CyberConnect2 has announced .hack//Z.E.R.O., a brand-new action RPG that marks the revival of the beloved .hack series. With permission from Bandai Namco Entertainment, .hack//Z.E.R.O. will be entirely developed and published by CyberConnect2. A new trailer for the upcoming RPG was released with animation by Kamikaze Douga (no in-game footage) with music penned by violinist Taro Hakase.
The official website for .hack//Z.E.R.O. is now live with the following message:
The Rebirth of .hack
The .hack series has always been developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, but for .hack//Z.E.R.O., Bandai Namco Entertainment has given CyberConnect2 permission to manage the entirety of the project from planning and development to release. It will be a title that is fully self-published by CyberConnect2.
World-renowned violinist Taro Hakase has penned the music, kick-starting the project to the dexterous tune of his violin. .hack//Z.E.R.O. will be a novel RPG experience that blends the series’ trademark duality of fantasy (game world) and reality (real world) with modern expectations, infused with 100% pure CyberConnect2 spirit. The game will be enjoyable for both veteran fans and new players alike. Please look forward to this newest iteration of .hack.
About the .hack series:
.hack is a series of action RPG games depicting a virtual game-space called “The World,” and characters who are swept up in incidences related to it. The stories unfold in both the real world and the fantasy world within the game. The first title in the series, .hack//Infection, was released in 2002 through Bandai Namco Entertainment, and 3 seasons were published in total. The franchise expanded to anime, novels, manga, OVAs and more, pioneering cross-media worldbuilding by telling varying stories from the same universe.
TBS has announced that Mika Yamamori’s In the Clear Moonlit Dusk (Uruwashi no Yoi no Tsuki) manga will be getting a live action adaptation in fall 2026. Additionally a teaser visual showcasing the two main characters was also released.
Shunsuke Michieda will star as Kohaku Ichimura, and Seira Anzai stars as Yoi Takiguchi. Kentarō Takemura , known for his work on the live-action Trillion Game series is directing the film, while Yuichi Tokunaga handles the script. Shū Kanematsu is composing the music. TBS TV is overseeing production at TBS Sparkle, and TOHO is distributing.
Mika Yamamori launched the In the Clear Moonlit Dusk manga in the Dessert magazine in 2020. Kodansha publishes the series, and volumes are available to purchase via Kodansha’s official website. The manga also inspired an anime adaptation which aired in January 2026. Fans can watch the anime as it airs on Crunchyroll.
Kodansha describes the manga as follows:
Yoi Takiguchi has long legs, a deep voice, and a handsome face…in other words, Yoi is such a good-looking guy that most people don’t notice or care that she is, in fact, a girl. Indeed, she’s had the nickname “Prince” for as long as she can remember. That is, until she met Ichimura-senpai…the only person who really seemed to see her for herself. To her surprise, she’s not sure how to handle this new relationship, especially when her newfound friend is a prince himself (and a guy prince, at that). The story of the two high school princes starts here!
Kadokawa has announced that the upcoming anime adaptation of Syuu and illustrator Nanna Fujimi’s Victoria of Many Faces (Tefuda ga Ōme no Victoria) light novel series will be airing in July 2026. Additionally, a new teaser visual was released.
The cast and staff of the Victoria of Many Faces anime include:
Cast
Chika Anzai as Victoria
Shion Wakayama as Nonna
Yōhei Azakami as Jeffrey
Staff
Director: Nobukage Kimura
Anime Production: Studio DEEN
Series Scripts: Naohiro Fukushima
Character Design: Mina Ōsawa
Original work: Frontier Works
Syuu released the Victoria of Many Faces novel on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in December 2021, with the latest update released in February 2022. Kadokawa published the third novel volume in print in January 2024.
Komo Ushino is drawing a manga adaptation, which launched on Kadokawa’s Flos Comic website in December 2022. The manga’s fifth volume will ship on September 17. Yen Press is also publishing the manga adaptation in English.
Yen Press publishes the manga in English and describes it as follows:
Victoria’s peaceful, everyday existence has begun! Ever since she retired from the espionage world, Victoria’s been living as a civilian, just like she’s always dreamed of. But her past as a spy is hard to run from—even though she turned her back on danger, it can’t stop danger from finding her! So when she meets Nonna, a young girl totally on her own in the world, Victoria has to decide what’s truly important to her…peace, or her new friend?
When Falcom’s Ys X: Nordics released in October 2024 in the west, a re-release with expanded content was not even remotely on my mind. I thought Ys X: Nordics was a great and complete work, and I went as far as to 100% the game. In hindsight, I think Ys X: Nordics was another testing ground for Falcom’s new engine, which was introduced with The Legend of Heroes:Trails through Daybreak. A year and a half later, Ys X: Proud Nordics arrives in the west with a slew of new content, features, and quality of life changes that make it the definitive version. In addition, Ys X: Proud Nordics marks the action RPG franchise’s debut on Nintendo Switch 2, joining the likes of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter and Trails beyond the Horizon in what appears to be a renaissance for Falcom.
Before all else, it’s worth noting that the core story and game mechanics of Ys X: Proud Nordics are largely the same as Ys X: Nordics, which I covered extensively in our original Ys X: Nordics review. I highly recommend reading or watching our review if you want a rundown of what’s included in the base game and its core systems. Ys X: Proud Nordics builds on top of that game, reminiscent of what Persona 4 Golden brought to the original Persona 4 experience, for example.
Once more, Adol Christin and his companions Dogi and Dr. Flair are en route to Celceta when a pirate ship from the Balta Seaforce suddenly intervenes. The ensuing incident results in Adol and Dogi stopping in the bay town of Carnac, situated in the Obelia Gulf. While surveying the town, Adol hears a voice call to him in his mind, leading him to a mysterious shell on Carnac’s shores. Adol is bestowed the mysterious power of Mana, and Karja Balta, the Seaforce’s own warrior princess, proceeds to investigate him, since she and her father, Grimson, are the only active Mana users in the region. The two become handcuffed by the mysterious Mana power and must work together to find out what’s going on with the undead Griegr after their army razes Carnac and all of Adol’s new friends and companions go missing.
Ys X: Proud Nordics Expands the Scope of Nordics
The story of Ys X: Proud Nordics proceeds just like the original game did, but you’ll start to notice a few additions as the game unfolds, starting with the appearance of a new NPC once you reach Carnac for the first time. The game’s new content really picks up around Chapter 5, where you’ll begin to hear word about Öland Island, a vast island that Grimson mentioned to Karja briefly when she was younger. The island is quite sizeable with tons of enemies and loot to encounter, in addition to entirely new items in treasure chests and fish to catch. This is where you’ll start to get all-new Mana Seeds for the Adol and Karja’s Release Lines, and you’ll also begin to be treated to the new music that Falcom Sound Team jdk composed for Ys X: Proud Nordics, all of which sounds amazing.
On top of this, visiting the island begins a new story that expands the lore of Nordics and the Ys series in some intriguing ways, starting with the introduction of Mana wielders Canute and Astrid from the Kingdom of Danmerk, a kingdom of Normans that the Ys franchise has yet to explore in its own game. This storyline integrates with the existing story retained from Ys X: Nordics and makes the Normans feel more fleshed out as people from a narrative standpoint. In addition, the new story facilitates even more character development for Karja, since it delves into her family and the overall lore of the Normans.
This isn’t all when it comes to new content, however. The Bergen Coliseum gives you extra challenges in the form of a series of fights that you can unlock as you progress the game, and the new post-game Muspelheim dungeon offers difficult timed challenges that will test your combat and Mana skills for various rewards. You can use Deepcrystal Shards to ease some of the dungeon’s restrictions and enemy modifiers, if needed.
Bergen Coliseum and Muspelheim are unlocked later into the game, but Chapter 5 is where the seeds for this content are planted and begin to take root over the course of the game. For returning Ys X: Nordics players, one of the caveats is that to get to the new content, you’ll have to retread old waters again and progress through nearly identical story content. Personally, I didn’t have too much of an issue with this, since the overall gameplay balance and loot pool have been tuned in Ys X: Proud Nordics.
Plenty of New in the Old
On top of including all of the base game’s previously released DLC, Ys X: Proud Nordics introduces some new elements as you progress the game, such as corrupted “Powerhouse” enemies that can be defeated to earn Elding Fragments. Elding Fragments can be used to strengthen and quickly master skills to unlock new ones, and you can even raise skill over 100% to make them even more powerful than ever before. There will be indicators on the Sea Charts to denote where you can find enemies that drop Elding Fragments.
You’ll also notice that the returning Mana Actions have gotten some quality-of-life improvements, making them slightly more useful overall. Sparkling Whitesand is a new item that was introduced to let you enhance the Antiques linked to Mana Actions. For example, you can improve the damage output of Mana String, increase acceleration for Mana Ride, or make Mana Sense last longer. In addition, after upgrading Mana Ride, you can test out the Gullinboard’s improved speed in some new Mana Ride races.
That’s not all for Mana Actions, however. Mana Hold was introduced a new Mana Action tied to the new story content in Ys X: Proud Nordics. Similar to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Ultrahand ability, Mana Hold allows you to move objects in the environment to reach new areas, deal damage to enemies, and solve physics-based puzzles in the game’s new areas on Öland Island.
The Obelia Gulf is vast, and admittedly, I found it quite tedious at times to traverse its waters in Ys X: Nordics, especially while grinding to get 100%. However, I found sea traversal with the Sandras to be more enjoyable in Ys X: Proud Nordics, thanks to faster overall sailing speed and the addition of new wind currents. You can activate the new currents by sailing to points of golden light and completing a short sea battle with enemy ships.
I think this was one of the more impactful additions to the game, since it cuts down on time you take traversing the gulf, making the story feel more evenly paced while traveling to locations. Sea traversal and naval combat are better all round due to the quality of life additions and some new ship upgrades. For anyone wanting to 100% Ys X: Proud Nordics, these changes really do go a long way.
Fantastic Switch 2 Performance
Like The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon, Ys X: Proud Nordics looks and runs really well on Nintendo Switch 2. The game utilizes a new global illumination system that makes the overall aesthetic pop out even more, and of course, the lighting looks really great. In addition, Quality and Performance Modes allow you to prioritize visuals or frame rate, but you’re getting an experience at or above 60 FPS no matter the option.
Performance Mode has a maximum frame rate of 120 FPS to match the Switch 2’s 120Hz screen in handheld mode, but it won’t be hitting that target frame rate all the time, especially in more graphically intensive areas like Öland Island. Despite that, I chose to play with Performance Mode at all times because the frame rate is really smooth and consistent most of the time. Frame pacing felt really good in this game in both handheld mode and docked mode, too.
Ys X: Proud Nordics Sticks a Fine Landing
Ys X: Proud Nordics makes a fine landing, but it’s not perfect. I wish there was an upgrade path from Ys X: Nordics to make the cost of switching to the new game much easier for the player. $69.99 is a little steep for an enhanced re-release, but if you do consider getting the game, I’d recommend the physical Deluxe Edition to get the additional physical goodies at no additional cost.
Besides that, Ys X: Proud Nordics is a great game for those who haven’t played the original Nordics game, and it’s an amazing introductory game for those curious about the Ys series. Returning players will definitely have a good time too, especially with the new content, gameplay features, and lore implications that Ys X: Proud Nordics brings. What’s more, there’s a new final boss that brings a satisfying and well-earned conclusion to this package.
Ys X: Proud Nordics manages to improve nearly everything about its predecessor, and I think the improvements made here could be quite beneficial for the next Ys game, whenever it comes around. That being said, I don’t want Falcom to continuously fall into the trap of making games that receive enhanced re-releases and leave buyer’s guilt for those who bought the original game. However, if this was necessary for Falcom to get geared up and ready for what’s coming next in their pipeline, then in this case, I’m all for it.
Ys X: Proud Nordics launches on February 20 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
Disclaimer: NIS America provided a Nintendo Switch 2 copy of Ys X: Proud Nordics for review purposes.
The racing game genre has untapped potential on Nintendo hardware, and the developers of the first two Test Drive Unlimited games, Eden Games, may have struck gold with their first title on Nintendo Switch 2, Gear.Club Unlimited 3. Gear.Club Unlimited 3 is an early technical showcase of what racing games are capable of on Nintendo Switch 2, and from the moment I controlled the Mazda RX-7 in this game, I knew this was going to be an extremely fun racer from the French development studio. It’s not a perfect racing game, but it’s a really good one, and Gear.Club Unlimited 3 is another sign that the racing sim subgenre, along with arcade racers, certainly have a place to fill on Nintendo hardware.
Gear.Club Unlimited 3 was designed specifically for Nintendo Switch 2 as the latest entry in the Gear.Club series, which originated on mobile platforms nearly 10 years ago. Despite its origins on mobile, the Gear.Club series has undergone an evolution with its latest entry that makes it stand apart from prior entries. The limitations of the original Switch hardware are gone, and with Switch 2’s vastly improved specifications, Gear.Club Unlimited 3 offers the series’ best gameplay mechanics, features, and visuals by far. This game also fills in a gap left behind by more world-renowned racing game franchises that are in a state of limbo right now.
Gear.Club Unlimited 3 Makes a Strong Impression on Switch 2
In Gear.Club Unlimited 3, you’re a racer whose taking a trip from Europe to Japan in order to establish the first Japanese Gear.Club, a racing institution that seeks out the best racers, staff, and rides in the region for a competitive team. It’s a straight-forward premise, but the narrative itself isn’t supposed to be the main highlight here. Like many other racing games of the past, you’ll start out with lower-class cars like the Subaru BRZ and the Nissan Fairlady Z and work your way up to more exotic and sought-after cars as you win, accrue funds, and make a name for yourself. This is a traditional racing game at its core, but Gear.Club Unlimited 3 stands out in many departments, especially on Switch 2.
Gear.Club Unlimited 3 is very impressive with its high resolution graphics, rich environments, and detailed textures and car models. The game blends simulation racing game elements with slightly arcade-like gameplay feel, similar to Microsoft’s celebrated Forza Horizon series. There are multiple driving assist options, allowing you to turn off certain settings like brake assist and anti-skid to get more of a simulation experience from the game, if desired. For these features, I went for a middle ground with low brake assist, low anti-skid, and automatic gearbox shifting, and I was thoroughly impressed with how seamless the game feels.
Right away, you’ll notice how expertly crafted each car is, and driving each car really hammers home how fluid and fun the racing game mechanics are. Driving a 2000 Nissan Silvia felt incredible on the long straights and tight turns of the Japanese mountainside, which is something I haven’t done since earlier Forza Motorsport entries. It feels like a near-perfect blend of simulation and arcade racing, with each car having a satisfying sense of speed and control. There are over 40 car models to drive in, and although this is quite light for a racing game these days, the car variety is great with licensed vehicles from Alfa Romeo, Nissan, Porsche, Lotus, Honda, and BMW, all of which are customizable.
This is all in addition to the game’s Quality and Performance modes, both of which have HDR enabled on Switch 2 in handheld and docked modes. Quality locks the frame rate to 30 FPS to get the most out of the game’s visual fidelity, while Performance tones down visuals in order to enable 60 FPS. I tried out both modes and unsurprisingly, I loved how smooth the game feels to play at 60 FPS. Although there’s a slight visual downgrade in Performance mode, the image quality and effects are still very impressive, the frame rate never really dips at all. The texture quality and detail on vehicles is respectfully maintained in both modes as well. There’s some graphical oddities in the game though, such as noticeable pop in while racing down certain tracks and some fuzzy details and textures at a distance, but issues like these will likely be fixed in updates. Besides that, I didn’t run into any glaring bugs or issues, but I know mileage may vary.
A Steady and Rewarding Progression System
At first, you’ll begin racing on the Mediterranean coast during the first chapter, and once you complete this, the game really opens up in Japan. You’ll have access to the Japan Gear.Club garage, allowing you to own multiple cars, set up inventory and staff, and participate in races in the winding Japanese landscape and down the busy Tokyo Expressway with your starter car. You gain credits and staff members by completing story races and event races, and there’s quite a lot of them per chapter.
Across 50 tracks, there are point-to-point, circuit, and dual race types, along with time trials. Dual races are essentially touge battles, so fans of Tokyo Xtreme Racer have these to look forward to. These races can be tough with all the traffic on the busy Tokyo Expressway, but mastering the handling of your vehicle makes these races a blast to play through. Completing these races are very rewarding since you’ll earn credits, resources, staff members, and more for story races and event races in each chapter.
In all races, there’s an Unlimited gauge that fills up for clean driving, overtaking opponents, and near misses, similarly to the skill point system from Forza Horizon and the beloved Kudos system. Although you don’t get points for drifting, you’re rewarded for being a clean driver and punished for being reckless or careless, with the latter causing you to lose points during the race. Fortunately, you can recover those points to maximize the money and resources you earn by the end of the race. Credits and resources are used to purchase and customize vehicles, purchase inventory for the garage such as body and mechanic shops, and upgrade vehicles and inventory to bolster your car collection and Gear.Club.
You’ll have access to a garage in France and Japan, with story progression making you jump between the two for different chapters at a time. The Japan garage has more vehicles befitting Japanese racing and street racing culture, while the French garage has more exotic and sports car offerings from Europe. Fortunately, you can use all the cars you own between the two, and you can customize all cars with a selection of performance-based upgrades, bodywork upgrades, and other cosmetic features, such as rim and body paints.
As you progress from chapter to chapter and reach certain milestones, you’ll unlock more upgrade options for your garage, along with more vehicles at the car dealerships. Naturally, the cars you unlock further into the game have better overall class ratings, starting from Class D, and your opponents will be at a similar level and increasing as well. The progression system and class rating reminds me of the Forza Motorsport series, which isn’t a bad thing since these are tried-and-true features that facilitate steady progress throughout the game.
Nearly Unlimited Features
There are some tertiary features in Gear.Club Unlimited 3 worth mentioning, such as the several camera views you can select at any time while playing. It’s a simple feature in practice, but the ability to switch between bumper, hood, cockpit, and chase cam views with a simple button press is welcomed. What’s more, each car has a detailed interior that you can look around in with the right thumbstick back at the garage and in cockpit view. Car interiors aren’t as detailed as you might expect in a simulation racer like Gran Turismo 7, but it’s still a great inclusion.
You can also listen to fictional radio stations with some electronic, rock, and hip-hop-inspired tunes. There are three stations for Japan and France each, so you get a distinct contrast in music along with the actual destinations themselves. I actually do like the music of Gear.Club Unlimited 3, but I think it can get repetitive at times, especially when there’s no licensed hits that you’d recognize. You can also turn the music off if you want to play something in the background instead or listen to the satisfying hums and shifts of your vehicle, though.
In addition to story mode, there’s free play, which allows you to enjoy custom single player races at your leisure or play against a friend in local split-screen races. Unfortunately, there’s no online multiplayer, so forming lobbies with friends isn’t an option here. I think this is one of the only things that limits replay value in Gear.Club Unlimited 3, but for myself personally, I don’t have an issue with a single-player focused racer. I did want to mention this for those who like playing racing games with friends, however.
Gear.Club Unlimited 3 is a Great Racing Game on Switch 2
Although it’s not a revolutionary game for the genre, Gear.Club Unlimited 3 is a breath of fresh air, and it’s a great and fun racing game to play. The vehicle variety is there with many fan-favorite cars that are playable with smooth controls, immersive gameplay, and sheer authenticity. For $49.99, Gear.Club Unlimited 3 lands as a great competitor in the racing game space and offers something slightly different compared to more seasoned counterparts while still offering a lot of content. What’s more, it gives Switch 2 players and Nintendo fans a more realistic racing game experience, filling a gap that has been missing from Nintendo’s library for multiple generations now.
Gear.Club Unlimited 3 is a great foundation that Eden Games should build upon and improve for the future, and I think it’s a game that many racing game fans have been asking for in recent years. Of course, the car roster and multiplayer feature set, along with occasional bugs, can all be improved or addressed in the future, but for now and later, Gear.Club Unlimited 3 is a worthy game to any racing game fan’s collection on Nintendo Switch 2. PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam) players can also expect the game to launch on their preferred platforms later this year.
Gear.Club Unlimited 3 launches on February 19 for Nintendo Switch 2.
Disclaimer: NACON provided a Nintendo Switch 2 copy of Gear.Club Unlimited 3 for review purposes.
Gameduchy has announced that mecha crossover fighting game Iron Saga VS is coming to PlayStation 5 later this year. What’s more, new content will be coming to the PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam) versions of Iron Saga VS, including the new Saga Mode and a new DLC character in Q2 and Great Zeorymer in Q3 2026. There will also be a new arsenal, K.O. cinematics, and another “surprise.”
Iron Saga VS – 2026 Content Roadmap Dear Commanders, Thank you for your continued love and support for Iron Saga VS!
We're thrilled to let you know that our second DLC, Zeorymer, officially launched on February 10th, 2026! Head over to the Steam Store now to grab the Deluxe… pic.twitter.com/wOneu1UWtr
— Iron Saga VS Official – English (@IronSagaVS_EN) February 15, 2026
Here’s an overview of the game, via the Steam page:
With red-hot sparks, laser swords and rocket-propelled fists, a modern Mecha fighting game finally appears! Iron Saga, Game Duchy’s mech-themed mobile game, spins off into its Versus version: Iron Saga VS!
As a modern fighting game, it features robust rollback online play.
New and Classic Mecha!
12 powerful mechs are at your disposal to pilot, including some from classic anime series!
Mazinger Z series
Mazinger Z
Great Mazinger
Boss Borot
Shin Getter Robo Armageddon series
Getter Robo
Super Beast Machine God Dancouga series
Dancouga
Iron Saga series
Vassago
Kaguya
Qing Long
Susanoo
Mephisto
Wu Shuang
Nero
Arsenal System
Each of the playable mechs in Iron Saga VS can be outfitted with one of two unique Arsenals, altering their special move list and dramatically changing their gameplay. Will you use Mazinger Z’s missile arsenal “Bat A Thousand” or his photon power eye beam charged “Photon Power Commands”?
Powerful Combos and Supermoves
Fill your EN bar in combat to use your stronger Energy Moves, take advantage of Flash Counters to unleash powerful combos and unleash your Power Max Supermove to finish your opponent off! But in dire times, you also have access to your Awakening Supermove… will it be enough to turn the tides of the battle? Many control options also allow for basic combos to be easily accessible to players of all skill levels!
Adventure On With Your Favorite Mecha
Discover the lore behind your Mecha and its pilot in Arcade Mode, fulfill your missions’ objectives in the increasingly challenging Simulacrum Chronicle, learn the best techniques in the Pilot Academy or master your own techniques in the robust Training mode!
Compete With New and Old Friends
Fight against an AI or friend offline in the VS mode, or meet online in a public regional or private lobby!
All online play features smooth rollback netcode.
Quickly meet new opponents in either casual or ranked matchmaking. Can you reach the rank of Grandmaster?
Hideki Sato, the celebrated designer of every SEGA console and the former president of SEGA, has passed away at age 75 on February 13, 2026. The news was made public by Japanese games outlet Beep21, whom published two interviews with Sato that are now publicly available for fans to read on Note.com (2) (Japanese-only at the time of this writing).
Hideki Sato joined SEGA in 1971 and would go on to lead a R&D team responsible for the creation of SEGA’s arcade and home console hardware, which includes the Master System, Genesis/Mega Drive, Saturn, and Dreamcast.
“From the beginning, Sega’s home console development has always been influenced by our arcade development,” Sato said in an interview with Famitsu. “Our first 8-bit machine was the SC-3000. This was a PC for beginner-level users. At that time, Sega only did arcade games, so this was our first challenge. We had no idea how many units we’d sell.”
Following the release of the Dreamcast around the world, Sato became the acting president of SEGA in 2001. Sato served as president through 2003, two years after the company exited the console hardware business and refocused as a publisher for multi-platform titles. Sato left the company in 2008.
This past December, SEGA celebrated the iconic design of the Dreamcast with a new collaborative set of keyboards, keycap sets, and mousepads that exude nostalgia for 90s SEGA. Select designs will also be available for purchase at retail partners Best Buy and Micro Center.
XSEED Games and Edelweiss have announced Sakuna Chronicles: Parting Clouds, a new web manga based on the Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin game, will launch on February 17. New chapters of the Sakuna Chronicles: Parting Clouds web manga will be released on a monthly basis.
Introducing #Sakuna Chronicles: Parting Clouds, an all-new web manga starting on Feb. 17! 🌾🎉
The announcement was made alongside the premiere of the new two-part Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin anime special, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin – Kokorowa’s Rice Farming Journal, on February 15. The second part will air on February 22 on TV Tokyo and five other affiliate channels.
Renowned voice actress Asami Imai voices Uketa Hime, Kokorowa’s rival, in the new Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin two-part special.
Masayuki Yoshihara directs the special at P.A. Works. Naomi Ōzora and Rika Kinugawa reprise their roles as Sakuna and Kokorowa, respectively. Keigo Koyanagi wrote the scripts, Ayako Kurome is the color key artist, and Mayumi Miyaoka handles art setting.
Additional staff members include:
Original Character Design: Ryōta Murayama
Character Design: Mio Fujishima
Chief Animation Director: Sayo Mizuno
Art Director: Tamako Kamiyama
3D Director: Motonari Ichikawa
Compositing Director of Photography: Tomo Namiki
Editing: Ayumu Takahashi
Sound Director: Jin Aketagawa
Music: Yoshiaki Fujisawa
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin – Kokorowa’s Rice Farming Journal is based on Keiji Andō’s spinoff novel for the game, and the anime special focuses on Sakuna’s best friend and genius inventor Princess Kokorowa. She joins Sakuna on Hinoe Island and takes up rice farming following an incident.
GungHo Online Entertainment has released the “Behind the 1st Chapter: An Extended Conversation with Toshihiro Kondo” video, featuring a behind-the-scenes look at Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter and an interview with the Falcom president. In the interview, fans can get some insight into the development of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter from one of the visionaries behind the Trails series, along with answers to some burning questions.
The successful launch of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter led Falcom to experience a 670% increase in operating profit for the first quarter of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. Revenue went up 150%, with profit and revenue both experiencing incredible growth. However, Falcom remains conservative with its forecast for the entire fiscal year, noting that it’s difficult to predict sales figures for Kyoto Xanadu.
There are currently seven titles in development at Falcom, including Kyoto Xanadu and Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter. Kyoto Xanadu will launch in summer 2026 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. What’s more, Ys X: Proud Nordics and Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta will release on February 20 and spring 2026 in the west, respectively.
Trails in the Sky2nd Chapter is coming to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam in fall 2026, and Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is available on the aforementioned platforms. Players can transfer their save data from Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter to receive bonuses in Trails in the Sky2nd Chapter, and more details about pricing, editions, and a release date will be announced at a later date on the game’s official website.
The Medalist Season 2 anime premiered on January 24 at 25:30 JST / 11:30 a.m. EST on the “NUMAnimation” programming block on TV Asahi and 23 other affiliates channels. After the second season ends, a new
HANA performs the opening theme song “Cold Night.” Conton Candy performs the ending theme song “Rookies.”
The main cast members of Medalist Season 2 include:
Natsuko Abe as Yūna Yagi
Mao Itou as Rinna Sarukawa
Maria Naganawa as Roba Manaka
Minami Tanaka as Yotsuha Ushikawa
Hikaru Tōno as Kurumi Risu
Takako Tanaka as Sakina Anaguma
Yūko Natsuyoshi as Sana Niwatori
Hibiku Yamamura as Iruka Okazaki
Kotomi Aihara as Riina Kojō
Ai Kayano as Marika Kurione
Hazuki Nakamura is the art director of Medalist Season 2, and Kentaro Kashiwagi is the compositing director of photography. Japanese figure skater Rika Hongo will take part in the anime’s motion capture film alongside former Olympic skater Akiko Suzuki, who choreographed the skating routines for the first season. Suzuki collaborated with retired figure skater Yuhana Yokoi and active figure skater Hinano Isobe.
Tsurumaikada launched the manga in May 2020 in Kodansha’s Afternoon magazine, and it’s still ongoing. Kodansha USA Publishing licenses the manga in the US.
Lastly, here’s an overview of the manga, via Kodansha:
Tsukasa, whose dreams were crushed. Inori, left to fend for herself. These two share a dream…and their tenacity may be the only thing that sees them through. Their destination? The ice…on the world’s stage!
