2XKO Ultra Starter Pack Includes Arcane Inspired Skins

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Soul Kiwami
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2XKO Ultra Starter Pack

Riot Games announced free-to-play tag-based fighting game 2XKO is getting new skins for Vi, Ekko, and Jinx inspired by the popular Arcane animated series with the new Ultra Starter Pack. The 2XKO Ultra Starter Pack will release alongside the early access version of the game.

2XKO enters early access on October 7 for PC. A full release of 2XKO is also planned for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and the ongoing 2XKO closed beta test will be held until October 7 on PC. There will be cross-platform progression, which means players who start on PC can keep their progress when switching to console. 

Lastly, here’s an overview of 2XKO, via Riot Games:

About 2XKO

Duo Play

2XKO is a free-to-play fighting game with explosive 2v2 gameplay and fast, intuitive controls. Play solo to control both champions on your team, or grab a friend to duo with.

Legendary Fighters

Explore a roster of iconic champions from League of Legends and Arcane, each with fresh move sets inspired by the MOBA and reimagined for fighting games.

Ranked Ladder

Ranked matches offer a true test of skill for players ready to compete. Queue up, climb the ranks, and earn your place at the top of the leaderboard.

A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation Anime Reveals More Cast and Staff Members

By
Soul Kiwami
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A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation cast

The official website for the TV anime of Misaki’s A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation (Odayaka Kizoku no Kyūka no Susume) light novel series revealed more cast and staff members. A new key visual for the A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation anime was revealed as well.

The new cast includes (from left to right):

  • Tetsuya Kakihara as Eleven
  • Jun Fukuyama as Studd
  • Daiki Yamashita as Judge

A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation key visual
© 岬・TOブックス／穏やか貴族製作委員会

The anime stars Sōma Saitō as Lizel and Yūichirō Umehara as Gil. A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation premieres in January 2026 on TV Tokyo and BS TV Tokyo.

Kenta Noda directs the anime at Synergy SP, with production collaboration from Ascension. Yōsuke Suzuki is in charge of the series scripts, Akito Fujiwara is the character designer, and Kōsuke Yamashita is the music composer

Additional staff members include:

  • Chief Animation Directors: Akito Fujiwara, Masaaki Sakurai
  • Art Director: Seiko Akashi
  • Color Designer: Junpei Washimi
  • Director of Photography: Yoshihiro Kajiwara
  • 3D Director: Chiaki Kumakura
  • Editing: Yumiko Nakaba
  • Sound Director: Jun Watanabe
  • Sound Effects: Hiromune Kurahashi
  • Sound Production: TO Books

Misaki launched the web novel in January 2014, and TO Books began publishing the light novel series with art by Sando in June 2018. 20 volumes have been released thus far in Japan as part of the ongoing series, which also has an ongoing manga series by Momochi. TO Books will publish the manga’s 13th volume on October 10.

Tokyopop is releasing the manga adaptation in English. Here’s a story synopsis of the first volume, via Tokyopop:

When Lizel mysteriously finds himself in a city that bears odd similarities to his own but clearly isn’t, he quickly comes to terms with the unlikely truth: this is an entirely different world. Even so, laid-back Lizel isn’t the type to panic. He immediately sets out to learn more about this strange place, and to help him do so, hires a seasoned adventurer named Gil as his tour guide and protector.

Until he’s able to find a way home, Lizel figures this is a perfect opportunity to explore a new way of life adventuring as part of a guild. After all, he’s sure he’ll go home eventually… might as well enjoy the otherworldly vacation for now!

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties ‘Mine Combat First Look’ Gameplay Trailer Released

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Soul Kiwami
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Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Mine Combat First Look trailer screenshot

SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio released a new “Combat First Look” trailer for Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties with a closer look at gameplay footage shown during RGG Summit and RGG Direct. Specifically, the new combat gameplay video shows off Yoshitaka Mine and his unique fighting style for Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties includes a remake of 2009’s Yakuza 3 and Dark Ties, a Like a Dragon Gaiden-style game with Yoshitaka Mine as the protagonist. Yakuza Kiwami 3 features revamped gameplay, story changes, new cast members and English voice-overs, and new cutscenes in the Dragon Engine.

The cast includes:

  • Takaya Kuroda as Kazuma Kiryu
  • Shido Nakamura as Yoshitaka Mine
  • Satoshi Tokushige as Daigo Dojima
  • Ryo Ishibashi as Shigeru Nakahara
  • Teruyuki Kagawa as Goh Hamazaki
  • Show Kasamatsu as Rikiya Shimabukuro
  • Hiroyuki Miyasako as Tsuyoshi Kanda
  • Kenji Matsuda as Shinpei Ikari

Players may choose to play Yakuza Kiwami 3 or Dark Ties in any order. Mine has a unique fighting style and access to mini-games like Karaoke. There’s also Kanda Damage Control, a new request-based system with substories, and Hell’s Arena, a underground fight club with Survival.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties launches February 12, 2026 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 with the following add-on packs (also sold separately):

  • Legendary Outfit Pack
    • Legendary Character Outfit Set
    • Original T-Shirt Set
  • Legendary Lads & Gals Pack
    • Legendary Lads Set
    • Legendary Gals Set
  • Ryukyu Gal Gang Customization Pack
    • Jacket Set
    • Motorcycle Design Customization Set
  • Flip Phone Customization Pack
    • Flip Phone Lock Screen Set
    • Flip Phone Design Set
    • Flip Phone Decoration Set
  • Legendary BGM CD Set

Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream Trailer Highlights Spriggan Kirito

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Soul Kiwami
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Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream Spriggan Kirito

Bandai Namco released a new trailer for Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream highlighting playable character Spriggan Kirito, voiced by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka. Spriggan Kirito is a Rogue class character that uses dual blades and his speed to catch enemies off guard.

Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream Season 5 launched on October 2 featuring Spriggan Kirito, 1st anniversary rewards, Tales of Xillia Remastered collaboration costumes, and much more. Players can login to earn Jude’s outfit, and Milla’s outfit may be obtained with SAO Tickets.

The Character Rank Limit was increased from 130 to 500, and players can reach milestones to level-up character-specific Passive Skills. What’s more, the Last Recollection event was added to History of SAO, and players can collect Memory Crystals to relive a chapter of the Underworld War.

Neige joins as a playable tank character for those with four Neige Fragments, and Extreme Boss Raid reruns will be active from October to December 2025 for those wanting to get Neige Fragments. Moreover, the new Extreme Boss “Dolzel the Chaos Drake Nova” will be available, and the “Angel of Death” will begin to appear in Free Quests.

New Diva of Another World and Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online II collaboration costumes are available in the store. Players can obtain these costumes with SAO Tickets. A 1st anniversary store sale will be active until October 16. Additionally, playable character Spriggan Kirito will be available in the store at a discount.

A single-player beta is also available, allowing players to test out Co-Op Quests and Boss Raids solo with NPCs. An online connection is still required, however. 

Lastly, Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream is available now for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. 

skate. Early Access Season 1 Starts on October 7, Trailer Released

By
Saras Rajpal
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skate. Early Access Season 1 Trailer Released

EA has released the first trailer for season 1 of skate., available now in Early Access, confirming that it will start on October 7. The season will continue until December 2. 

Season 1 will add new seasonal decor, new costumes based on “Skate-o-Ween,” and the the 7-Play Harvest event. “Skate-o-Ween” will last from October 21 to November 1, while the 7-Play Harvest event will November 18 to December 2. According to EA, as players complete in-game events, they’ll earn event currency to exchange for special Event cosmetics in-game.

EA further explains the new additions on its website, which you can check out below:

“Each of these events will have community parks updated to celebrate the event. Plus, there’s themed cosmetics you can earn from participating in the events and earning Tix, and some you can grab from the Extravert Shop in-game. Community parks are public spaces in SV with custom layouts that rotate daily. Community parks will change each season, with the most popular ones returning in future seasons.”

21 music tracks will also be available in season 1, with some of them including:

  • Bad Religion – Against The Grain
  • Dinosaur Jr. – Freak Scene
  • Gang Star – Full Clip
  • Jane’s Addiction – Stop!
  • Sonic Youth – Teen Age Riot
  • Joey Bad4$$ – Pardon Me
  • Ice Cube – Bop Gun (One Nation)
  • Naughty By Nature – It’s On
  • Operation Ivy – Sound System
  • Skegss – L.S.D (Live. Sleep. Die)

Check out the trailer for skate. Early Access Season 1, releasing on October 7, below:

Lastly, skate. is available now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and EA App in early access.

Observation Records of My Fiancée Anime Reveals Main Cast and More Staff

By
Soul Kiwami
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Observation Records of My Fiancée anime

New cast and staff members for the TV anime adaptation of Shiki and Wan Hachipisu’s Observation Records of My Fiancée: The Misadventures of a Self-Proclaimed Villainess light novel series have been revealed. The main cast members of Observation Records of My Fiancée include Yūsuke Kobayashi as Cecil and Miyu Tomita as Bertia.

Junichi Yamamoto directs the Observation Records of My Fiancée: The Misadventures of a Self-Proclaimed Villainess anime at Ashi Productions. Miki Matsumoto is the character designer for animation, and Akiko Inoue is both writing and overseeing the series scripts. Yūki Hayashi, Luke Standridge, and Asa Taylor are the music composers, with music production cooperation by Futokoro Gatana.

Additional staff members include:

  • Sub-Character Design: Abe, Uni Matsui
  • Color Design: Naomi Nakano (Stella)
  • Assistant Color Design: Yuika Nagai (Stella)
  • Art Director: Junichi Higashi
  • Background Art: Yūta Fujii
  • Director of Photography: Hideki Eto (EXPLOSION)
  • Prop Design: Kio Edamatsu
  • CG Director: Jie Ren (Boundary)
  • Editing: Akinori Mishima (Mishima Editing Room)
  • Sound Director: Yukio Nagasaki
Observation Records of My Fiancée anime key visual
©しき・アルファポリス/バーティア様を愛でる会

Shiki first serialized the story on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website, and AlphaPolis released the original novel in two volumes in 2017 with illustrations by Wan Hachipisu. Hanashi Media publishes the light novel series in English.

Here’s a description of the story, via Hanashi Media:

Exceptionally gifted to his own detriment, Prince Cecil had always found life effortlessly mundane. One ordinary day, his life took an unexpected turn when he became engaged to Miss Bertia, the Chancellor’s daughter. This engagement, however, was anything but typical.

“Prince Cecil! I must confess – I am the villain of this story!” Bertia’s declaration was startling. She claimed to have memories of her former life, where she had been the antagonist in a “Otome game”. Her lofty ambition was to excel as a villainess and thus have her engagement annulled. However, despite her plans for various misdeeds, her attempts have always been unsuccessful.

Pokémon Horizons Blueberry Academy Arc Reveals Cast and Theme Songs

By
Soul Kiwami
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The Pokémon Company revealed new cast members and theme songs for the Pokémon Horizons: Rising Again anime, which features a new arc set in Blueberry Academy from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet’s The Indigo Disk DLC. The anime premieres on October 31.

Eve performs the new opening theme song “Iolite,” and Polkadot Stingray perform the new ending theme song “Netemo Sametemo (Whether Asleep or Awake).” The new cast members include Seiran Kobayashi as Lacey (Taro), Hiroyuki Yoshino as Drayton (Kakitsubata), and Shinya Ōwada as Cyrano (Cyano). The main cast of the Pokémon Horizons Blueberry Academy Arc also includes Misaki Kuno as Emma (Matiere) and Masahiko Tanaka (Master Mayonnaise).

©Nintendo・Creatures・GAME FREAK・TV Tokyo・ShoPro・JR Kikaku ©Pokémon

Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua Part 1 is available on Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play. Part 2 premiered on April 25, followed by Part 3 on June 27. Netflix will begin streaming Pokémon Horizons: The Search for Laqua Part 4 on September 26.

Pokémon Horizons premiered in Japan in April 2023. The anime’s second arc began in October 2023 and focused on Terapagos. The Terastal Debut arc of Pokémon Horizons: The Series premiered in April 2024, followed by the Rayquaza Rising arc in October 2024. 

Lastly, here’s a synopsis of the anime, courtesy of The Pokémon Company:

A new adventure is beginning within the wide world of Pokémon! Arriving at Indigo Academy, a girl named Liko receives her first partner Pokémon, Sprigatito. But she soon finds herself pursued by the Explorers, a mysterious group that’s determined to take the pendant necklace she wears.

Liko isn’t on her own, though, as Friede, Captain Pikachu, and the other Rising Volt Tacklers offer her protection aboard their airship. Meanwhile, a boy named Roy dreams of becoming a Pokémon Trainer, unaware of the secret hiding within the Ancient Poké Ball he carries. As Liko, Roy, and the Rising Volt Tacklers set sail for new horizons, what kind of discoveries await? 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate Physical and Deluxe Edition Now Available

By
Saras Rajpal
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate Physical and Deluxe Edition Now Available

Super Evil Megacorp have released the physical and deluxe editions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. It is available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox at several local and online retailers. 

The deluxe edition includes the Casey Jones and the Junkyard Jam DLC, an extended digital artbook, and a set of 10 collector’s cards featuring your favorite TMNT heroes and villains. The deluxe edition costs $39.99. The collector’s edition, which includes Mutant Ooze Green RPG dice, an NYC Sewer Manhole Cover dice box, a 50-page art book, will release on December 5. 

Final Weapon reviewed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, noting that the game is “a fantastic entry in the broader Ninja Turtles universe. The story, despite its simplicity, does a great job of paying tribute to the history of the franchise.” A new update is available now, featuring new Metalhead DLC. It includes new Arcade Mode with companion content for Metalhead and “over 100 improvements.

Lastly, the Steam page describes the game as follows:

Grab your friends, pick your favorite Turtle and jump into a roguelike adventure to save Master Splinter from the foot clan! Master ninja skills, unite in bodacious online and local co-op gameplay, and conquer iconic NYC locales.

In TMNT Splintered Fate, brace yourself for fast-paced, roguelike action where no two runs are the same. With randomized power-ups, room layouts, and boss modifiers, the excitement never ends. Take control of all four Turtles, each wielding unique powers, and team up with friends for bodacious co-op gameplay. Explore iconic NYC locations, upgrade your Turtle powers, and prepare to face off against formidable enemies.

Kusunoki’s Garden of Gods Anime Casts Yūichirō Umehara as Saiga Harima

By
Soul Kiwami
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Kadokawa released a new trailer for the upcoming anime adaptation of Enju’s Kusunoki’s Garden of Gods (Kami no Niwatsuki Kusunoki-tei) light novel series, confirming that Yūichirō Umehara is joining the cast as Saiga Harima. In Kusunoki’s Garden of Gods, Saiga Harima is an honest and calm modern-day exorcist.

Shōgo Sakata will star as Minato Kusunoki alongside Shinshū Fuji as Yamagami in the Kusunoki’s Garden of Gods anime, which premieres in 2026.

Additional cast members include:

  • Minako Kotobuki as Torika
  • Shinnosuke Tokudome as Seri
  • Makoto Koichi as Utsugi

Enju Kusunoki’s Garden of Gods novel launched on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in April 2021, followed by its serialization on Kakuyomu in December of the same year. The third volume of the light novel series releases on November 11.

What’s more, Akira Anzai launched the manga adaptation on Kadokawa’s ComicWalker website in November 2021. Kadokawa published the manga’s first compiled book volume in August 2022, and the fourth volume on December 26, 2024.

Lastly, Yen Press publishes the light novels in English and describes it as follows:

Deep in the countryside, Minato Kusunoki is left in charge of a terrifying house overflowing with evil spirits—or at least it was, until his extraordinary ability cleared them all out!

Instead, a procession of unique and peculiar gods is drawn to the comfort of the purified Kusunoki residence, and Minato spends his days relaxing in the company of his spiritual neighbors. What else lies in store for Minato as he lives peacefully surrounded by gods?

New Pokémon Anime Short From Studio Colorido Now Streaming on YouTube

By
Saras Rajpal
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New Pokémon Anime Short From Studio Colorido Now Streaming on YouTube

The Pokémon Company has started streaming a POKÉTOON anime short from Studio Colorido on its YouTube channel. The short is titled “Megahanasenai ne Garura” (I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Her, Can I Kangaskhan).

The cast and staff of the short is as follows:

Cast

  • Rina Gorōmaru as Yurado
  • Risa Shimizu as Karimna
  • Cocoro Kikuchi as Child Kangaskhan
  • Atsuko Yuya as Mother Kangaskhan

Staff

  • Director and Writer: Takuya Hosogane
  • Studio: Studio Colorido Kyoto
  • Character Designer: Rapparu
  • Art Director: Nugiko Kutsushita
  • Concept Artist: UNGUMMED
  • Composer: Andrew Prahlow
  • Foley: cubesato
  • Animation Producers: RUDO and mimoid

Check out the full anime short from Studio Colorido and The Pokémon Company below:

Nintendo has released a six-minute overview trailer for highlighting Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which launches October 16 for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The Nintendo Switch version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A will cost $59.99, the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition costs $69.99. Further, the upgrade pack costs $9.99. What’s more, fans can look forward to the new Mega Dimension DLC for Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The DLC features the mythical Pokémon Hoopa. In the DLC, players can also discover new Mega Evolutions, including Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y.

Lastly, here’s an overview of the Pokémon Legends Z-A DLC, courtesy of Nintendo:

New Mega Evolutions for Chesnaught, Delphox and Greninja are coming to Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition when the game launches on Nintendo Switch 2 Oct. 16, with the Nintendo Switch version launching the same day. Then, continue your adventures in Lumiose City with the Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension paid DLC expansion. Mysterious distortions have appeared without warning in Lumiose City. They seem to connect to a space known as Hyperspace Lumiose … and the mythical Pokémon Hoopa might have some part to play. Discover new Mega Evolutions like Mega Raichu X, Mega Raichu Y and more.

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