while id goes on. It’s a strange and painful thing to step away from a place that holds so much of your work, friendships and history. 1/5

[image or embed]

— John Romero (@johnromero.bsky.social) July 7, 2026 at 6:51 AM

The layoffs from Xbox’s massive restructuring have impacted Bethesda/ZeniMax as a whole, from Bethesda proper to its subsidiary Arkane Studios being spun off from the company entirely. Xbox has also divested from Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Undead Labs, and Ninja Theory. Some have gone independent (Compulsion, Double Fine) while others have been sold to new owners (Ninja Theory, Undead Labs). 

Game Informer has contacted Bethesda/ZeniMax for comment and will update this story should we receive one.

[Source: Game Developer]

Massive Marvel Rivals Update Reworks Black Widow And Overhauls The Team-Up System

Marvel Rivals introduced its newest season, The Mystery of Thebes, in a livestream earlier today, which will add the new characters Jubilee and The Hood into the game. The cinematic trailer was followed by the routine dev vision video where creative director Guangguang and lead combat designer Zhiyong go over balance changes and new team-up abilities, but this update was anything but routine. In addition to overhauling the Team-Up system (more on that later), they’ve almost completely reworked Black Widow’s mechanics.

 

In a game where most heroes have generally similar power levels, Black Widow has consistently been the least powerful character on the roster. As a sniper, she’s in a delicate position where the developers know that boosting her damage too high can quickly make her frustratingly overpowered. But since the rest of her ability kit is underwhelming, she’s never been a meta pick, and some players even get mad when you select her in a competitive game.

Now, she’s completely different. Her damage has been reduced, but her fire rate has been greatly increased, giving her gun a more of a mid-range, semi-automatic feel. Her old ultimate ability has become a standard ability on her toolbar, and her stamina costs for sprinting and super jumping have been eliminated. She has a new ability that launches her towards enemies and slams her gauntlets into the ground. She also has a new Ultimate, which allows her to aim down the scope of her rifle and temporarily transform it back into the sniper it used to be. The new sniper has increased damage, a larger hitbox, and can pierce enemies. While it won’t one-shot any foes, it requires much less skill to land a hit and lasts for 20 seconds or until you use all six of her shots.

Black Widow’s new ult in Marvel Rivals season 9.

While this is a major shift for Black Widow players, the next change is huge for everyone else: Team-Ups are changing entirely. It’s the mechanic that makes Marvel Rivals really stand out amongst its peers, adding new mechanics or buffs if two players on the same team play compatible characters. After a while, however, the developers admit it’s been “uninspired,” for a while, saying they were adding and subtracting team-ups just for the sake of checking boxes in a new update. Season 9 takes it much further, overhauling the system altogether.

“Now, every single hero will possess two completely independent Team-Up Ability loadouts,” Zhiyong says. “The abilities granted by these loadouts vary; some are entirely new abilities, some are entirely new standalone abilities, while others replace an existing base ability.”

These new Team-Ups can be swapped out whenever you swap your character out before matches, between rounds, or when you die and return to the spawn room. In an example clip, Black Panther chooses between Team-Ups with Magik and Storm. Each Team-Up also now has a base effect and an enhanced effect. The base effect gives each player the Team-Up’s core mechanic, but it is active regardless of whether the Team-Up partner is actually on your team. Going back to the above example, Black Panther can use his Team-Up ability with Magik regardless of whether she’s on the team. But if Magik is present, his ability gets its enhanced effect, granting it a significant boost in power, sometimes producing alternate effects entirely.

 

To exemplify further, the video shows off the Hulk’s new Team-Up effects. His new Team-Up ability with Captain America, Incredible Leap, allows him to jump up and slam into the ground to damage nearby enemies. It also reduces his cooldowns based on how depleted his health is. But if Cap is on the same team, the enhanced effect means Incredible Leap does more damage and adds a debuff that makes foes take more damage.

“We have been holding our tongue on this version update for so long, and we couldn’t be happier to finally talk about it,” Guangguang says. “We actually started planning our Team-Up overhaul just under a year ago. Over the last few seasons, we’ve been closely following the community’s discussions regarding Team-Ups, and honestly, the pressure has been immense.”

Zhiyong also says the development team will constantly be monitoring the interactions between all of the game’s new Team-Up abilities and be on standby to roll out rapid balance patches if needed – something the team doesn’t do often. It’s a pretty significant shake-up – here’s hoping the update doesn’t break the game.

These changes will be implemented when Season 9 starts on Friday, July 10. You can read the full Season 9 patch notes here. For more Marvel Rivals, check out the newest playable character: Jubilee.

Jubilee And The Hood Join Marvel Rivals In Season 9: The Mystery Of Thebes

Marvel Rivals, the comic book-themed hero shooter from Netease, aired a livestream today to reveal what’s coming to the game in its ninth season, which is set to start this Friday, July 10. The stream kicked off with a cinematic trailer briefly showing the two newest heroes – Jubilee and The Hood – but primarily focusing on X-Men antagonist Apocalypse. As he finishes a monologue about his quest for power, he’s suddenly impaled through the back with a sword from an unseen attacker. You can watch for yourself below.

 

Jubilee joins the game as a Strategist (the game’s healer-adjacent class) and can use her pyrotechnic energy blasts to heal foes as well as harm allies. She can also jump into the air and briefly hover to avoid damage and create healing bubbles for her teammates. Her Ultimate allows her to knock back many enemies at once, and her character reveal trailer shows her using it to push several opponents to their doom.

In the game’s lore, Jubilee is serving as one of Apocalypse’s horsemen – the Horseman of Famine – because her son Shogo has been trapped in his dragon form and she hoped Apocalypse would help.

“Ready to fight the world and be a shining beacon for her son, Jubilee generates bursts of pyrotechnic plasma as she shapes radiant energy into vibrant projectiles that shimmer with gleaming light,” the gameplay reveal trailer’s description reads. “Combined with her vampiric powers, every firework she releases is an invigorating celebration on the battlefield!”

 

Season 9 also adds a new convoy map, Thebes, on July 23 and will likely add The Hood to the roster in early August. For more Marvel Rivals, read our review of the game to see how it holds its own amongst a crowded genre.

Lego Reveals 5 New Pokémon Sets Featuring Rayquaza, Arcanine, And More

In January, Lego revealed its first-ever official Pokémon set, and that has evidently proven popular, because it then announced 12 additional sets coming in August. That’s not enough, apparently, because five more sets have been revealed, featuring new Pokémon and trainers.

The new sets launch either on August 1 or October 1, depending on the set, and are available for pre-order today at Lego’s website and the Pokémon Center. The sets will also launch at select retailers. Here are the details for each set, including their official descriptions and photo galleries:

Lego Pokémon Munchlax

 

“Lego Pokémon Munchlax recreates the adorable Normal-type Pokémon, Munchlax, in a 757-piece build experience. Measuring over 18-cm high, this build perfectly captures the charming, playful personality of Munchlax, with posable arms and head, and its insatiable appetite through delicious treats included within the set.”

• Price: $69.99
• Pieces: 757
• Dimensions: 5 in. (13 cm) high, 4 in. (10 cm) wide and 4 in. (11 cm) deep
• Launch Date: August 1

Lego Pokémon Up-Scaled Red Minifigure 

 

“Supersize the fun with the Lego Pokémon Up-Scaled Red Minifigure. With over 930-pieces the set showcases the Trainer, Red, in his iconic red hat, blue trousers, backpack and red vest with a pin attached, and, a Poké Ball. The build has posable arms and legs, with a rotating head, maximising the possibilities for play and display.”

• Price: $79.99
• Pieces: 930
• Dimensions: 10 in. (22 cm) high, 6 in. (17 cm) wide and 4 in. (12 cm) deep
• Launch Date: October 1

Lego Pokémon Arcanine

 

“Lego Pokémon Arcanine recreates one of the magnificent fire-type Pokémon as a 1,190-piece, fully posable Lego-built display version. The impressive build captures Arcanine’s fiery spirit, powerful stance and signature fur – a faithful recreation of this Kanto region Pokémon.”

• Price: $109.99
• Pieces: 1,190
• Dimensions: 6.7 in. (17cm) high, 3.5 in. (9cm) wide and 11.2 in. (28.6cm) deep
• Launch Date: August 1

Lego Pokémon Rayquaza 

 

“An impressive 1,083-piece set, Lego Pokémon Rayquaza brings one of the most recognizable Legendary Pokémon to life in brick form, packed with authentic details and perfect for display. This build faithfully recreates the iconic Sky Pillar scene from Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and includes an exclusive minifigure of Lorekeeper Zinnia.”

• Price: $129.99
• Pieces: 1,083
• Dimensions: 15 in. (38cm) high, 11 in. (28cm) wide and 10.6 in. (27cm) deep
• Launch Date: August 1

Lego Pokémon Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball

 

“For Lego Pokémon Trainers looking for a new display piece, Lego Pokémon Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball offers a striking 2,368-piece build that is truly one-of-a-kind. The set includes a large brick-built Poké Ball that can open and close, containing key moments from a Pokémon Trainer’s journey. Inside fans can find a battle scene, Professor Oak’s laboratory and more, including three minifigures of Professor Oak, Picnicker and Red, as well as Pikachu and Eevee figures which elevate the set further.”

• Price: $299.99
• Pieces: 2,339
• Dimensions: 9 in. (22cm) high, 9 in. (24cm) wide and 9 in. (22cm) deep
• Launch Date: October 1

For more Pokémon news, check out the underwater update coming to Pokémon Pokopia in August and the reveals of the next mainline Pokémon titles, Pokémon Wind and Waves.

IO Interactive Regains Ownership Of Project Fantasy Following Xbox Split

IO Interactive has announced it has regained full ownership of its in-development online RPG Project Fantasy following its split from an external funding partner last week, which was later confirmed to be Xbox. The studio behind Hitman and 007 First Light will continue working on the project, but this shift means a reduction of its staff.

The Copenhagen-based studio shared a message stating it will now fully fund Project Fantasy independently. However, IO writes that this shift means “we had to find a new balance for the long-term future of the studio, focused on the success of our main internal core titles instead of external projects and potential mobile game derivatives.” To this end, IO has had to make layoffs it had previously stated were necessary after Xbox pulled out of funding Project Fantasy. This includes the closure of its Istanbul subsidiary studio.

“These are hard, but necessary decisions, in order to retain the long-term future of IO Interactive as one of the very few fully independent AAA developer and publisher, as well as to give Project Fantasy the best possible foundation to succeed under our own passion and direction. Project Fantasy is a game, a world, and an IP that we are wholly committed to, and we cannot wait to share the love with you.”

Xbox told Bloomberg it ceased supporting Project Fantasy after reevaluating the types of projects it wanted to invest in. This portfolio adjustment came ahead of the company announcing plans yesterday to lay off 3,200 employees over the next fiscal year, 1,600 of whom were terminated immediately. Xbox also spun off or sold five of its development studios – Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, and Arkane Studios – in the midst of this massive restructure, 

For more on IO Interactive, read our review of its most recent release, 007 First Light, here.

Xbox Parts Ways With Five Studios, Over 3,000 Layoffs Announced

Xbox has announced it is splitting from five of its development studios – Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, and Arkane Studios – while announcing plans to reduce headcount by over 3,000 employees over the next several months. 

CEO Asha Sharma sent a lengthy message to the entire Xbox team detailing her previously announced plans for a “reset” of the brand and its operations in what she calls “the most significant restructure in Xbox history.”

“Our business today is not healthy,” Sharma writes. “We are operating at margins that are 3-10x lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses. We entered Gen 9 with a smaller install base and a higher cost structure. To grow, we bet on Game Pass, multi-platform, and a broader portfolio of content. While those businesses have created meaningful value, they did not grow at the pace we expected. As that happened, our core business weakened, and we added more teams, more investment, and more time, hoping for a better outcome. And now the industry is facing the most severe hardware crisis in its history. We must reset Xbox.”

South of Midnight

Regarding certain studios that had reportedly been considered for closure, they will either go independent or be sold to a new owner. “Since 2018, we have aggressively expanded our studio portfolio while the number of games created each month across the industry now outpaces the last ten years combined,” writes Sharma. “We now find ourselves competing not only with the largest publishers, but also with smaller independent studios. It is neither possible nor desirable to own every great independent studio. We have also learned that we are not the best home for every type of studio; in a typical year, we lost 64 cents for every dollar we invested. As we reset Xbox, we will help independent creators succeed by providing open development tools and audiences to realize their vision.”

Compulsion Games (South of Midnight) and Double Fine (Psychonauts) will once again become independent studios and retain their IP and game catalogs. These developers were purchased by Xbox in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Compulsion Games and Double Fine each posted messages confirming this news on social media.

Ninja Theory (Hellblade) and Undead Labs (State of Decay) have “entered terms to join new ownership with funding to complete and grow Senua and State of Decay 3,” according to Sharma. Both of these titles are targeting a 2027 release. The specifics of this deal, such as the identity of the new owner(s) of Ninja Theory and Undead Labs, are unknown. It has been reported that Xbox had already planned to split from Ninja Theory before revealing Senua during the Xbox Games Showcase in June, and showed the game anyway to attract a potential buyer. State of Decay 3, first announced in 2020, also had a new trailer during that showcase.

Senua

The fate of Arkane Studios (Dishonored) is less clear. Sharma states the Lyon-based team has entered the required consultation in France with its Works Council to “review potential strategic options.” The studio is currently making Marvel’s Blade, which has reportedly faced cancellation. 

Layoffs will hit other studios such as Activision, Bethesda/Zenimax, Blizzard, King, Mojang, and Xbox Game Studios. Approximately 3,200 employees will be laid off throughout fiscal year 2027; 1,600 employees will be terminated today. Despite this reduction in headcount, Sharma confirms none of Xbox’s publicly announced games or projects will be canceled. Mojang and King will also now report directly to Sharma. 

In a reset of operations, Sharma has announced the promotion of Helen Chiang, corporate VP at Microsoft and head of Mojang, to chief operating officer (COO) of Xbox. Chiang will replace the previous COO, Dave McCarthy, who is retiring today after a 17-year career at Xbox.

To help streamline management, Sharma states that management layers will be reduced to no more than 5 and, where possible, 3. “Today, in some parts of the company, work passes through as many as 14 layers of management. Our platform teams are 40% larger than they were at the start of this generation, even as our player base and playtime have declined. That complexity has slowed decisions, blurred accountability, and made it harder to deliver for players. As we reset XBOX, we will simplify,” writes Sharma.

Sharma ends her message by stating her ambition for Xbox to return to growth in 2027 and to become “one of the few companies that entertain more than a billion people each day and gives everyone the opportunity to create and connect.” 

“History is full of companies that mistake longevity for inevitability,” Sharma writes. “We will not be one of them.” 

Xbox Parts Ways With Four Studios, Over 3,000 Layoffs Announced

Xbox has announced it is splitting from four of its development studios – Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, and Undead Labs – while announcing plans to reduce headcount by over 3,000 employees over the next several months. 

CEO Asha Sharma sent a lengthy message to the entire Xbox team detailing her previously announced plans for a “reset” of the brand and its operations in what she calls “the most significant restructure in Xbox history.”

“Our business today is not healthy,” Sharma writes. “We are operating at margins that are 3-10x lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses. We entered Gen 9 with a smaller install base and a higher cost structure. To grow, we bet on Game Pass, multi-platform, and a broader portfolio of content. While those businesses have created meaningful value, they did not grow at the pace we expected. As that happened, our core business weakened, and we added more teams, more investment, and more time, hoping for a better outcome. And now the industry is facing the most severe hardware crisis in its history. We must reset Xbox.”

South of Midnight

Regarding certain studios that had reportedly been considered for closure, they will either go independent or be sold to a new owner. “Since 2018, we have aggressively expanded our studio portfolio while the number of games created each month across the industry now outpaces the last ten years combined,” writes Sharma. “We now find ourselves competing not only with the largest publishers, but also with smaller independent studios. It is neither possible nor desirable to own every great independent studio. We have also learned that we are not the best home for every type of studio; in a typical year, we lost 64 cents for every dollar we invested. As we reset Xbox, we will help independent creators succeed by providing open development tools and audiences to realize their vision.”

Compulsion Games (South of Midnight) and Double Fine (Psychonauts) will once again become independent studios and retain their IP and game catalogs. These developers were purchased by Xbox in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Compulsion Games and Double Fine each posted messages confirming this news on social media.

Ninja Theory (Hellblade) and Undead Labs (State of Decay) have “entered terms to join new ownership with funding to complete and grow Senua and State of Decay 3,” according to Sharma. Both of these titles are targeting a 2027 release. The specifics of this deal, such as the identity of the new owner(s) of Ninja Theory and Undead Labs, are unknown. It has been reported that Xbox had already planned to split from Ninja Theory before revealing Senua during the Xbox Games Showcase in June, and showed the game anyway to attract a potential buyer. State of Decay 3, first announced in 2020, also had a new trailer during that showcase.

Senua

The fate of Arkane Studios (Dishonored) is less clear. Sharma states the Lyon-based team has entered the required consultation in France with its Works Council to “review potential strategic options.” The studio is currently making Marvel’s Blade, which has reportedly faced cancellation. 

Layoffs will hit other studios such as Activision, Bethesda/Zenimax, Blizzard, King, Mojang, and Xbox Game Studios. Approximately 3,200 employees will be laid off throughout fiscal year 2027; 1,600 employees will be terminated today. Despite this reduction in headcount, Sharma confirms none of Xbox’s publicly announced games or projects will be canceled. Mojang and King will also now report directly to Sharma. 

In a reset of operations, Sharma has announced the promotion of Helen Chiang, corporate VP at Microsoft and head of Mojang, to chief operating officer (COO) of Xbox. Chiang will replace the previous COO, Dave McCarthy, who is retiring today after a 17-year career at Xbox.

To help streamline management, Sharma states that management layers will be reduced to no more than 5 and, where possible, 3. “Today, in some parts of the company, work passes through as many as 14 layers of management. Our platform teams are 40% larger than they were at the start of this generation, even as our player base and playtime have declined. That complexity has slowed decisions, blurred accountability, and made it harder to deliver for players. As we reset XBOX, we will simplify,” writes Sharma.

Sharma ends her message by stating her ambition for Xbox to return to growth in 2027 and to become “one of the few companies that entertain more than a billion people each day and gives everyone the opportunity to create and connect.” 

“History is full of companies that mistake longevity for inevitability,” Sharma writes. “We will not be one of them.” 

Playasia Summer Sale 2026 | Free Shipping, Lucky Draw & Up to 80% Off

The Playasia Summer Sale 2026 is live from July 6 through July 20, bringing exciting deals across physical games, digital products, gaming accessories, toys, and collectibles. 

Best of all, FREE SHIPPING is back! If you’ve been hoarding your wishlist for a major drop, today is the day to strike.

Free Shipping on Orders Over $99

• Item Specifications: Each individual item weighs 299g with a volume of 999 cm³.

• Weight Requirement: To qualify for the promotion, the total order weight must reach at least 1900g.

PS: Free Shipping promo is strictly applicable to orders placed during the campaign period only (Jul 6 – Jul 20, 5pm HKT) 

🌸ENTER SUMMER SALE HERE🌸

☀️ Summer Sale 2026 at a Glance 

Campaign Dates 
July 6 – July 20, 2026 

Free Shipping 
Eligible orders over $99 

Lucky Draw 
Earn one raffle entry for every eligible Summer Sale and Free Shipping item purchased. 

Top Deals 

• Up to 80% OFF H2 Interactive games  
• Exclusive bundles on games, Steam Keys, controllers, and accessories 
• Category-wide discounts on Nintendo Switch games, PlayStation games, physical games, digital products, gaming merchandise, and more  

New Launch – Obake PAM Summer Series Merchandise Collection 

Whether you’re shopping for the latest Nintendo Switch releases, PlayStation games, gaming collectibles, digital products, or Playasia exclusives, there’s something for every gamer this summer. 

Shop, Save & Win: Summer Sale Lucky Draw

Shopping during the Playasia Summer Sale doesn’t just unlock incredible deals, it also gives you the chance to win fantastic prizes. 

Every eligible Summer Sale and Free Shipping item you purchase earns you one raffle ticket, giving you more chances to win with every qualifying item in your cart. There is no limit to the number of raffle entries you can earn.  

HOW TO JOIN

✔ Place an order between July 6–20 

✔ Every eligible Summer Sale or Free Shipping item earns one raffle ticket 

✔ Buy more eligible items to receive more raffle entries 

✔ No limit on raffle tickets per customer 

✔ Eligible orders must ship on or before August 3, 2026  

Important Notes 

• Only Summer Sale and Free Shipping eligible products generate raffle tickets.
• Orders containing both eligible and non-eligible products will only receive tickets for eligible items. 
• Raffle tickets are emailed after your order has shipped.
• Cancelled or refunded orders are not eligible.
• Orders containing pre-order items may not ship before the raffle qualification deadline. If your order includes pre-order products, it may not qualify unless shipped by August 3.  

Winner announcement: Stay tuned to Obake PAM’s livestream for the official Lucky Draw announcement. More details will be shared on our social channels soon.  

🌸ENTER THE SALE NOW🌸

H2 Interactive Games Sale – Save Up to 80% on Nintendo Switch & PlayStation Games 

This Summer Sale, we’re shining the spotlight on H2 Interactive games! 

Discover incredible discounts of up to 80% OFF on a huge lineup of Nintendo Switch and PlayStation titles, from RPG favorites and action games to beloved Japanese releases. 

Whether you’re expanding your physical game collection or catching up on titles you’ve missed, now is the perfect time to dive into the H2 Interactive catalog. 

🌸SHOP H2 INTERACTIVE DEALS🌸

Introducing the Obake PAM Summer Series

Summer wouldn’t be complete without something brand new! 

Meet the Obake PAM Summer Series, our newest seasonal merchandise collection inspired by everyone’s favorite Playasia mascot. 

This limited summer lineup features adorable new collectibles including: 

🏖️ Beach Towel 

✨ Sticker Pack 

🧲 Ref Magnet 

🔑 Acrylic Keychain 

…and more! 

Whether you’re a longtime PAM fan or just discovering her for the first time, this collection is the perfect way to bring a little summer fun into your gaming setup. 

🌸SHOP OBAKE PAM SUMMER SERIES🌸

Pre-order Game Bundles, Steam Key Bundles & Gaming Accessories

Looking for even better value? 

Playasia’s Summer Sale includes exclusive bundle promotions across multiple categories, including selected physical games, Steam Keys, gaming accessories, and more. 

Featured bundle promotions include: 

🎮 3 Pre-order Games for $100 

🎮 Controller bundles 

🎮 Nintendo Switch 2 Pouches bundles 

…and many more available throughout the Summer Sale! 

Mix, match, and build the perfect gaming haul while enjoying even bigger savings. 

Make This Summer One to Remember

Whether you’re crossing games off your wishlist, discovering hidden gems, upgrading your gaming setup, or picking up the brand-new Obake PAM Summer Series, there’s never been a better time to shop at Playasia. 

With Free Shipping on eligible orders over $99, Lucky Draw entries, exclusive bundles, publisher deals, and thousands of discounts across every category, the Playasia Summer Sale 2026 is packed with opportunities to save more while growing your collection. 

But don’t wait too long—these summer deals are only available from July 6 through July 20, 2026. 

Start browsing today, build your perfect gaming haul, and make this your biggest Playasia shopping spree of the summer! 

🌸ENTER SUMMER SALE NOW🌸

Frequently Asked Questions 

When is the Playasia Summer Sale 2026? 

The campaign runs from July 6 to July 20, 2026. 

How do I qualify for Free Shipping? 

Eligible orders over $99 qualify for Free Shipping during the Summer Sale. 

How do I earn Lucky Draw tickets? 

Every eligible Summer Sale or Free Shipping item purchased earns one raffle ticket. 

Which products are on sale? 

The Summer Sale includes: 

Does Playasia have game bundles? 

Yes. 

Summer Sale features exclusive bundles across games, Steam Keys, controllers, Nintendo Switch accessories, and more. 

© 2026 Playasia. OK to reproduce if copyright note stays intact.

The Video Games You Should Play This Weekend – July 3, 2026

Originally released in 2025, Wanderstop is from the mind of Davey Wreden, best known for The Stanley Parable and The Beginner’s Guide. Those games, in summary, are a little bit about the process of playing and appreciating a video game and what it means to have and give player choice. There is a lot more to them than that, but that’s arguably the short version. By comparison, Wanderstop is more straightforward, but still makes plenty of room for the examination of video games as an entertainment medium.

In the game, you are Alta, a former adventurer/warrior who is attempting to take on a new life and manage a tea shop to address her overwhelming anxiety. But, in typical Wreden style, there is more to it than that. In Game Informer‘s Wanderstop review I wrote, “I admire the game for being able to use video game genre conventions to tell a pensive, funny, and surprising story set in a charming location with enjoyable characters. Watching Alta grow and accept her limitations will stick with me and make me reflect on my own inability to turn off and just relax. I appreciate any art that makes you think in that way, and Wanderstop is successful in that goal.”

As of June 23, the game is available on Switch and Switch 2 and it’s worth playing, even if you’re not typically a fan of the wide-ranging “cozy” genre. Wredon is still making video games, but the studio, Ivy Road, that created Wanderstop has unfortunately been shuttered. But that’s doesn’t mean it didn’t create a worthwhile video game worth experiencing.

Ontos, The Next Horror Game By The Developer Of Soma And Amnesia, Delayed To 2027

Frictional Games, developers of Soma and Amnesia: The Dark Descent, have delayed its next horror title, Ontos, to 2027. The game was first announced at The Game Awards 2025 with a launch scheduled for this year.

The sci-fi horror game is set on Samsara, a repurposed moon hotel, where players control an engineer named Aditi Amani, who is invited there by her father, a cryptic yet brilliant scientist-turned-prophet. The nature of reality is fractured at Samsara, so Amani must confront disturbing realities about her father’s past and the nature of existence. Frictional touts an immersive narrative with tactile, systems-driven gameplay that includes scavenging for materials, manipulating machinery, and using analog systems. Samsara itself is billed as a vast, labyrinthine space made of surreal biomes run by different factions and teeming with disturbing threats. 

 

In a social media post, Frictional Games says it needs more time to realize what it describes as “our most ambitious game to date, both in terms of its size and scale, and in the depth and layers of our story and gameplay.”

▇▄▋▋▎
ONTOS is our most ambitious game to date, both in terms of its size and scale, and in the depth and layers of our story and gameplay.

In order to deliver this vision, we have decided to push the release of ONTOS to 2027.

We look forward to sharing more updates about… pic.twitter.com/QUllB7afdu

— ONTOS (@ONTOS_Official) July 2, 2026

Ontos is coming in 2027 to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. You can see what other games are launching next year with our 2027 Video Game Release Schedule. 

Way of the Sword Release Date Moved Up

PlayStation®5 / Nintendo™ Switch 2 / Xbox Series X – Physical Release

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is arriving earlier than expected. Capcom has officially moved the release date forward from September 25, 2026 to September 4, 2026.

The long-awaited return of Capcom’s legendary swordplay action series is now available to pre-order at Playasia across multiple platforms, including PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X.

This new entry brings players into a dark fantasy version of Edo-era Kyoto, where supernatural clouds of Malice have twisted the city and unleashed demonic Genma into the world of the living.

If you enjoy samurai action, dark fantasy settings, cinematic sword combat, and classic Capcom franchises making a modern comeback, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is one 2026 release worth adding to your collection.

GET THE GAME HERE

Quick Answer: Did Onimusha: Way of the Sword Move Its Release Date?

Yes. Capcom has officially moved the release date of Onimusha: Way of the Sword from September 25, 2026 to September 4, 2026.

The game is available to pre-order at Playasia across multiple platforms, including PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X.

Onimusha Returns Earlier This September

The new Onimusha entry brings Capcom’s legendary swordplay action series back with a dark fantasy adventure set in Edo-era Kyoto.

Players take on the role of Miyamoto Musashi, a samurai caught in a brutal conflict against the Genma. Armed with the Oni Gauntlet, Musashi must fight through demonic enemies, dangerous encounters, and a Kyoto twisted by mysterious clouds of Malice.

For longtime fans, Onimusha: Way of the Sword marks the return of a classic Capcom series after more than two decades. For new players, it offers a fresh entry point into the franchise with modern visuals, cinematic action, and intense sword-based combat.

Why This Update Matters

This release date change gives Onimusha: Way of the Sword a new early September launch window.

Instead of arriving near the end of the month, the game will now launch on September 4, giving fans earlier access to one of Capcom’s major 2026 action releases.

If Onimusha has been on your watchlist since its trailers, demo footage, or latest gameplay showcases, this is the update to note before launch.

Key Features

A Brand-New Onimusha Adventure

Experience a completely new story in the Onimusha series. The game brings the franchise back with a new protagonist, a new setting, and a modern take on cinematic swordplay action.

Play as Miyamoto Musashi

Take control of legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi as he searches for a reason to fight. His journey leads him through a corrupted Kyoto filled with Genma, rival warriors, and supernatural threats.

Intense Sword-Based Combat

Onimusha: Way of the Sword focuses on close-range sword combat, precise strikes, counters, and finishing attacks. Players can expect tense battles where timing, positioning, and smart use of abilities matter.

Harness the Power of the Oni Gauntlet

The Oni Gauntlet gives Musashi supernatural power against the Genma. Use it to fight demonic enemies and absorb the souls of defeated foes as you push deeper into Kyoto’s corrupted streets.

A Dark Fantasy Kyoto

Explore a sinister version of Edo-era Kyoto, where historic locations are transformed by Malice into dangerous environments filled with mystery, dread, and atmospheric detail.

The Return of a Legendary Capcom Series

Onimusha: Way of the Sword marks the first new mainline Onimusha title in over two decades, making it a major release for fans who have been waiting for Capcom to bring the franchise back.

Available Platforms at Playasia

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is available to pre-order at Playasia for:

PlayStation 5
Nintendo Switch 2
Xbox Series X

Availability may vary depending on region, edition, and platform.

Product Details

Product: Onimusha: Way of the Sword
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Swordplay Action
Release Date: September 4, 2026
Availability: Pre-order

FAQ

Did Onimusha: Way of the Sword get delayed?

No. The release date was moved forward. Capcom changed the release date from September 25, 2026 to September 4, 2026.

Is Onimusha: Way of the Sword available at Playasia?

Yes. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is available to pre-order at Playasia across multiple platforms, including PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X.

Is this a physical release?

Yes. Playasia has physical release options available, with platform and region availability depending on the selected version.

What platforms is Onimusha: Way of the Sword releasing on?

Capcom lists Onimusha: Way of the Sword for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows, Steam, Epic Games, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Do I need to play the previous Onimusha games first?

No. Onimusha: Way of the Sword features a brand-new story, making it approachable for new players while still carrying the spirit of the original series.

Secure Your Copy – Pre-Order Now at Playasia!

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is now available to pre-order at Playasia.

With its release date moved forward to September 4, 2026, players can experience Capcom’s long-awaited samurai action revival earlier than expected.

Pre-order Onimusha: Way of the Sword now at Playasia.

PRE-ORDER NOW

Read more about the game > HERE

Note: The availability of the item is subject to change without prior notice.

 

NIKKE Summer Event WAVE TO YOU Begins July 2

iOS, Android & PC

Summer arrives with a mysterious twist in Goddess of Victory: NIKKE.

The new summer event, WAVE TO YOU, begins on July 2 after maintenance and runs until July 23, 2026. This year’s event brings two separate groups of characters into one fully voiced story, sending Commanders into a strange sea area, a mysterious island, and a new seasonal adventure packed with danger beneath the tropical setting.

A Summer Trip Pulled Into the Unknown

What starts as a vacation quickly turns into something far more unusual.

During a graduation trip, Marciana and her students head out for a much-needed getaway. At the same time, Cinderella and her group are searching for Hansel and Gretel. However, both groups are suddenly caught by a mysterious whirlpool and pulled into a strange sea area where escape is impossible.

After meeting by chance, the two groups decide to work together and explore the island around them. At first glance, it may look like a tropical paradise, but the deeper they go, the clearer it becomes that this is no ordinary island.

The WAVE TO YOU event is fully voiced, giving players a more cinematic way to experience this year’s summer storyline.

New Limited SSR: Cinderella: Crystal Wave

Banner Period: July 2 – July 23, 2026
Rarity: SSR
Manufacturer: Pilgrim
Code: Iron
Weapon: Machine Gun
Role: DPS

Cinderella: Crystal Wave joins the summer event as a new limited SSR character.

This version of Cinderella attacks using her magical glass shoes, bringing strong offensive pressure to the battlefield. As a DPS unit, she focuses on boosting her own power and dealing heavy damage to multiple enemies.

Her Burst Skill greatly increases her offensive capability while striking several enemies at once, making her a strong pick for Commanders looking for wide damage coverage during intense battles.

New Limited SSR: Marciana: Marine Study

Banner Period: July 9 – July 30, 2026
Rarity: SSR
Manufacturer: Elysion
Code: Iron
Weapon: Assault Rifle
Role: DPS

Marciana: Marine Study joins the event one week later as another limited SSR character.

This summer version of Marciana brings a different DPS style to the field. She becomes stronger as fewer Raptures remain, making her especially useful in boss fights or situations where the battle comes down to the final enemies on screen.

Her kit rewards focused encounters, allowing her to shine when the battlefield has been cleared and only the strongest threats remain.

Event Duration

WAVE TO YOU runs from July 2 after maintenance until July 23, 2026.

Players can take part in the event story, explore the summer event map, and follow the mystery behind the strange island where Marciana’s group and Cinderella’s group have been pulled together.

For Commanders planning their pulls, Cinderella: Crystal Wave will be available from July 2 to July 23, while Marciana: Marine Study will be available from July 9 to July 30.

Prepare for the Summer Banners

Planning to pull for Cinderella: Crystal Wave or Marciana: Marine Study? Commanders playing on iOS can prepare for the WAVE TO YOU event by topping up with iTunes Gift Cards, available now at Playasia.

Make sure to choose the correct card region for your Apple ID before purchase.

BUY YOUR iTUNES CARDS HERE

 

A New Summer Story for Commanders

With a fully voiced event, two limited SSR characters, and a story that brings together Marciana, Cinderella, and their respective groups, WAVE TO YOU looks to be one of NIKKE’s major seasonal updates for 2026.

What begins as a graduation trip and a search mission quickly becomes a survival mystery at sea. Commanders can dive into the event after the July 2 maintenance and uncover what waits beyond the whirlpool.

Goddess of Victory: NIKKE – WAVE TO YOU begins today, July 2, 2026.

NIKKE Summer Event WAVE TO YOU Begins July 2

iOS, Android & PC

Summer arrives with a mysterious twist in Goddess of Victory: NIKKE.

The new summer event, WAVE TO YOU, begins on July 2 after maintenance and runs until July 23, 2026. This year’s event brings two separate groups of characters into one fully voiced story, sending Commanders into a strange sea area, a mysterious island, and a new seasonal adventure packed with danger beneath the tropical setting.

A Summer Trip Pulled Into the Unknown

What starts as a vacation quickly turns into something far more unusual.

During a graduation trip, Marciana and her students head out for a much-needed getaway. At the same time, Cinderella and her group are searching for Hansel and Gretel. However, both groups are suddenly caught by a mysterious whirlpool and pulled into a strange sea area where escape is impossible.

After meeting by chance, the two groups decide to work together and explore the island around them. At first glance, it may look like a tropical paradise, but the deeper they go, the clearer it becomes that this is no ordinary island.

The WAVE TO YOU event is fully voiced, giving players a more cinematic way to experience this year’s summer storyline.

New Limited SSR: Cinderella: Crystal Wave

Banner Period: July 2 – July 23, 2026
Rarity: SSR
Manufacturer: Pilgrim
Code: Iron
Weapon: Machine Gun
Role: DPS

Cinderella: Crystal Wave joins the summer event as a new limited SSR character.

This version of Cinderella attacks using her magical glass shoes, bringing strong offensive pressure to the battlefield. As a DPS unit, she focuses on boosting her own power and dealing heavy damage to multiple enemies.

Her Burst Skill greatly increases her offensive capability while striking several enemies at once, making her a strong pick for Commanders looking for wide damage coverage during intense battles.

New Limited SSR: Marciana: Marine Study

Banner Period: July 9 – July 30, 2026
Rarity: SSR
Manufacturer: Elysion
Code: Iron
Weapon: Assault Rifle
Role: DPS

Marciana: Marine Study joins the event one week later as another limited SSR character.

This summer version of Marciana brings a different DPS style to the field. She becomes stronger as fewer Raptures remain, making her especially useful in boss fights or situations where the battle comes down to the final enemies on screen.

Her kit rewards focused encounters, allowing her to shine when the battlefield has been cleared and only the strongest threats remain.

Event Duration

WAVE TO YOU runs from July 2 after maintenance until July 23, 2026.

Players can take part in the event story, explore the summer event map, and follow the mystery behind the strange island where Marciana’s group and Cinderella’s group have been pulled together.

For Commanders planning their pulls, Cinderella: Crystal Wave will be available from July 2 to July 23, while Marciana: Marine Study will be available from July 9 to July 30.

Prepare for the Summer Banners

Planning to pull for Cinderella: Crystal Wave or Marciana: Marine Study? Commanders playing on iOS can prepare for the WAVE TO YOU event by topping up with iTunes Gift Cards, available now at Playasia.

Make sure to choose the correct card region for your Apple ID before purchase.

BUY YOUR iTUNES CARDS HERE

 

A New Summer Story for Commanders

With a fully voiced event, two limited SSR characters, and a story that brings together Marciana, Cinderella, and their respective groups, WAVE TO YOU looks to be one of NIKKE’s major seasonal updates for 2026.

What begins as a graduation trip and a search mission quickly becomes a survival mystery at sea. Commanders can dive into the event after the July 2 maintenance and uncover what waits beyond the whirlpool.

Goddess of Victory: NIKKE – WAVE TO YOU begins today, July 2, 2026.

Ocarina of Time Switch 2 Pre-Orders Open

 

Nintendo Switch 2 – Japan Physical Release

One of gaming’s most influential adventures returns for a new generation.

Related: Download the latest 345win App with fast access, a modern interface, and complete features designed for a smoother mobile experience.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Multi-Language) is now available to pre-order at Playasia for Nintendo Switch 2. This Japan physical release includes subtitle support for Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.

Originally released for the Nintendo 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time redefined the action-adventure genre with its groundbreaking 3D gameplay, memorable dungeons, and unforgettable story. Players once again take on the role of Link as he journeys across Hyrule to stop Ganondorf from claiming the Triforce and plunging the kingdom into darkness.

Begin Link’s Legendary Journey

Armed with the Master Sword and the mystical Ocarina of Time, Link must travel between childhood and adulthood to alter destiny and save Hyrule. Along the way, you’ll explore iconic locations including Kokiri Forest, Hyrule Field, the Temple of Time, Death Mountain, and Hyrule Castle while solving puzzles, uncovering secrets, and battling powerful enemies.

Decades after its original release, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time continues to be recognized as one of the greatest video games ever made, thanks to its innovative gameplay, memorable soundtrack, and timeless adventure.

Watch the trailer below.

Key Features

• Follow Link on an epic quest to save Hyrule from Ganondorf.
• Travel between childhood and adulthood to change the course of history.
• Use the Ocarina of Time to solve puzzles, unlock new paths, and manipulate time.
• Explore iconic dungeons filled with unique enemies, puzzles, and memorable bosses.
• Experience the adventure that helped define modern 3D action-adventure games.
• Meet beloved characters including Princess Zelda, Saria, Darunia, Ruto, and Impa.

Japan Physical Release with Multi-Language Support

This edition includes:

• Nintendo Switch 2 physical edition
• Japan version
• Subtitle support for Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese

Whether you’re revisiting one of Nintendo’s greatest adventures or experiencing it for the first time, this physical edition is a must-have for Zelda fans and collectors alike.

Secure Your Copy Today

Pre-orders for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Multi-Language) are now open at Playasia. Secure your copy today and prepare to experience one of gaming’s most celebrated adventures on Nintendo Switch 2.

PRE-ORDER NOW

PlayStation Will Cease Production Of Physical Discs For New Games In January 2028

Sony has announced plans to end production of physical discs for new games starting in January 2028. Following that date, new PlayStation games will only be available to purchase digitally on the PlayStation Store and at retailers.

In a short PlayStation Blog post, Sony states that it is making this move in response to “shifting trends in consumer preference” favoring digital media, which the company says “significantly outpaces physical discs.” The transition will have no impact on physical games already released or scheduled for release before January 2028. 

Here is Sony’s full message:

As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028.  Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only. This transition has no impact on games that already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format. 

This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.  

We’ll continue to prioritize our resources to drive innovation in how players can access games and provide choices as to where players prefer to purchase new games, whether that’s at retailers or PlayStation Store. We remain committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience to our fans and we thank you for your continued support. 
 

In a separate post, Sony also announced that it will shut down the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. The announcement comes days after PlayStation sparked concerns from physical media advocates by notifying certain users that it was removing hundreds of purchased movies and TV shows by Studio Canal from their digital libraries due to expiring content licensing agreements.  It also comes after the recent news that Grand Theft Auto VI will be a digital-only title, which has caused an uproar amongst some players.

Though entertainment media has trended in this direction for years, it’s still surreal to see one of the three major console manufacturers and publishers finally make the full transition to digital games. What do you think of this seismic announcement? Let us know in the comments. 

The PlayStation Stores On PlayStation 3 And Vita Are Shutting Down

In addition to announcing plans to end the production of physical discs for new PlayStation-released games in January 2028, Sony is also planning to shut down two digital storefronts. The PlayStation Store on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita will be closed in select markets starting later this year and continuing into 2027.

Once the PS3 and Vita stores are closed, owners of those platforms will no longer be able to make new digital purchases. Sony has provided the following timeline for when the PS3 and Vita stores will be closed:

• Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua – PlayStation Store on PS3 will close starting August 2026.
• Additional Latin American and Middle Eastern countries – PlayStation Store on PS3 will close starting late 2026.
• In all other countries, PlayStation Store on PS3 and PS Vita will close in July 2027.

Sony writes in its PlayStation Blog post, “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming. PS3 and PS Vita represent an important era in our PlayStation history, so this was not an easy decision for us to make. As we continue to expand the PlayStation experience on newer devices that most of our users are playing on today, we need to focus more resources on delivering the best gaming experiences on these platforms as we look ahead towards the future.”

The PlayStation 3 was the first platform to host the PlayStation Store, which first launched in 2006. This marks the end of a 20-year run of the storefront on that platform. It’s also the first time Sony has closed a digital storefront for its legacy platforms, a move Nintendo and Xbox have already executed for the Wii U/3DS and Xbox 360 stores, respectively, in recent years.  

In other PlayStation news, Sony announced plans to remove hundreds of purchased movies and TV shows by Studio Canal from their digital libraries due to expiring content licensing agreements. 

The PlayStation Stores On PlayStation 3 And Vita Are Being Shut Down

In addition to announcing plans to end the production of physical discs for new PlayStation-released games in January 2028, Sony is also planning to shut down two digital storefronts. The PlayStation Store on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita will be closed in select markets starting later this year and continuing into 2027.

Once the PS3 and Vita stores are closed, owners of those platforms will no longer be able to make new digital purchases. Sony has provided the following timeline for when the PS3 and Vita stores will be closed:

• Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua – PlayStation Store on PS3 will close starting August 2026.
• Additional Latin American and Middle Eastern countries – PlayStation Store on PS3 will close starting late 2026.
• In all other countries, PlayStation Store on PS3 and PS Vita will close in July 2027.

Sony writes in its PlayStation Blog post, “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming. PS3 and PS Vita represent an important era in our PlayStation history, so this was not an easy decision for us to make. As we continue to expand the PlayStation experience on newer devices that most of our users are playing on today, we need to focus more resources on delivering the best gaming experiences on these platforms as we look ahead towards the future.”

The PlayStation 3 was the first platform to host the PlayStation Store, which first launched in 2006. This marks the end of a 20-year run of the storefront on that platform. It’s also the first time Sony has closed a digital storefront for its legacy platforms, a move that Nintendo and Xbox have already executed for the Wii U/3DS and Xbox 360 stores, respectively, in recent years.  

In other PlayStation news, Sony announced plans to remove hundreds of purchased movies and TV shows by Studio Canal from their digital libraries due to expiring content licensing agreements.