Riot Games announced Teemo, the Swift Scout, will be a playable character in free-to-play tag-based fighting game 2XKO when early access begins. A new 2XKO gameplay trailer highlighting Teemo was also released.
Get the full details about the early access launch of 2XKO below, via Riot Games:
Closed Beta
We’re two weeks into 2XKO Closed Beta, and the response from the community has been amazing. We’ve seen lots of love for our newest champions, Vi and Blitzcrank, as well as a ton of community tournaments popping up all over the world. Shoutout to all the grassroots tournament organizers who are making those happen. Closed Beta was our first time rolling out our online systems at a large scale, and our team has been tuning matchmaking, fixing bugs, and making sure everything’s working correctly. So far, everything’s been holding up pretty well, so we’re ready to talk about what comes next for the game.
Early Access
Closed Beta ends on October 7, and 2XKO Early Access kicks off the same day. This is when we’re rolling out our very first full-feature version of the game, including a full season of content and a few new features like combo trials.
We’ll be using this time to dial in our Battle Pass and Ranked systems, and to do some balance tuning. Starting in Early Access, there won’t be any more content resets. That means anything you unlock after October 7 is yours to keep.
Seasons
Early Access will also be our very first season: Season 0. 2026 will be made up of five seasons, and each season will come with a new champ, Ranked reset, Battle Pass, and more. That means that our tenth champ will be dropping when Early Access hits live on October 7. Keep an eye out for their gameplay reveal trailer and dev update soon.
Community Tournaments
We’re also working on how Riot will support the 2XKO competitive scene. Our goal is to put the spotlight on community TOs and organizations, so we’ll be sponsoring 22 community-run tournaments through the rest of 2025. We’re calling this the First Impact program.
Each First Impact event will receive a pot bonus from Riot, with an extra prize for winning as a duo. You can read more about it in our announcement article, which also lists all 22 sponsored events.
First Impact kicks off with Evo France. Come check out our booth October 10-12 and run some sets with us.
Konami announced that Silent Hill f has surpassed 1 million copies sold in just one day following the game’s launch. The latest sales update include physical shipments and digital copies of Silent Hill f sold.
Konami and Kadokawa also announced an official novelization of Silent Hill fby author Shiro Kuro will release on October 30 in Japan. An English release for the Silent Hill f novelization was not announced, however.
Silent Hill f launched on September 25 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Windows. The staff of Silent Hill f includes producer Motoi Okamoto, scriptwriter Ryukishi07, and composer Akira Yamaoka. Yamaoka is joined by fellow composer Kensuke Inage, and kera is the character and creature designer. Suzie Yeung stars as protagonist Hinako Shimizu in the English dub.
Here’s a story synopsis for Silent Hill f, via Konami:
Hinako Shimizu was living her life as an ordinary teenager. That is, until her town (Ebisugaoka) is suddenly shrouded in fog and begins to change in a horrific way. Now, she must explore a town she no longer recognizes while solving puzzles, fighting strange enemies, and doing everything she can to survive… in order to face the ultimate decision that she must make. This is a tale about a beautiful yet terrifying choice.
Konami and Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake was released on October 8, 2024 for PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam). Silent Hill 2 features third-person action similar to the likes of the recent Resident Evilgames. It’s one of the highest rated games of 2024 on Metacritic at 86, and Final Weapon gave Silent Hill 2 a 4.5 out of 5 score. On January 23, 2025, Konami announced that Silent Hill 2 surpassed two million copies sold worldwide.
After several delays, the Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentosho will finally hit TV networks in Japan and streaming services in English. The first season for the anime adaptation of Moto’o Nakanishi’s novel series will run through 2025, and Final Weapon has everything you need to know about the schedule and release dates of Sword of the Demon Hunter.
The story of Sword of the Demon Hunter centers around a wandering orphan named Jinta and his younger sister Suzune. Jinta drifted into the village of Kadono with his sister and became the guardian of the village’s shrine maiden “Itsukihime.” He is tasked to venture into a nearby forest to defeat a demon who speaks of the far future and the threat of a Demon God. There, Jinta’s journey through the ages as a demon hunter begins.
Sword of the Demon Hunter Release Dates, Schedule, and Exact Time
New episodes of the Sword of the Demon Hunter anime premiere on Mondaysat 8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET on HIDIVE. The first episode will premiere at a special start time at 5:30 a.m. PT / 8:30 a.m. ET on Monday, March 31. In addition, Sword of the Demon Hunter will air for two consecutive cours with 13 episodes in the first cour and 11 episodes in the second cour.
Here are the release dates and schedule for the Sword of the Demon Hunter anime:
First Cour (Complete)
Episode 1 – March 31 – OUT NOW
Episode 2 – April 7 – OUT NOW
Episode 3 – April 14 – OUT NOW
Episode 4 – April 21 – OUT NOW
Episode 5 – April 28 – OUT NOW
Episode 6 – May 5 – OUT NOW
Episode 7 – May 12 – OUT NOW
Episode 8 – May 19 – OUT NOW
Episode 9 – May 26 – OUT NOW
Episode 10 – June 2 – OUT NOW
Episode 11 – June 9 – OUT NOW
Episode 12 – June 16 – OUT NOW
Episode 13 – June 23 – OUT NOW
Second Cour (Bakumatsu Arc)
Episode 14 – July 14 – OUT NOW
Episode 15 – July 21 – OUT NOW
Episode 16 – July 28 – OUT NOW
Episode 17 – August 4 – OUT NOW
Episode 18 – August 11 – OUT NOW
Episode 19 – August 18 – OUT NOW
Episode 20 – August 25 – OUT NOW
Episode 21 – September 1 – OUT NOW
Episode 22 – September 8 – OUT NOW
Episode 23 – September 22 – OUT NOW
Delayed from original September 15 release date
Episode 24 – September 29 – OUT NOW
Delayed from original September 22 release date
New Sword of the Demon Hunter episodes will be released at the following times (subject to change)
Pacific Daylight Time: 8:00 a.m. PDT
Mountain Daylight Time: 9:00 a.m. MDT
Central Daylight Time: 10:00 a.m. CDT
Eastern Daylight Time: 11:00 a.m. EDT
Greenwich Mean Time: 3:00 p.m. GMT
OP/ED, Staff, and Cast
In the second cour, Alexandros performs the opening theme song “Ash,” while FAKE TYPE performs the ending theme song “Enrin (Round Bell).”
In the first cour, NEE performed the opening theme song “Continue,” and Hilcrhyme feat. Izumi Nakasone perform the ending theme song “Sen-ya Ichi-ya.”
Kazuya Aiura is directing the anime at Yokohama Animation Lab. Moreover, Deko Akao handles the series scripts, Taro Ikegami designs the characters, and Ryuuichi Takada, Keiichi Hirokawa, and Kuniyuki Takahashi compose the music.
The cast of the Sword of the Demon Hunter anime includes:
The Sword of the Demon Hunter anime is streaming on HIDIVE outside of Japan. In Japan, the anime is airing on Tokyo MX, BS Fuji, and MBS.
What is Sword of the Demon Hunter About?
Lastly, here’s an overview of the anime, via HIDIVE:
In the Edo period, there was a shrine maiden called “Itsukihime” in the mountain village of Kadono. Jinta, a wandering orphan who, along with his younger sister Suzune, drifted into the village and grew up to become the shrine maiden’s guardian, ventures into the forest to defeat a mysterious demon who speaks to him of the far future and the threat of a Demon God. So begins this epic supernatural historical fantasy series that follows a demon hunter through his century-spanning journey from the Edo to Heisei periods—all-the-while questioning his wielding of a sword.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge racing game nut and Sonic fan, so it’s safe to say that Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds was always going to demand my attention for at least a few hours. What I wasn’t expecting, however, was just how hard it has been to put the game down. See, I’ve never been as into kart racers as other games in the genre, so when one steals as much time from me as CrossWorlds does, that probably means that it’s nothing short of fantastic.
Super Sonic Racing
2019’s Team Sonic Racing was largely considered to be an underwhelming entry in the Sonic Racing series when compared to the much beloved Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Even though it wasn’t a bad game by any means, there was understandably some skepticism leading up to the release of CrossWorlds. Making matters more uncertain, it became known that developer Sumo Digital would be absent this time, with development being handled internally at SEGA.
Fortunately, those worries can be put to rest, as CrossWorlds retains much of what made Transformed so appealing despite some significant differences. Even without all the upcoming content, the game features a large roster of characters and a huge variety of locations.
Out of every Sonic racing game, CrossWorlds plays the most similarly to Mario Kart. The vehicles in the Sumo Digital games were larger and felt heavier as a result, while the cars here are a closer approximation to go-karts. As such, the tracks appear to be smaller but are packed with loving detail.
Especially when playing against skilled players or on higher difficulties, races can become quite tense and chaotic. You won’t be able to maintain first place throughout an entire race, but victory never seems out of reach either. Like any kart racer, there is an element of luck involved regarding items, but playing well will consistently reward with a decent placing.
Pick Up and Play
CrossWorlds is refreshingly straightforward in the delivery of its content. Besides an optional tutorial, players can hop into a Grand Prix right away and start playing. Although if you’re like me, you may want to turn off auto-steering and reconfigure the controls first, but that’s easy enough to do.
Progression is relatively simple, but there is a surprising amount of unlockable content to work toward. Alternative skins, music, and more are offered as rewards for completing the game’s various challenges. Additionally, Super Sonic Speed, the game’s equivalent to a 200CC mode, can be acquired for some truly thrilling racing.
On the multiplayer side of things, players can work their way up a ranking system by placing well in online matches. It’s nothing new, but it’s hassle-free and works without issue most of the time. I often find myself playing round after round online because I was simply able to enjoy the game without any nonsense.
On top of all that, Time Trial mode offers a compelling challenge for players who wish to prove that they have mastered CrossWorlds‘ various tracks. Somewhat like Unleashed, this is a Sonic game where obtaining S ranks is a true achievement, reserved only for the best of the best. To get to the top of the leaderboards, taking the best racing lines with precision is a must.
Racing Around the Worlds
Races in CrossWorlds largely take place in easily recognizable locations from previous Sonic games or in original spots that take vague inspiration from various Sonic levels. Intriguingly, Sonic Unleashed and Adventure 2 likely have the most obvious representation. Courses such as Apotos, Market Street, Metal Harbor, and Radical Highway should instantly be identifiable for most fans of the series.
However, some of the original tracks are among my favorites as well. E-Stadium is a solid introductory track that’s good for building fundamental skills. Chao Park is a breathtakingly gorgeous track that took me by surprise when I first saw it, and it’s a delight to drive on. Additionally, Aqua Forest may be the best track in the game with its branching paths and wonderful atmosphere.
What about the travel ring gimmick? The second lap of every race will take the player to many locations that do not necessarily form traditional circuits, such as Cyberpsace from Sonic Frontiers. The somewhat unpredictable nature of this mechanic helps keep races feeling fresh. It’s almost a shame that some of the crossworlds aren’t available as normal tracks, because there are some very neat inclusions here.
You will often hear remixes of various Sonic music accompany many of these tracks. Some may find this choice to be underwhelming, but like most Sonic music, it sounds great. If you do have a problem with it, however, the game provides the option to create a custom playlist of songs and to listen to them during races. Yes, you can listen to Hatsune Miku and Creepy Nuts while drifting around corners, and it’s amazing.
Extreme Gear
Customization is almost always welcome in any racing game, and CrossWorlds has quite a bit to offer. It isn’t quite comparable to the flexibility of the old Need for Speed or Midnight Club titles, but the options are impressive for a kart racer. Extreme gears are my machine of choice, but it’s tempting to customize every vehicle type.
The game also allows the creation of builds using gadgets. These are vital to consider when competing in races or even time trials. For example, one may prioritize drifting by selecting gadgets that increase boost charging speeds. This leads to a race strategy that may emphasize fast recovery and bigger drift boosts.
As one can imagine, this adds a layer of depth and strategy that is often absent in other kart racers. While powerful items can definitely help provide a win, a solid gadget loadout will go a long way in securing victories. With the customization and gadget system, preparing for a race is almost as fun as participating in it.
A Smooth Ride
I have become increasingly wary of games utilizing Unreal Engine 5. It’s frighteningly common for these games to launch with severe technical issues, which can make a full-price purchase difficult to justify, no matter how good the experience otherwise might be. Thankfully, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is possibly one of the most well-optimized Unreal Engine 5 games I have played.
With a file size just under 16 GB, the game is easy to install on most storage devices. Graphically, it’s not going to compete against the best-looking games of the decade, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a game that runs beautifully on most hardware, including the Steam Deck. I can’t recall experiencing any performance issues during my time with the game.
The worst I’ve encountered are some connectivity problems while playing online, but these are a minor annoyance rather than a constant frustration. I can confidently say that CrossWorlds joins Sonic X Shadow Generations in being among the most polished Sonic games of all time. Hopefully, this is a trend that will continue for the foreseeable future.
A Podium Finish
Sonic’s latest racing offering provides a colorful, exciting, and polished experience that’s sure to delight players of all ages. What it lacks in innovation, it makes up for with polish and pure joy. There is no bloat and no meaningless gimmicks here, just a great game that prioritizes fun above all else.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is one of the best kart racers on the market, and I’m sure I’ll be coming back to it often. It may not be a new Sonic Riders sequel, but it’s the next best thing. For those who are looking for a quality game to share with family and friends, I can’t recommend CrossWorlds enough.
Disclaimer: SEGA provided a PC (Steam) copy of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds for review purposes.
Konami and Kadokawa announced an official novelization of Silent Hill f by author Shiro Kuro will release on October 30 in Japan. An English release for the Silent Hill f novelization was not announced, however.
『SILENT HILL f』 ノベライズ化が決定いたしました。 ぜひ書籍でも『SILENT HILL f』の世界をお楽しみください。
Silent Hill f launched on September 25 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Windows. The staff of Silent Hill f includes producer Motoi Okamoto, scriptwriter Ryukishi07, and composer Akira Yamaoka. Yamaoka is joined by fellow composer Kensuke Inage, and kera is the character and creature designer. Suzie Yeung stars as protagonist Hinako Shimizu in the English dub.
Here’s a story synopsis for Silent Hill f, via Konami:
Hinako Shimizu was living her life as an ordinary teenager. That is, until her town (Ebisugaoka) is suddenly shrouded in fog and begins to change in a horrific way. Now, she must explore a town she no longer recognizes while solving puzzles, fighting strange enemies, and doing everything she can to survive… in order to face the ultimate decision that she must make. This is a tale about a beautiful yet terrifying choice.
Konami and Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake was released on October 8, 2024 for PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam). Silent Hill 2 features third-person action similar to the likes of the recent Resident Evilgames. It’s one of the highest rated games of 2024 on Metacritic at 86, and Final Weapon gave Silent Hill 2 a 4.5 out of 5 score. On January 23, 2025, Konami announced that Silent Hill 2 surpassed two million copies sold worldwide.
Patch notes for Monster Hunter Wilds update 1.03 can be read below, via the official website:
Monster Hunter Wilds Update 1.03 Patch Notes
Major Additions and Changes
Monsters
The FINAL FANTASY XIVOnline Special Collaboration will begin starting Monday September 29, 2025.
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Special Collaboration extra missions have been added.
Nerscylla Clone has been added. Reach HR 41 to unlock an extra mission that unlocks Nerscylla Clone.
Omega Planetes has been added. Reach HR 41+ to unlock an extra mission that unlocks Omega Planetes.
The extreme-difficulty 9★ Omega Planetes permanent quest has been added. The Omega Planetes event quest can be accepted from the Quest Counter when you are HR 100+ after completing the Omega Planetes extra mission.
Arch-tempered Nu Udra has been added. (It will be made available in a future Event Quest.)
Quests targeting monster packs will now appear.
Regular and tempered versions of Lagiacrus will now appear in the Wounded Hollow at HR 100 or higher.
Additional 9★ tempered monsters (Blangonga etc.) have been added as event quests.
Player
New equipment and skills have been added.
New pendants and stickers have been added.
New gestures and more have been added.
New Seikret decorations have been added.
Icon colors has been altered to better differentiate options in Bowgun customization.
The Equipment Appearance Set has now been added to the View Loadouts menu.
Widgets for Quests Completed, Weapon Usage, Endemic Life Keychains, and Aquatic Life Ink Imprints have been added.
Added new Support Hunter—Kai, a hunting horn user—who will become available to join quests after completing the main mission “A Hunter’s Pride.”
The Blackest Night and Pictomancy will not trigger cooldowns while in the training area, and The Blackest Night’s shield durability is set to 1 HP.
Bases and Facilities
New pop-up camp gear options have been added.
A new Festival of Accord event will be held from October 22 to November 12, 2025.
The following features will be temporarily modified during the Festival of Accord: the Handler’s Outfit; Seikret decoration; the Diva’s song list; the Grand Hub decorations; the Canteen’s menu; Barrel Bowling; and Barrel Bowling Bombs.
In the Grand Hub, The Diva’s song list has been updated.
Scores for each target and a daily high score count has been added to Barrel Bowling.
Added new pin setups to Barrel Bowling.
View Loadouts, found in the Equipment Menu tab in the tent, will now display in the Item Menu tab, and in the Camp Item Box outside of the tent.
Miscellaneous
The extra mission “The Artifact’s Words” has been added. (This mission becomes available after having completed the main mission “What Lies Ahead.”)
The extra mission “The Beacon of Invasion” has been added. (This mission becomes available after having completed the extra mission “The Artifact’s Words.”)
New endemic life has been added.
Support hunter selection will now be saved. (However, because available Support Hunters change based on your quest and progression, some selected Support Hunters may not be able to join you. In this event, another Support Hunter will join you instead.)
You can now set your Quest Completion Animations.
A third option has been added to the Item Bar Display option. Type 3 displays only special and slinger-related items while aiming/during focus mode.
A warning dialogue will now appear when there are multiple controls bound to the same key in Control Configuration.
Added an option to select a certain Keyboard Shortcut when pressing the Switch to Keyboard Shortcut key. Options are available for both Keyboard-only use and Keyboard/Controller use.
Palico support moves can now be toggled on or off.
Palicoes will now stop using Rath-from-Above and focus on healing the player when the player requires healing during its use.
A Palico Dialogue Frequency option has been added.
The nearest Pop-up Camp will now automatically be highlighted from the Fast Travel List when a waypoint and quest target is selected. (Quest targets are set automatically at the beginning of a quest.)
The default placement of the cursor in the Quest Counter menu has been changed to Assignments. Additionally, cursor placement will now be remembered when returning to the menu or exiting the game.
Squad leader privileges will now be automatically transferred after 30 days without logging in.
Squad requests can now be sorted.
Added a new option regarding Support Hunters in quest options for Free Challenge Quests.
Added Set Passcode and Allow Other Hunter Friends to Join options in Link Party settings.
Added Joinable via Hunter Friend Search option when creating a private lobby. When this option is selected, the lobby can be joined from the Hunter Friend Search section of Lobby Search.
Added option to appear offline.
Added Conversation Log to the start and tent menus.
Added shortcut that moves to reinforcement screen directly from the Forging Artian Weapons screen.
Added sorting functionality to Forging Artian Weapons, Reinforce, and Dismantle screens.
Added Switch Lighting option to the Check Endemic Life screen.
Supply items distributed at the start of a quest are now distributed earlier than before.
Added shortcut that moves to Equipment Appearance directly from the Change Equipment screen.
Training settings will now be remembered after returning to the title screen or ending the game.
A Facilities/NPCs map icon filter has been added, making it easier to find important NPCs.
Normal monsters not previously included in Environment Overview Updates are now also listed on the Update list.
The map can now be zoomed even while the Filter Icons menu is open.
The default placement of the cursor when selecting Return from Quest from the start menu or when talking with Alma will now be over the “No” option.
Bug Fixes and Balance Adjustments
Bases and Facilities
Monsters will no longer automatically target Pop-up Camps. The monster threat level will now be displayed as “Caution.”
Destroyed Camp Gear Options will now be repaired when repairing a destroyed Pop-up Camp.
Fixed an issue where performing specific actions would unintentionally switch your main and secondary layered weapon.
Fixed an issue where the Shell Hammer layered weapon could not be unlocked.
Layered weapon settings have been added for some bowguns that are not fully upgraded.
Monsters
Lagiacrus will now appear after resting when choosing Plenty in the Scarlet Forest.
Fixed an issue where Lagiacrus was able to counterattack too quickly after a successful Power Clash.
Fixed an issue where Lagiacrus and Seregios would fall into repeated action loops when being lured.
Fixed an issue where the “Pitfall Trap: Effective” message would repeatedly appear and Lagiacrus would not emerge from the water when falling into a Pitfall Trap at the same time it began to enter the water.
Fixed an issue where Dung Pods and Luring Pods would not effect Arch-tempered Uth Duna when it was charging forward while creating waves.
Fixed an issue where only the player or monster would react when successfully performing an Offset Attack or Power Clash during online play.
Player
General
A crouch input can now be buffered directly after sheathing your weapon or landing while sheathing your weapon.
Fixed an issue where the Coalescence skill would activate when receiving an ailment curing effect even when not afflicted by an ailment.
Mantle cooldowns will now reset when starting or ending a quest. (This does not include: starting or ending a Field Survey without a loading screen.)
Fixed an issue where using certain controls while swimming would open the map.
Great Sword
Fixed an issue where guarding would not work when aiming down in certain situations during Focus Mode.
Dual Blades
Fixed an issue where Turning Tidedrill would continue for longer than intended under certain circumstances.
Lance
Increased the distance moved when using, Leaping Thrust, Mid Thrust I, and Payback Thrust while your weapon is drawn, even when a direction other than forward is inputted. (This will make it easier to adjust distances while using control type 2.)
Switch Axe
Dodge is now available to use quicker after Element Discharge and the Focus Assault: Morph Combination Element Discharge Finisher.
Charge Blade
Fixed an issue where the player would not receive Element Boost when successfully Perfect Guarding too early with Shield: Elemental Boost.
Support Hunters
Increased the attack power and defense of Support Hunters for when the quest leader is at HR 75 and HR 100 or higher.
Boosted Support Hunter stats during high-difficulty quests.
Adjusted the behavior of Support Hunters when mounting a monster.
Fixed an issue where Support Hunter abilities and appearance did not match during Arena and Challenge Quests.
Fixed an issue where Rosso would not attack while waiting near a trap.
Fixed an issue where Mina would repeatedly use focus attacks against wounds she could not reach.
Seikret
Fixed an issue where the Seikret would not run to the Hunter at full speed when the player left base camp or settlement after calling the Seikret and not riding it.
Seikret can now jump down ledges that previously required them to be running at full speed by holding the Sprint button. This allows the ledges to be used at times the player cannot be moving at full speed, like when using items. (This will not apply during some story quests.)
Miscellaneous
System
PlayStation 5 – Fixed an issue where, under certain conditions, PS5 activity progress would stay at 95% even after completing them all.
Quests
Fixed an issue where Nulberries were included in supply items for Seregios quests, and added Wild Jerky to supply items.
Difficult contributions will now be more likely to appear in the Hunter Highlights.
Fixed an issue that caused the following incorrect message to display when viewing the rankings for a new Free Challenge Quest: “This is a repeated quest. You can view the results from when it was last available.”
Fixed an issue where accepted or joining an Alpha Doshaguma Field Survey quest would cause it to be determined as fraudulent.
Four quests where ore and armor spheres can be obtained have been added as permanent quests. These quests are the following: Tongue-Tied; Wreaking Havoc in Wyveria; Chemicus Nocturnus; and Careening Out of Control.
Other
Fixed an issue where some voice lines would not trigger properly.
Fixed various text issues.
Fixed other miscellaneous issues.
Monster Hunter Wilds is available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Before launch, Final Weapon reviewed Monster Hunter Wilds and gave it a 4 out of 5 score, noting that the game is “a worthy follow-up to Capcom’s most successful game ever.”
A new promotional video for the TV anime of Kōcha Agasawa’s Koori no Jyōheki (The Ramparts of Ice) manga confirms the anime’s April 2026 premiere on TBS and other channels in Japan. New cast and staff members for The Ramparts of Ice were also revealed alongside a new teaser visual.
Mankyū directs the anime at Studio KAI. Yasuhiro Nakanishi is in charge of the series scripts, Miki Ogino is designing the characters, and Kanade Sakuma and Natsumi Tabuchi are the music composers.
The manga began as a webtoon on the LINE Manga app from January 2020 to April 2022. Shueisha published the manga’s 14th and final compiled volume on February 4, 2025.
Inept at dealing with people, Hikawa Koyuki maintains a wall between herself and others. She spends her time in highschool away from others, all alone. At least until she encounters Amamiya Minato who keeps closing the distance between them for some reason?! The aloof Koyuki, the popular Miki, the boundary-less Minato, and the easygoing and kind basketball team member, Youta. This is the story of these somewhat complicated four, and their tantalizing, bumbling youth! In its original webtoon form!
Nintendo, Intelligent Systems, and DeNA announced the new Fire Emblem Heroes Emblem Corrin & Mythic Lyn summoning event will begin on September 30 at 12:00 a.m. PDT / 3:00 a.m. EDT. As the name suggests, the new Fire Emblem Heroes summoning event will feature Emblem Hero Corrin: Of Fates and Mythic Hero Lyn: Plains Wind, who appears as a hero in both Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade and the new Fire Emblem Shadows game.
Consider the ally to your left and the one to your right. One of the three of you will betray the others. Can you manage real-time strategy and social deduction at the same time?
Listen—There’s Not Much Time – Someone in your party is a traitor. You only
have a few minutes per battle to figure out who.
Prepare for Battle – Choose your weapons and magic skills for maximum impact.
Will you remain loyal or betray all you knew? Expect the unexpected.
Hunt for Bargains – Buy and sell the treasure from battle with other players using in-game Gold! You’ll need a sharp eye to find the sharpest sword.
Two Tales – Enter the war between the goddesses of light and shadow. Discover the truth in the story by playing through both perspectives.
Lastly, Fire Emblem Heroes is available now for Android and iOS.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties was one of the most exciting announcements to come out of Tokyo Game Show 2025, and a lot of new details have surfaced since then, including pre-order information, physical copies, and much more. This guide rounds up everything you need to know about getting a pre-order of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is a set package featuring an exciting remake of 2009’s Yakuza 3 starring Kazuma Kiryu and Dark Ties, a Like a Dragon Gaiden-style game with Yoshitaka Mine as the protagonist. Yakuza Kiwami 3 features revamped gameplay, Dragon of Dojima and Ryukyu fighting styles, new mini-games and activities, story changes, new cast members and English voice-overs, and new cutscenes in the Dragon Engine. With a Yakuza game of this magnitude, fans can rest easy, as Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties coming to all major current gen platforms.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Pre-Order – Release Date, Pricing, Bonuses and Editions
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 digitally. Physical editions of Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties will be available for the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S versions, also starting at $59.99. Pre-orders for the physical edition are available on Amazon, GameStop, and Best Buy in the U.S., according to the official website. All pre-orders include the Ryukyu Gal Gang: Ichiban Legendary Lad DLC as a bonus.
What’s more, a Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Digital Deluxe Edition is available to pre-order $74.99. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the following DLC 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
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Overview
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.
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
Lastly, here’s an overview of the game, via Steam:
A Legend is Reborn and a New Legacy Begins
Continue the story of ex-yakuza Kazuma Kiryu as he fights to protect those he loves in an extreme remake of Yakuza 3 that evolves every aspect of the beloved game.
The bustling streets of Okinawa and Tokyo come to life in stunning detail with reimagined combat taking brutal brawling action to the next level. Added scenes deliver more depth and emotion to the beloved story with new and enhanced side experiences that immerse you in the world like never before, and more.
Dark Ties
Experience the brand-new tale of Yoshitaka Mine from Yakuza 3 in an included separate game. Having once led a successful startup company, he plunged himself into the dark world of the yakuza by choice after losing everything. Left with an empty heart, the pursuit to find true bonds drives him forward once again in a dramatic journey colored by exhilarating boxing-based combat, and a variety of engaging side experiences.
Two men will walk different paths that converge to shake the very foundations of fate.
[Disclaimer: Consume Me is a game that explores a lot of topics that could be sensitive to some people. This includes eating disorders, body dysmorphia, family trauma, and religion. This review will discuss these topics as they are portrayed in the game.]
There have been numerous games that have explored mental health issues spanning many genres and themes. The Hellblade series explores psychosis, while God of War looks at generational trauma and its burden. Consume Me is the first game I’ve played that takes on eating disorders, however. It is also a semi-autobiographical story about the main developer, Jenny Jiao Hsia, and her experiences growing up. It is very bold to put yourself out there as much as this game does and to be so open about your own traumas.
In the end, I just wish the game were actually enjoyable to play.
Under Pressure
ConsumeMe stars Jenny, a high school student with an overbearing mother and an eating disorder. Jenny also has a crush on a classmate and neighbor, Oliver, whom she has been pining over. After being chastised by her mother for eating too much, Jenny decides to go on an intensive diet. You, as the player, must help Jenny balance her daily routine in a Persona-esque structure where you have a limited number of actions you can take per day until you have to go to bed. Do you want to spend time exercising? Or maybe you can go to the bookstore to pick up a book on dieting that will increase your diet skills? There is actually a surprising amount of options you will open up as you progress the game, and a decent amount of skills that Jenny has that you need to level to reach certain milestones that the game lays out before you.
Exercise is one of the main activities you will be participating in throughout the game. You will have to click on Jenny and move her body to match the pose that is prompted. This is amusing for a little bit as you figure out how Jenny’s body moves as you stretch and distort her body to match these poses. This mini-game started to wear out its welcome fast, so I was pretty happy when I unlocked a new exercise for Jenny fairly quickly. However, that happiness immediately turned to disappointment when I discovered that no matter what exercise you choose, it would always be the same mini-game.
Therein lies the main issue with Consume Me: It just isn’t a fun game to play. You’ll spend day after day doing the same mini-games over and over again with very little variety. I understand that this is part of the point, as Jenny is trying to get into a routine and find how to balance her life, but even if it is contextualized, it still isn’t fun.
The other main mini-game you will play is when Jenny has to eat or prepare a meal. You will have to fit multiple food items into patterns on a grid to try to cover up all of Jenny’s hunger points without going over her “bites”, which are essentially calories. This is one of the most unfun mini-games in Consume Me and, unfortunately, the mini-game you will play most often. There is next to no variety in how this game is played, and despite attempting to throw in curveballs with different meal types (protein-heavy meals, lighter meals, etc.), you are essentially doing the same thing over and over again ad nauseam while dealing with Jenny’s diet.
There are other activities with mini-games attached to them such as walking your dog, where you time your clicks to switch off pivoting from Jenny and her dog’s position to move forward as much as possible, to get a little exercise while also getting allowance for your chores and doing laundry, which you have to time your clicks to properly fold your clothes, so you can continue to wear your outfits that give you boosts to the skills and activities you are wanting to improve. Just like exercising and meal prep, these mini-games become repetitive and tedious to perform. I think a lot of this could have been remedied by shortening the game length considerably. Six hours sounds like a short time, but when you spend the large majority of it doing these menial tasks and mini-games, it feels like an eternity.
Personal Belief
Religion isn’t a topic foreign to video games. There have been many games over the years that have depictions of religion with a wide variety of beliefs. It isn’t often you have a game that embraces a specific religion and promotes it as brazenly as Consume Me, however. There is not really any talk of religion for the first two-thirds of the game, besides a brief exchange between Jenny and Oliver where Oliver mentions that his mother is religious. There is a huge, and somewhat jarring, moment that occurs late in the game where Jenny is invited to go to church with a friend and has a religious awakening while listening to a sermon. This then allows Jenny to get a small boost and overcome mental blocks that occur after studying by praying.
Putting aside any of my own beliefs and relationship with religion, this tonal shift left me feeling slightly uncomfortable. Not because the game has a push for one specific religion, but how this message is introduced and incorporated into the game. It feels incredibly jarring and not earned whatsoever. I know it is just a video game and there are far worse things games have you participate in than religious practice, but most of those games make it very clear what you are getting into before you play the game. There is nowhere in the marketing or store pages for Consume Me that signals that this game has heavy religious themes in it.
This can lead to some who have a difficult or adverse relationship with some religions being forced to engage in their practices through gameplay that they are not comfortable doing, and with no prior warning that this would be a part of the game. Consume Me almost seems to want to surprise the player with this revelation, just as Jenny is surprised by her spiritual awakening. Despite the surprise, this inclusion could have been worthwhile, but it falls flat in the end and doesn’t handle the topic with the grace such a sensitive topic deserves.
In the End
Consume Me is such a complicated game to talk about. It takes a lot of courage for someone to make a game that puts themselves square in the middle of it and doesn’t hold back in their lowest moments or personal beliefs. That being said, I feel like Consume Me would have worked better if it were half the length, cut out the mini-games, and veered more into the visual novel genre. As a video game, it just fails to feel rewarding or fun to play, and narratively, it fails to resolve its story and themes in a satisfying way.
If a game is willing to explore such complex and difficult topics, it needs to be prepared to tackle those topics head-on and say something. Instead, the game just sort of ends without any resolution or final thoughts, and leaves the player wondering what the whole point of this was. I think there are some people out there who will connect with Jenny’s story more than I did and be able to overlook the monotonous gameplay, but in the end, Consume Me just left me feeling numb to the experience as a whole.
Disclaimer: Hexecutable provided a PC (Steam) copy of Consume Me for review purposes.
