The latest datamine for Monster Hunter Wilds has surfaced, and with it, a brand-new visual of the Nintendo Switch 2 has appeared. This visual contains four players closely holding their Switch 2 consoles together while Wilds is running. It is said to be a tutorial for local communication, but all text references to the Switch 2 are missing.
Capcom has not announced the game for the Nintendo Switch 2 platform at this time, but previous datamines have pointed to it jumping to the console. You can check out the datamined image below:
In our 4/5 review of Monster Hunter Wilds, we wrote, “Monster Hunter Wilds is a worthy follow-up to Capcom’s most successful game ever. The revamped gameplay is the best Monster Hunter has ever been, especially with additions like the Focus Mode. Beyond performance issues, Capcom went above and beyond in creating a game I find myself unable to stop playing. With a legitimate story mode and numerous tweaks, there has never been a better time to jump into Monster Hunter for the very first time.”
The Square Enix Manga & Books imprint has revealed seven new manga titles and two new book titles that will release in English in fall 2026. The upcoming slate of Square Enix Manga & Books releases includes Natsu Hyuuga and Itsuki Nanao’s The Apothecary Diaries: Xiaolan’s Story manga, along with Square Enix’s own The Art of Final Fantasy Tactics compilation art book.
Get the full details below:
The Apothecary Diaries: Xiaolan’s Story, Vol. 1 (English Edition)
Discover The Apothecary Diaries from Xiaolan’s perspective in novelist Natsu Hyuuga’s official spin-off story!
Though born into poverty, Xiaolan was content with her simple life caring for her siblings. But out of desperation, her family was forced to make a terrible decision… Sent to the imperial palace as a servant, Xiaolan now spends her days washing laundry and tending to the consorts’ needs. She doesn’t mind her new lot in life—after all, there’s food!—and soon makes friends with another servant, a strange girl named Maomao. Can the two help each other as they find their way in the scheming, status-seeking society of the rear palace?
The Apothecary Diaries: Xiaolan’s Story, Vol. 1 (9798899100420 | $12.99 USD) is scheduled for release in Oct. 2026 and will be available for pre-order from Penguin Random House and other major booksellers beginning Feb. 19. More information can be found here: https://sqex.link/9qi6
Boyish Girlfriend, Vol. 1 (English Edition)
Akira has been a total tomboy her whole life, but how will she change now that she’s dating her best friend Daichi in high school? Does she even need to?
Daichi and Akira have been best friends since preschool, and now they’re dating while attending different high schools. As far as Daichi’s aware, Akira is a total tomboy who loves martial arts and masculine clothes—so imagine his surprise when he drops by her school for a festival, only to find her wearing cat ears and a maid costume! What other charms is his boyish girlfriend hiding?
Boyish Girlfriend, Vol. 1 (9798899100246 | $12.99 USD) is scheduled for release in Sept. 2026 and will be available for pre-order from Penguin Random House and other major booksellers beginning Feb. 19. More information can be found here: https://sqex.link/1voh
My Ex-Boyfriend Loves Boys’ Love, Vol. 1 (English Edition)
A feel-good otaku comedy about a reunited ex-couple discovering a shared passion for the joys of boys’ love!
It’s just another day for office worker Momo Akado. She’s hitting the bookstore on payday to pick up some boys’ love manga when she notices a guy shopping in the BL section! But her excitement over spotting a BL fanboy in the wild fizzles out abruptly when she discovers he’s none other than her old high school boyfriend, Suzuya Katakura, who sure wasn’t into the stuff back then!
Could the two of them rediscover the same love that’s in the pages of their beloved BL manga?
My Ex-Boyfriend Loves Boys’ Love, Vol. 1 (9798899100475 | $14.99 USD) is scheduled for release in Sept. 2026 and will be available for pre-order from Penguin Random House and other major booksellers beginning Feb. 19. More information can be found here: https://sqex.link/pixv
Stalker Stalks Stalker, Vol. 1 (English Edition)
A trio of male college students are caught in a three-way stalker disaster in a hilariously obsessive BL love triangle story unlike any other!
Itaru Hachimori, Yamato Mitsunaga, and Hiromasa Taté have a few things in common, such as attending the same university, suffering from hopeless crushes, and…being actual stalkers?! Itaru is stalking Yamato, Yamato is stalking Hiromasa, and Hiromasa is stalking Itaru! With so many arrows going so many different directions and no mutual interest of any kind, how is anyone possibly going to be able to sort anything out?!
Stalker Stalks Stalker, Vol. 1 (9798899100468 | $14.99 USD) is scheduled for release in October 2026 and will be available for pre-order from Penguin Random House and other major booksellers beginning February 19. More information can be found here: https://sqex.link/xt7n
Yang Can’t Live Alone, Vol. 1 (English Edition)
A serious college student and a friendly Chinese exchange student find the answer to love problems in each other!
Yuu is as industrious and hardworking as a college student can be, but that means guys tend to find her serious demeanor intimidating. Should she have to change her strong-willed personality to be “number one” in someone’s heart? Yang is a puppy-like Chinese exchange student who wanders into Yuu’s life after she rescues him from a tricky situation. He asks her to be his bodyguard, and they form a new “professional” relationship. But soon, deeper feelings begin to take root…
Yang Can’t Live Alone, Vol. 1 (9798899100499 | $12.99 USD) is scheduled for release in Sept. 2026 and will be available for pre-order from Penguin Random House and other major booksellers beginning Feb. 19. More information can be found here: https://sqex.link/3xe6
My Dress-Up Darling XOXO! (One Shot – English Edition)
The official spin-off manga of the sweet and spicy rom-com that stole hearts all over the world!
Marin Kitagawa, Wakana Gojo, the Inui sisters, Amane Himeno, and more of your favorite characters are BACK in this collection of comedic escapades—and they’ve all gotten a zany makeover! Why is Wakana’s old classmate suddenly asking him for money? How many horror movies can Sajuna sit through for Shinju’s sake? Will Marin have a successful first stint as a booth babe for the Manga Club? There’s only one way to find out!
My Dress-Up Darling XOXO! (9798899100451 | $14.99 USD) is scheduled for release in Oct. 2026 and will be available for pre-order from Penguin Random House and other major booksellers beginning Feb. 19. More information can be found here: https://sqex.link/kq2q
The Princess Groom, Vol. 1 (English Edition)
The love story of a brooding prince with a needy side and the dashing beauty who sweeps him off his feet!
Lady Leticia is a duke’s daughter known as the belle poupée—beautiful doll—for her ethereally delicate looks. But with the use of a magical ring, she regularly transforms into a handsome and gallant young man!
As the belle poupée, she finds she can’t melt the heart of her new betrothed, Prince Gilbert, the brooding—and some say cursed—second-born prince of the royal family. But when Leticia reveals her other persona in front of him and his reaction is to blush and swoon, she finds herself unexpectedly charmed. It’s time for this doll to give her man a taste of true husband material!
The Princess Groom, Vol. 1 (9781646094974 | $12.99 USD) is scheduled for release in Aug. 2026 and will be available for pre-order from Penguin Random House and other major booksellers beginning Feb. 19. More information can be found here: https://sqex.link/5nlo
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Official Anime Fanbook (English Edition)
Uncover the cosplayful secrets of Marin, Wakana, and their friends through this second collection of art, trivia, and interviews!
With even more content than the first season’s book, the My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Official Anime Fanbook is a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes deets about one of the most popular rom-com anime of the decade! Fans will be treated to galleries of textless promotional art, production materials from animation studio CloverWorks, staff commentary on each episode of the second season, and exclusive interviews with the voice actors, series directors, character designer, animation directors, and costume designer!
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Official Anime Fanbook (9798899100444 | $24.99 USD) is scheduled for release in Nov. 2026 and will be available for pre-order from Penguin Random House and other major booksellers beginning Feb. 19. More information can be found here: https://sqex.link/1k2x
The Art of Final Fantasy Tactics (English Edition)
The official art book for one of the most acclaimed tactical role-playing games of all time, presenting hundreds of illustrations in a hardcover, collector’s quality volume.
Memories of Ivalice come vividly back to life in this official art book for the FINAL FANTASY TACTICS franchise. This full-color, hardcover volume is printed on archival-quality text stock and features artwork created for the development of the original game, The War of the Lions, and The Ivalice Chronicles. It also includes concept sketches, rough map designs, package art, and never-before-seen character and job illustrations.
The Art of Final Fantasy Tactics (9798899100437 | $27.99 USD) is scheduled for release in Nov. 2026 and is now available for pre-order at the Square Enix Store and pre-orders will be available from Penguin Random House and other major booksellers beginning Feb. 19. More information can be found here: https://sqex.link/eix9
CyberConnect2 president Hiroshi Matsuyama has confirmed that .hack//Z.E.R.O.will release worldwide as a multi-platform title designed for home consoles. According to translations provided by Final Weapon staff writer and lead translator Ryuji, Matsuyama also emphasized that .hack//Z.E.R.O. is not a “social game,” which likely means that it will release as a single-player focused title like past .hack entries.
The game’s development team comprising of veterans who worked on previous .hack games and younger staff who grew up playing the games. The development of the Fuga: Melodies of Steel series and the “Revenge trilogy” (Fuga, Tokyo Ogre Gate and Cecile) served as the groundwork for .hack//Z.E.R.O.’s development system. The story of .hack//Z.E.R.O. is not connected to previous .hack titles, so newcomers can jump right into this game without prior knowledge.
Fans of .hack and newcomers can replay or catch up with the .hack series with .hack//G.U. Last Recode, which is available now for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam.
Sanrio and Sunblink have announced the Springtime Celebration event for Hello Kitty Island Adventure is now live through April 1 on all platforms. The Springtime Celebration event lets Hello Kitty Island Adventure players run through Flower Piles and collect Petals to exchange for new flower-themed furniture and clothing sets.
What’s more, the latest content update for Hello Kitty Island Adventure is now available on Apple Arcade and will be coming soon to all other platforms. The content update introduces all-new City Town Figment puzzles, a rare new flower to discover, and a new arrival on Friendship Island.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is available now in the Nintendo eShop for $49.99. Nintendo Switch users can upgrade to the Nintendo Switch 2 version with an “Upgrade Pack” for $9.99. Hello Kitty Island Adventure Nintendo Switch 2 Edition features higher frame rates, smoother and cleaner visuals with a higher resolution, CameraPlay with GameChat, and Joy-Con 2 mouse controls.
Final Weapon previously reviewed Hello Kitty Island Adventure and gave it a 4/5 score, noting that “it’s the perfect tropical vacation for anyone searching for that next cozy adventure. While I did run into some technical issues on Nintendo Switch, they were minor enough that most players will not be phased by them. If you are looking for a new cozy game to play daily in 2025, Hello Kitty Island Adventure should be at the top of your list.”
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is now available for Apple Arcade, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
The staff of Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Season 3 have announced the anime will premiere in April 2026 and enter the final arc of the story. Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Season 3 will air on Tokyo MX, BS NTV, and other channels in Japan, and a new key visual was revealed.
Takashi Yamamoto will direct Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon Season 3 at Studio Gokumi and AXsiZ. Tatsuya Takahashi will oversee the series scripts, Yūki Hagure’s original designs will be adapted into animation, and Naoki Yamauchi and Takahiro Sakai are the character designer.
Other returning staff members include:
Monster Design: Ryō Akizuki
Chief Animation Director: Naoki Yamauchi, Masaru Koseki, Mi Jung Hwang, Hyun Ju Song
Main Action Animator: Wen Shan Zhong
Deformed Character Design: Yukiko Ibe
Main Prop Design: Shigeyuki Koresawa (Digital Noise), Tom (Digital Noise)
Art Setting: Katsuhisa Takiguchi (Studio Tulip), Michiru Odaka (Digital Noise)
Art Director: Ken Naitō (Studio Tulip)
Compositing Director of Photography: Hisashi Matsumuko (STAR Laboratories)
Editing: Mutsumi Takemiya
Sound Director: Noriyoshi Konuma
Music: Keita Takahashi, Yūta Uraki
Animation producer: Tetsuya Tomioka
The cast includes:
Jun Fukuyama as Hakkon (Boxxo)
Kaede Hondo as Lammis
Satomi Akesaka as Pitii
Kotomi Aihara as Hyūrumi
Miyu Tomita as Shui
Kazuya Nakai as Kerioiru
Ai Kayano as Firumina
Atsushi Miyauchi as Director Bear
Daiki Yamashita as Aka
Junya Enoki as Shiro
Takuya Eguchi as Michelle
Rena Maeda as Mikene
Shiori Izawa as Suko
Yū Serizawa as Pel
Sora Tokui as Short
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Hebui
Rie Takahashi as Kikoyu
Ryōko Shiraishi as Sullimu
Mao Yabuki as Black Yata
Crunchyroll is streaming the first two seasons of Reborn as a Vending Machine outside of Japan.
Yen Press published the light novel series in English, and it describes the story:
After dying in a traffic accident, I find myself standing near an unfamiliar lake. My body won’t move, I can’t hear my voice, and when I try to shout in confusion, words that I never expected come out! “Get one free with a winner.” -it seems I’ve turned into a vending machine…! I can only do what actual vending machines can. It’s impossible to move by myself, and there’s no way for me to have any meaningful conversation-how am I going to survive some fantasy world’s dungeon like this?!
TV Asahi has announced that Japan Society will host a world premiere event for the anime adaptation of Yūki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue’s Akane-banashi manga on April 1 in New York. A special screening of the Akane-banashi anime will be held on April 4 at Anime Boston, followed by the Japanese TV premiere later in the month.
At Japan Society, the first episode of the Akane-banashi anime will be shown on April 1 at 8:00 p.m. EST. There will be behind-the-scenes footage and a performance by rakugo performer Katsura Sunshine. Ticket sales begin on March 2 on the Japan Society website for $22 for JS members and $28 for everyone else. Similar to the Japan Society event, the Anime Boston screening will feature a performance by Katsura Sunshine on April 4 at 7:00 p.m. EST. The screening will be open to event attendees and subject to panel room capacity and availability.
🪭ANNOUNCEMENT Akane-banashi is hosting an anime WORLD PREMIERE in New York and Special Screening in Boston!🇺🇸🎉
▶️April 1, 8pm~ at Japan Society ▶️April 4, 7pm~ at Anime Boston
The cast and staff of the Akane-banashi anime include:
Cast
Anna Nagase as Akane Sakurazaka
Takuya Eguchi as Karashi Nerimaya
Rie Takahashi as Hikaru Koragi
Jun Fukuyama as Shinta Arakawa (Toru Osaki_
Nobunaga Shimazaki as Maikeru Arakawa
Chiaki Kobayashi as Koguma Arakawa
Yohei Azakami as Kyoji Arakawa
Seiichiro Yamashita as Guriko Arakawa.
Staff
Original Work: Yuki Suenaga, Takamasa Moue
Director: Ayumu Watanabe
Assistant Director: Yu Harima
Series Composer: Michihiro Tsuchiya
Character Design & Chief Animation Director: Kii Tanaka
Sub Character Design & Chief Animation Director: Yasunari Nitta
Chief Animation Director: Hisashi Kagawa
Costume Design: Noriko Shimazawa
Prop Design: Yoshinori Iwanaga
Art Design: Shuhei Tada
Art: Takumi Sakurada
Color Design: Saori Goda
Photography Director: Yuta Nakamura
Editor: Kiyoshi Hirose
Sound Director: Noriyoshi Konuma
Music: Akio Izutsu
Rakugo Supervision: Kikuhiko Hayashiya
Animation Studio: ZEXCS
Suenaga and Moue launched the Akane-banashimanga in February 2022. Viz Media releases the manga in English and describes the story as follows:
Akane unintentionally stirs up a scandal when she’s discovered taking informal lessons from her father’s former teacher, Shiguma Arakawa. And she’s about to make even bigger waves because she is about to begin her first steps in climbing the ranks of a rakugo performer from zenza opening act to shin’uchi headliner is exchanging her secret lessons for formal training. But she’ll still have to finish high school and navigate her relationship with Shiguma’s existing apprentices, all while learning that becoming a stellar rakugoka takes much more than just being good at performing!
The official website for the upcoming anime adaptation of Rin Komugi’s Marika’s Love Meter Malfunction (Marika-chan wa Kōkando wa Bukkowareteiru) manga announced that the first episode will stream early on AnimeFesta on March 13 at 5:00 p.m. JST, with the “on-air version” being free. The anime will make its TV premiere on April 5 at 25:00 JST (effectively, April 6 at 1:00 a.m. JST) on Tokyo MX and BS11.
Additionally, the website released information on the cast and staff of the anime, along with a new promotional video and key visual. The promotional video previews the theme song “Hakaritai Kōkando,” which will be performed by Maaya Uchida.
Sumito Sasaki is directing the anime at Studio Leo. Masamitsu Ōtake and Scenario Engineering Institute are handling the series scripts, and Rena Nasu is designing the characters.
Additional staff members are:
Chief Animation Director: Araiguma
Color Key Artist: Kōji Usui
Art Setting: Chan Do Kim Hwan
Compositing Director of Photography: Sōichirō Arima
Editing: Kōki Shinkai
Sound Director: Hiroki Nishiyama
Sound Production: Studio Mausu
The Marika’s Love Meter Malfunction manga launched in 2024, and Shueisha has been publishing the manga digitally. The manga will be releasing in print in 2026, starting with the first two volumes on April 17 in Japan. WWWave Corporation publishes the manga in English on the Coolmic platform.
Lastly, here’s an overview of the manga, via Coolmic:
Confessing to my childhood friend Marika was impossible for someone as unpopular as me. So, I did what any desperate boy would do—I wished upon a shooting star! When I woke up, that dream had come true?! I could see a love meter for people, just like in a love simulation game. Once I realized this was real and not a dream I went straight to see Marika. Her love meter was so low it had broken and practically fallen all the way to hell! If she hated me so much why was she so nice?! Is this how she really felt or…?!
The staff for the upcoming anime adaptation of Nachi Aono’s I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day (Kimi ga Shinu made Koi wo Shitai) manga released a new promotional video to reveal additional staff members.
The cast of the anime includes:
Rie Takahashi as Sheena Totsuki
Rina Hidaka as Mimi Kagari
Asami Seto as Lizzy Seiran
Yui Ishikawa as Ali Maud
Takudai Kakuchi is directing the I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day anime at ROLL2 with assistant director Yasushi Tomoda. Jukki Hanada is supervising and writing the series scripts. Kyoko Yufu is the character designer, and Yukari Hashimoto is the music composer. Infinite is producing the series with EVOLROAR on product support.
Newly announced staff members include:
Assistant Director: Nao Enomoto
Creative Adviser: Takudai Kakuchi
Prop Design: Nana Nakayama
Art Design: Eiko Tsunadō (Kusanagi)
Art Director:Junki Nakata (Kusanagi)
Color Key Artist: Naomi Nakano (Stella), Yuika Nagai (Stella)
Compositing Director of Photography: Ting Zhen Xu (Cygames Pictures)
3D Director: Kappei Chino (CHOTOTU)
Editing: Michi Takigawa (REAL-T)
Music: Yukari Hashimoto, MICHIRU
Sound Director:Jin Aketagawa
Sound Effects:Yui Andō
Animation Producer: Kazuaki Ōchi
Here’s an overview of the manga, via Kodansha USA:
At the mysterious orphanage where Sheena lives, death is nothing new to its residents—girls who no longer have families of their own, who are raised as weapons of war, taught to kill and take the lives of others without batting an eye. Everyone, that is, except Sheena, who wishes for nothing more than the growing conflict around her to end. On the night of her roommate’s death, Sheena meets a strange girl covered in blood, who smiles despite the turmoil surrounding them.
The next day, the girl appears as a new student in Sheena’s class and introduces herself as Mimi. Initially thought to be a school myth, there are now whispers in the orphanage’s halls that Mimi is their secret weapon—an immortal who cannot die. When Mimi is later assigned as Sheena’s new roommate, Sheena’s world grows even more complicated when she begins living with someone who loves and welcomes death, when all Sheena wants to do is stop it…
TeamSuneat and PM Studios announced that Dragon is Dead will release for consoles, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, on April 23. Physical editions will also be available on July 14.
One of the physical editions of Dragon is Dead, titled the “Guernian Edition,” includes a physical disc/cartridge, a special sleeve, character cards highlighted in-game fan favorites, and a ‘Lore of Gernian’ letter, giving fans a deeper look into the lore of Dragon is Dead. Check out the trailer confirming the game’s release for consoles below:
Dragon is Dead initially released for PC via Steam in June 2025. The store page describes the game as follows:
Defy death. Hoard power. Slaughter gods. In this dark fantasy action roguelite, death is only the beginning. As an immortal Successor, slash through corrupted lands, master three distinct classes, and keep your legendary gear to return stronger after every fall. The Black Dawn awaits.
Play as an immortal Successor
You are a Successor, an immortal warrior empowered by the gods Lu, Ashuran, and Harnia. When you die, you revive with your gear, runes, and unlocks intact and head back out from Cliffshire to push further into corrupted zones.
Choose your Successor
You’ll start as the Spellblade and unlock additional Successors as you progress. Each has its own skill tree, weapons, and playstyle.
Playable Classes
Spellblade – Element-focused hybrid with close and mid-range attacks built around fire, frost, and lightning.
Berserker – Heavy melee bruiser that trades its own HP and positioning for huge damage and armor.
Hunter – Mobile ranged fighter using thrown weapons, poison, and beast abilities to apply damage over time and control space.
THE GOOD PLACE -- "Chidi Sees the Time-Knife" Episode 312 -- Pictured: Kristen Bell as Eleanor -- (Photo by: Colleen Hayes/NBC)
A new report from The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Kristen Bell will play the role of Amy Rose in Sonic the Hedgehog 4. The film will release in theaters on March 19, 2027.
Kristen Bell is most well known for her role in Frozen as Anna. Additionally, she is also one of the main protagonists in the beloved TV series, The Good Place. Currently it is unknown who will depict the role of the other character revealed in the after-credits of Sonic the Hedgehog 3: Metal Sonic. More news will likely surface at a later date.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 released in theaters in December 2024. It stars Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Idris Elba as Knuckles, and Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails. It also features Jim Carrey as Dr. Ivo and Gerald Robotnik and Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 takes the series to its greatest heights yet as it includes higher stakes, bigger fights, and more homages to the broader Sonic franchise than ever before. The film is available now on digital stores.
Thus far, the Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise has made over $1 billion worldwide. The Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise will likely continue to earn far more than 1 billion dollars in the future. The statistic will further grow with the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 in 2027.
Lastly, the most recent entry in the Sonic game franchise, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, is available now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam. The first ever Sonic the Hedgehog audio drama, titled Sonic the Hedgehog Presents: The Chaotix Casefiles, is also available on services such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
