Blizzard Entertainment has revealed the Cataclysm expansion for Hearthstone, which will release at a later date. Today, it has launched the cinematic trailer for the expansion and update 34.6.
Update 34.6 “starts the countdown” to the next expansion. Cataclysm will feature 135 collectible cards and the return of Deathwing. It will be available to pre-purchase on March 17. In a developer comment, the team behind Hearthstone said the following about the game:
“Well met! We’d like to share a peek behind the curtain at a change coming to Hearthstone. Beginning with CATACLYSM, major expansions will return to a total of 135 cards. Neutral common cards haven’t seen as much play as we’d like, so we’re removing 10 Neutral commons. But these cards aren’t really disappearing. Instead, they’re transforming into something more exciting.
Going forward, we’re using that design space to create new, higher-rarity event cards that you’ll be able to earn for free throughout the CATACLYSM expansion cycle. These changes make it easier for you to get your hands on exciting new cards, both in opening expansion packs and through events.
Those are just a few of several improvements rolling out this year. As highlighted in the Hearthstone Spotlight, we’re also introducing new Class Sets that give every class more impactful tools and shine an even brighter light on their unique playstyles. We can’t wait to share more with you soon.”
Check out the trailer for Cataclysm, the newest expansion for Hearthstone, below:
Lastly, Blizzard describes the expansion as follows:
In the final moments of Across the Timeways, Chromie and the Heroes of Time failed to stop Murozond from smashing the Hourglass of Time. The outcome was worse than anyone could have predicted: a portal opened to a horrific timeline where Deathwing has never known defeat!
Now this ultimate version of the Worldbreaker is heading straight for Azeroth, and he’s not coming alone. His six towering Lieutenants are already on the move, each one powerful enough to level entire regions on their own. If the dragonflights cannot come together quickly, there may not be much of Azeroth left to save.
Supermassive Games has announced that Directive 8020 will release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on May 12. Pre-orders for the game are now live.
Those who pre-order the game will get the deluxe edition upgrade for free. The deluxe edition will include The Dark Pictures Outfit Pack, The Dark Pictures Collectables, a Cinematic Filter Pack, a Digital Soundtrack, and a Digital Artbook. Check out the release date trailer for Directive 8020 below:
Directive 8020 is the latest game from the developers behind Until Dawn, The Quarry, and The Dark Pictures Anthology. We had a chance to preview the game during Summer Game Fest 2025. Lastly, the Steam page describes Directive 8020 as follows:
Earth is dying and humanity is running out of time. 12 light years from home, Tau Ceti f offers a small sliver of hope. When the colony ship Cassiopeia crash lands on the planet, its crew soon realize they are far from being alone.
Hunted by an alien organism capable of mimicking its prey, the crew of the Cassiopeia must outwit their pursuers to make it home alive. As they battle to survive, they are confronted with the hardest choice of all: to save themselves, they must risk the lives of everyone on Earth.
Featuring Hollywood actor, Lashana Lynch (Bob Marley: One Love, The Woman King) as the ground-breaking astronaut, ‘Young’, experience immersive cinematic storytelling and edge-of-your-seat horror on a deep space mission to save humanity.
Rewrite your destiny and change the course of your story with our new Turning Points story tree. Uncover multiple endings, unlock hidden paths, and save your crew from their fateful deaths.
Dotemu has released new color palettes for multiple characters in MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, based on multiple other Marvel games. The game is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S.
The new character palettes, and the games they’re based on, are as follows:
MARVEL Contest of Champions – Phyla-Vell and Beta Ray Bill
MARVEL Puzzle Quest – Storm and Iron Man
Additionally, the new update adds hero lab upgrades, tweaked arcade modifiers, new gameplay improvements, and re-balances to certain boss fights. It also features multiple major bug fixes. The full patch notes are available via the Steam page. Check out the trailer for the new update of MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, which adds brand new color palettes for characters, below:
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion initially released on December 1. Final Weapon reviewed the game and gave it a 4/5, stating that it “continues Marvel Games’ effort to experiment with the beloved IP. The use of fan-service and both obscure and iconic characters in the narrative is so well done, the gameplay mechanics are extremely fun to play around with, and the art style is a treat to look at. While there are problems with the game’s difficulty spikes, limited replayability, short runtime, and lacking soundtrack, the strengths of the overall experience far outweigh its weaknesses.”
Lastly, Dotemu and Marvel Games announced that physical editions of MARVEL Cosmic Invasionwill release on March 13, 2026. The standard edition costs $39.99 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. It costs $49.99 on Nintendo Switch 2. The deluxe edition costs $59.99 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch. Further, it costs $69.99 on Switch 2, which version will release with a full cartridge rather than a game-key card.
During the latest edition of RGG Studio TV, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio executive producer Masayoshi Yokoyama shared some interesting comments about Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties pertaining to its status in the series. Yokoyama believes that Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties “will be the last game” in the Kiwami series, and “if further games come, it could be part of a different series,” according to the excerpt translated by Final Weapon staff writer and lead translator Ryuji.
Yokoyama made the comment about Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties around the 2:15:00 mark in the latest RGG Studio TV stream:
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties launches February 12 for $59.99 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. There will be physical and digital editions, and pre-orders include the Ichiban Legendary Lad DLC. A Digital Deluxe Edition costs $74.99 and includes several DLC packs (also sold separately).
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties includes a remake of 2009’s Yakuza 3 and Dark Ties, a Like a Dragon Gaiden-style game. The title features revamped gameplay, story changes, new cast members and English voice-overs, and new cutscenes in the Dragon Engine. Players may choose to play Yakuza Kiwami 3 or Dark Ties in any order.
The Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Original Soundtrack will be released by Wave Master for 5,280 yen (tax included) on March 4 in Japan. The original soundtrack comes in a massive four-CD set.
I remember playing the original Fighting Force demo for hours when I was a kid. I would walk around the first level as Smasher and well… smash things. There was something so fun and visceral about beating a cop car until the tires would pop off and then picking up the tires and launching them at incoming enemies. I remember figuring out where the hidden rocket launcher was and the satisfaction of causing mass destruction with it. Those are memories that are core to my early years of gaming.
After the good people at Limited Run Games and Implicit Conversions announced they were bringing Fighting Force 1 & 2 to modern consoles, I thought I would finally be able to play through the whole game and relive some of those memories. Well, it seems some things are unfortunately better left in the past.
An Aged Relic
For those unfamiliar, Fighting Force was one of the first attempts to create a 3D beat’em up game. You and one other player are able to team up as one of four playable characters to fight your way through hordes and hordes of oncoming enemies. Each playable character feels completely different from the others, allowing for some fun co-op combos and some replayability for those wanting to rock through the game solo. As you progress from stage to stage, you will be introduced to new enemy types that will either have new movesets or weapons, and face off against powerful boss fights. Fighting Force is a victim of its time, though. Developers hadn’t perfected 3D movement and controls by the time Fighting Force was released, and this remaster brings the game into modern times just as it was back then: clunky, unintuitive, and kind of awkward.
Characters move as if they are wading through mud, animations for picking up weapons in the environment are excruciatingly slow, and the enemy AI is relentlessly aggressive. I can’t tell you how many times I found myself cornered by 2-3 enemies and was just mercilessly beaten to death. Thankfully, the game allows you to make quick saves, a feature not in the original release, so you can quickly reload when these situations get out of hand. Those who grew up in this era of gaming, myself included, might be able to look past these cumbersome controls and just laugh it off as “that’s just how things were those days.” Modern gamers or those looking to try out Fighting Force for the first time, however, don’t have the nostalgia to push these issues aside. It isn’t that Fighting Force is a bad game; it just isn’t very remarkable. I’m glad it is playable on modern consoles for those who want to stroll down memory lane, but I can’t recommend it to anyone beyond that.
And then… there’s Fighting Force 2. Oh boy.
Better Left Alone
I had never heard much about Fighting Force 2 over the years. I knew it existed, but I never heard anyone talk about it. After suffering through Fighting Force 2’s campaign, I can understand why now. Outside of having one of the playable characters from the first game, Hawk, as the main character, Fighting Force 2 shares almost no DNA with the original game. Hell, it isn’t even the same genre. Fighting Force 2 shifts the series from being a 3D beat’em up game into being a weird Syphon Filter and Tomb Raider rip-off, with a little bit of Metal Gear Solid for good measure. The problem is that it takes the elements of these games but does them so, so much worse.
Stages are dropped for long labyrinth-like levels with their own unique objectives to complete. Most of these objectives revolve around killing enemies until someone finally drops a keycard to unlock a door to move further into a facility or warehouse to do… something. The story of Fighting Force 2 is so poorly conveyed that I honestly could not tell you what exactly was going on or why I would be in certain locations. Levels would just end with Hawk hitching a ride on random vehicles that would then drop him off at the next level with little to no fanfare. I can get behind a game with a nonsensical story if the gameplay at least can make up for it, but my god, the gunplay and exploration in Fighting Force 2 is some of the worst I’ve played, even taking into account the era it came out in. It really is near impossible for me to find many redeemable qualities about it.
For Enthusiasts Only
Overall, I left my time with the Fighting Force Collection wondering why this series, out of all the other games still trapped on older consoles, was brought back. I’m not upset that it was. Game preservation is one of the most important movements in our industry currently. I just think there are other, much better games worthy of being ported onto modern consoles than Fighting Force.
Regardless, there is a very niche subset of the gaming community that will be thrilled to hear that these games now exist on whatever platform they prefer to play on, and they have been preserved, warts and all, just as they were when they first came out. I’m just not one of them.
Disclaimer: Limited Run Games provided a PlayStation 5 copy of Fighting Force Collection for review purposes.
CyberAgent has announced that Cygames Pictures will become a direct and consolidated subsidiary of the company on February 27. Currently a subsidiary of Cygames, Cygames Pictures will change its name to CyPic on April 6, one day after the company’s 10th anniversary.
Nobuhiro Tanaka will continue to serve as president and CEO of CyPic. CyberAgent representative director and president Takahiro Yamauchi will be a director alongside Jōji Seita. What’s more, CyPic will continue working on anime production with a new structure, and the company’s classification will change from games to IP and media.
Umamusume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era premiered on May 24, 2024 in Japan. Ken Yamamoto directed the anime film at Cygames Pictures, and Kiyoko Yoshimura wrote the script. Tetsuya Kobari is the scenario director, and Jun Yamazaki is the character designer and chief animation director. TOHO distributed the film in Japan.
Spike Chunsoft has announced that pre-orders for Danganronpa 2×2 are now available, and a new trailer was released to reveal the limited edition “Psycho Tropical Vacation Package.” As previously announced, Danganronpa 2×2 will feature a new scenario and revamped original scenario from Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair.
Pre-orders for the Danganronpa 2×2 Psycho Tropical Vacation Package are available now in the Spike Chunsoft Official Store for $139.99 with an exclusive Flight Tag as a bonus.
The Psycho Tropical Vacation Package includes:
Danganronpa 2×2 game (a Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, or PlayStation 5 physical edition, or a printed card with a Steam key.)
Ahead of the release of Danganronpa 2×2, Village Vanguard is teaming up with Spike Chunsoft to release new Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despairmerchandise. The Danganronpa 2 merchandise features illustrations by Kuroume, and international customers may purchase the merchandise via Buyee. All of the Danganronpa 2 characters can be scene wearing Village Vanguard aprons over their signature attire, and they’re being led by store manager Nagito Komaeda. The characters are also holding accessories and other objects.
Toei Animation has announced hololive VTuber Hakui Koyori is joining the cast of Digimon Beatbreak in episode 19, which premieres on February 15. Hakui Koyori will voice Yume Ikuhara and her partner Digimon Tinkermon in Digimon Beatbreak.
Digimon Beatbreak is streaming on Crunchyroll with English subs and an English dub.
The English dub cast includes:
Zeno Robinson as Tomoro Tenma
Risa Mei as Gekkomon
Cristina Vee as Reina Sakuya
Courtney Shaw as Chiropmon
Jalen Askins as Kyo Sawashiro
Cory Yee as Murasamemon
The anime’s main theme song “Resonance” and insert song “Edge of Limit” are streaming on various music distribution services, including Spotify and YouTube Music.
MADKID performs the first cour’s opening theme song “Mad Pulse.” Ai Tomioka performs the ending theme song “beat up.”
The Japanese cast includes:
Miyu Irino as Tomorō Tenma
Megumi Han as Gekkomon
Tomoyo Kurosawa as Reina Sakuya
Mutsumi Tamura as Pristimon
Arisa Sekine as Makoto Kuonji
Misaki Kuno as Chiropmon
Yohei Azakami as Kyo Sawashiro
Daiki Hamano as Murasamemon
Toshiyuki Toyonaga as Raito Souda
Sakura Kawaguchi as Hotaruko Kanuma
Marina Inoue as Granit
Ryota Takeuchi as Seraphy Naito
Yuichi Nakamura as Kaito Kutsuna
Rie Kugimiya as Honoka Sakai
Ryoko Shiraishi as Rose Woodville
Satoshi Mikami as Klay Arslan
Hiroshi Kamiya as Genjo Kanada
Akio Otsuka as Chairman Wong
Kōki Uchiyama as Haruomi Sone
Daisuke Sakaguchi as Commandramon.
The staff of Digimon Beatbreak includes:
Original Concept: Akiyoshi Hongo
Music: Alisa Okehazama
Series Director: Hiroaki Miyamoto
Series Composition: Ryota Yamaguchi
Character Design: Takahiro Kojima
Digimon Design: Kenji Watanabe
Animation Digimon Design: Akihiro Asanuma
Art Director: Ayaka Jin
Color Designer: Sayoko Yokoyama
CG Director: Yusuke Ozone
Compositing Director: Tomoyuki Ishiyama
Editing: Eiichi Nishimura
Production: Fuji Television Network, Yomiko Advertising and Toei Animation
Lastly, here’s a story synopsis of the anime, via Bandai:
“e-Pulse,” which is generated by human thoughts and emotions, was used as the energy source for the Al support device “Sapotama.” Behind this remarkable development, a terrifying monster appear. Digimon are living beings that evolve by consuming e-pulse. Tomoro Tenma is drawn into an extraordinary experience after meeting Gekkomon, who suddenly appears from his Sapotama. While living together with Kyo Sawashiro and other members of the bounty hunting team “Golden Dawn,” Tomoro renews his resolve. What new future will be forged by humans and Digimon?
As previously seen with Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will offer an optional Streamlined Progression feature that grants access to unlimited MP and HP, unlimited limit and ATB gauge during battles, 9,999 damage, easier weapon ability acquisition, and more.
Streamlined Progression, letting you keep all gauges fully charged and continually hit for 9999 damage is included in the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox versions of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and will be added to the PS5 and PC versions.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S on June 3. Nintendo Switch 2 owners can pick up the physical copy for $49.99 with an exclusive Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY ‘Zack Fair’ promo card featuring variant art by Tetsuya Nomura and a reversible inlay with alternate cover art. Pre-orders are open at the Square Enix Store.
The first remake game, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, is out now on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S. Final Weapon reviewed the Nintendo Switch 2 and awarded it a 4.5/5 score, writing that “Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is an absolute joy to play on Nintendo Switch 2. This fantastic RPG is filled with memorable characters, an amazing narrative, and an engaging combat system that’s almost impossible to put down. The game runs great and looks excellent, with performance consistent at 30 FPS.”
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is available now on PlayStation 5 and PC. Be sure to check out our 5/5 review of the game, where we stated, “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a generational RPG that exemplifies everything there is to love about the medium.”
NACON and its NACON Racing division have announced that the “News From The Pits” broadcast is set for February 11 on YouTube with updates for Rennsport, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, Gear.Club Unlimited 3, and Endurance Motorsport Series. There will also be updates from NACON’s premium steering wheel brand Revosim.
News From The Pits will be a regularly hosted show by NACON, and the debut edition will be hosted by Alexander Arthur (AlexVII), the Community Manager and Racing Content Creator at NACON. Fans can expect new trailers, gameplay presentations, and interviews and discussions with the developers. Episodes will be broadcasted live as well.
“Our goal with this new format is to provide more clarity and context around the racing projects being developed at NACON,” said Sébastien Waxin, Director of the Racing Department at NACON. “With News From The Pits, we want to establish a regular event where each episode delivers concrete updates, behind-the-scenes insights, exclusive content, and meaningful exchanges with the developers.”
Gear.Club Unlimited 3 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on February 19, followed by PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam later in 2026. The game featurestwo new environments based on the Mediterranean coast and Japan. What’s more, the game features the new “Highway Rush” and “Duel” modes, over 40 officially licensed cars, and a career mode. There will also be new customization options and split-screen multiplayer.
The Pre-Order Edition includes the exclusive versions of the Honda S2000 and BMW Z4, giving players a big head start with iconic cars specially redesigned for the game.
The Deluxe Edition offers the following bonuses and content:
Three days of early access
Performance Cars Pack
Nissan GTR R-35 Nismo
Nissan 370Z Nismo
Bugatti Mistral
Career Starter Pack
200,000 Credits
Three sets of 50 different resources
Two engineers
Customization Pack
Carbon Pack
Three carbon hoods for seven Japanese cards (21 pieces in total)
