Toei Animation announced a new Girls Band Cry anime movie is currently in the works. A new key visual for the new Girls Band Cry anime movie was also revealed ahead of the premiere of the compilation films.
The first compilation film, Girls Band Cry: Rhapsody of Youth, premieres on October 3, followed by Girls Band Cry: Hey, Future. on November 14.
Returning cast members include:
RINA as Nina Iseri
Yuri as Momoka Kawaragi
Mirei as Subaru Awa
Natsu as Tomo Ebizuka
Syuri as Rupa
Kazuo Sakai directs the compilation movies at Toei Animation, with Jukki Hanada handling series compositions. What’s more, Nari Teshima is the character designer, and Daiki Nakazawa and Jae Hoon Jung are the CGI directors. Kenji Tamai was the composer, and Yūsuke Tanaka was credited for the background music.
The new Girls Band Cry 2D platforming game Momoka (o) Wasshoi (Momoka Heave-Ho) launches on September 28 for PC via Steam. The new Girls Band Cry game may be purchased in any region when it launches, but the game does not support English.
Lastly, here’s a description of the anime series from Toei Animation via Crunchyroll:
Feeling out of place in the countryside, high school dropout Nina Iseri moves to Tokyo. After a rough first day and getting locked out of her apartment, she meets her favorite guitarist, Momoka Kawaragi. The two put on a street performance together and decide to start a band with three other girls. While each girl faces her own struggles, their passion for music keeps their dreams alive.
In collaboration with Toei Animation, Secretlab is launching its new One Piece Collection, which includes two special editions of the signature TITAN Evo chair. Each chair features designs inspired by their respective characters, such as Luffy’s Gum-Gum Fruit and Zoro’s signature blades, along with intricate embroidery.
The Secretlab TITAN Evo “One Piece Luffy Edition” and “One Piece Zoro Edition” chairs (starting at $684 each) are outfitted with the features expected from Secretlab’s lineup. These features include a proprietary sculpted pebble seat base, patent-pending cold-cure foam, and 4-way L-Adapt lumbar support.
The base of the Secretlab TITAN Evo guides you along the middle for more uniform pressure distribution, allowing for better support and comfort. Secretlab’s proprietary foam mix ensures the ideal blend of comfort and support for muscles during long play sessions, and the dynamic lumbar support ensures its tailored to you, with adjustable settings. The stunning new One Piece designs round out the feature set in this collaboration.
Those who already have a Secretlab TITAN Evo chair can slip on the new “One Piece Gear 5 Luffy Edition” Secretlab SKINS ($99 MSRP), without needing to buy a new chair. In addition, a new Secretlab “One Piece Thousand Sunny” Memory Foam Lumbar Pillow is available at $69. The Secretlab One Piece Collection is available at secretlab.co.
Fans can also look forward to a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 alongside the upcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions. One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S will feature improved graphics, larger-scale battles with more on-screen enemies, and an expanded playable roster featuring 18 additional DLC characters.
Sony Interactive Entertainment announced a State of Play showcase will be held on September 24 at 2:00 p.m. PDT / 5:00 p.m. EDT. The broadcast will be over 35 minutes long with news and updates on upcoming PlayStation 5 games from third-party studios, independent developers, and Sony’s own PlayStation Studios.
The September 24 State of Play broadcast will air on PlayStation’s official YouTube and Twitch channels in English and Japanese. It’s expected to feature major third-party games and first-party titles, such as Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Wolverine. There will also be a 5-minute extended look at Saros, Housemarque’s mysterious new game launching in 2026.
You can tune into the broadcast below:
Lastly, those co-streaming the event or uploading reactions may want to be cautious, as the use of copyrighted music and content will likely be present.
“Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control,” PlayStation Blog reads. “We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you’re planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music.”
A Couple of Cuckoos Season 2 is finally here to give fans more insight into Nagi’s incredibly strange but fulfilling love life. Nagi gets himself stuck between having to choose between four different girls now in A Couple of Cuckoos Season 2, and Final Weapon has everything you need to know about the anime’s schedule and release dates for all episodes.
After quite an eventful first season, Nagi will have to contend with Erika and three other girls in a love quadrangle in A Couple of Cuckoos Season 2. This season will prove vital in determining whether he’s really meant to be with Erika or not, so it’s going to be a cant-miss season.
A Couple of Cuckoos Season 2 Release Dates, Exact Premiere Date, and Schedule
New A Couple of Cuckoos Season 2 episodes will release on Tuesdays at 7:30 a.m. PDT / 10:30 a.m. EDT on Crunchyroll. Episodes will be released with English subs first, followed by same-day English dubs at 2:00 p.m. PDT / 5:00 p.m. EDT. A Couple of Cuckoos Season 2 is expected to have 12 episodes.
Here are the release dates and schedule for A Couple of Cuckoos Season 2 (subject to change):
Episode 1 – July 8 – OUT NOW
Episode 2 – July 15 – OUT NOW
Episode 3 – July 22 – OUT NOW
Episode 4 – July 29 – OUT NOW
Episode 5- August 5 – OUT NOW
Episode 6 – August 12 – OUT NOW
Episode 7 – August 19 – OUT NOW
Episode 8 – August 26 – OUT NOW
Episode 9- September 2 – OUT NOW
Episode 10 – September 9 – OUT NOW
Episode 11 – September 16 – OUT NOW
Episode 12 – September 23 – OUT NOW
New episodes of A Couple of Cuckoos Season 2 will premiere at the following times (subject to change):
English Sub
Pacific Daylight Time: 7:30 a.m. PDT
Mountain Daylight Time: 8:30 a.m. MDT
Central Daylight Time: 9:30 a.m. CDT
Eastern Daylight Time: 10:30 a.m. EDT
Greenwich Mean Time: 2:30 p.m. GMT
English Dub
Pacific Daylight Time: 2:00 p.m. PDT
Mountain Daylight Time: 3:00 p.m. MDT
Central Daylight Time: 4:00 p.m. CDT
Eastern Daylight Time: 5:00 p.m. EDT
Greenwich Mean Time: 9:00 p.m. GMT
OP/ED, Cast and Staff
asmi
22/7
asmi performs the opening theme song “Kimi ga Kureta mono (What You Gave Me).” 22/7 performs the ending theme song “Anata de Nakucha (It Has to be You).”
The English dub cast and crew includes:
Cast
Nicholas Andrew Louie as Nagi Umino
Lindsay Sheppard as Erika Amano
AmaLee as Hiro Segawa
Bryn Apprill as Sachi Umino
Bao the Whale as Ai Mochizuki
Michelle Rojas as Nagi (Young)
Crew
Voice Director: Marissa Lenti
Producer: Amber Lee Connors
Adaptation: Kieran Flitton
Mixer: Lindsay Roberts
Engineer: Paloma Ortiz
The Japanese cast includes:
Kaito Ishikawa as Nagi Umino
Akari Kitō as Erika Amano
Nao Tōyama as Hiro Segawa
Konomi Kohara as Sachi Umino
Hina Yomiya as Ai Mochizuki
Aino Shimada as Nagi Umino (Young)
Masakazu Hishida directs A Couple of Cuckoos Season 2 at studio Okuru to Noboru. Kyoko Chika is the new character designer, and Jou Aoba (Hishida’s penname) oversees the series scripts. Rei Ishizuka is the music composer at IMAGINE.
A Couple of Cuckoos Season 2 is streaming on Crunchyroll in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, CIS, and Indian Subcontinent. In Japan, the anime is airing on Tokyo MX, ABEMA, and d Anime Store.
What is A Couple of Cuckoos About?
Miki Yoshikawa launched the ongoing manga in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine in January 2020. Kodansha USA publishes the manga in English.
Lastly, here’s an overview of the manga, via Kodansha:
16-year-old super-studier Nagi Umino, second-year student at the Megurogawa Academy high school, was switched at birth. On his way to a dinner to meet his birth parents, he accidentally meets the brash, outspoken, Erika Amano, who is determined to make Nagi her fake boyfriend as she never wants to actually marry. But once Nagi makes it to dinner, he finds his parents have decided to resolve the hospital switch by conveniently having him marry the daughter his birth parents raised…who turns out to be none other than Erika herself!
Twitch and SEGA have announced that it will hold a Twitch Rivals event dedicated to Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. Additionally, the first trailer and schedule for the event have also been revealed.
The schedule is as follows:
NA Qualifiers: September 26, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM PT
EU Qualifiers: September 27, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM PT
Finals: October 3, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM PT
Additionally, the tournament structure will feature two lobbies per region: one competitive and one casual. 12 racers will be in each lobby, and the top 6 racers from each lobby will advance to the finals. $10,000 will be rewarded to the winner of each bracket. Check out the trailer for the Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Twitch Rivals event below:
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds launches on September 25 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. The digital Nintendo Switch 2 version launches in holiday 2025, while the physical copy will release in early 2026. Nintendo Switch users may upgrade to the Switch 2 version for $10.
SEGA has released Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds for owners of the game’s Digital Deluxe Edition, with the exception of the Nintendo Switch version. In addition, the Hatsune Miku update is also available. This allows Digital Deluxe Edition owners to play as the vocaloid.
The Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds single-player demo is also available now. Save data from the Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds demo carries over the full game, with the exception of Time Trial records and user settings changes. Players can expect even more free and paid DLC characters, including Ichiban Kasuga from Like a Dragon.
Kojima Productions has announced that it will be collaborating with Niantic Spatial on what will likely be a new AR game. Niantic has released the first trailer for the collaboration.
The trailer features a player exploring the world and following an augmented reality trail, only to run into another person. The following message reads out during the trailer: “A new dawn in the near future. Move beyond the screen. The future starts today.” Additionally, the description states that “KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS and Niantic Spatial team up to redefine immersive entertainment.”
Check out the first trailer for the collaboration between Kojima Productions and Niantic Spatial below:
Niantic Spatial is a division within Niantic which focuses on “building a living model of the world that people and machines can talk to.” Additionally, the website for Niantic Spatial states that “Niantic Spatial’s Large Geospatial Model (LGM) is built on real world data from ground and overhead sensors, processed and aligned to train models that deliver three services: Reconstruct, Localize and Understand.”
Niantic has worked on augmented reality games for franchises such as Pokémon GOandMonster Hunter Now. Its history makes it a perfect match for Kojima Productions’ emphasis on building connections throughout the world, shown through games such as Death Stranding.
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is available now for PlayStation 5. Final Weapon reviewed Death Stranding 2: On The Beach and gave it a perfect score, noting that the game is “an unforgettable adventure that I firmly believe sits as one of the greatest games ever created. With an emotional and thrilling narrative, a technically brilliant gameplay system that builds upon its predecessor, and a best-in-class soundtrack, Death Stranding 2 advances the industry forward and innovates.”
Kojima Productions has released a new teaser trailer called “Knock” for what is likely his next game, OD, made in collaboration with Jordan Peele and Xbox Game Studios. It has also revealed a new key art.
OD will star Sophia Lillis (It, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), Hunter Schafer (Euphoria, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), and Udo Kier (Hunters, Swan Song). The game will be made in Unreal Engine. The new trailer depicts Sophia Lillis alongside a message that has been redacted. Check out the new teaser trailer for OD, titled “Knock,” below:
Additionally, check out the new key art for OD:
Recently, after a wave of Xbox layoffs and cancellations, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that OD is still in development. However, Avalanche Studios’ open-world co-op “smuggler’s paradise” game Contraband is no longer in active development with Xbox. The confirmation comes from its official website following reports by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier and Game File.
Microsoft dropped the news a month after it began the process of widespread layoffs across the company, including Xbox. The layoffs affected less than 4% of Microsoft’s global workforce, or around 9,100 employees. A Microsoft spokesperson said, “We continue to implement organizational and workforce changes that are necessary to position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace.”
As a result of the layoffs, Xbox canceled The Initiative’s Perfect Dark, Rare’s Everwild, and ZeniMax Online Studios’ unannounced MMORPG codenamed “Blackbird.” In regards to Everwild, the game has been in development in some form for more than 10 years. However, the developers struggled to formulate a clear direction for the game, even after a reboot.
Kojima Productions has released the first key art for PHYSINT, as well as confirmed three members of the game’s cast. The announcement comes courtesy of the “Beyond the Strand” event.
So far, the cast of PHYSINT includes Charlee Fraser (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Ma Dong-seok/Don Lee (Train to Busan, Eternals), and Minami Hanabe (Godzilla Minus One). However, none of the confirmed cast members will play the game’s protagonist. Check out the first look at the protagonist of PHYSINT, via the key art, below:
The key art states the words “Here comes the feeling.” Kojima briefly stated that he was unable to cast for the role due to the recent SAG-AFTRA strikes. He further confirmed that he is not currently ready to reveal who will play the game’s lead.
It’s worth noting that recently, Kojima met Robert Pattinson (The Batman, The Lighthouse, Mickey 17, Tenet) at the Festival de Cannes film festival. On his podcast, he spoke about Pattinson, saying that “we discussed some things, but I can’t really say right now.” Only time will tell if the beloved actor will play PHYSINT‘s protagonist, or if someone else will depict the character.
Additionally, check out a first look at the game’s visuals below:
This is a CG model of Ms. Hamabe created from her 3D scan and rendering it in the game engine. It's not the final version yet—it's still at the experimental stage. https://t.co/OuQw3iZAh9pic.twitter.com/G4jXXXRRET
Recently, Hideo Kojima revealed that PHYSINT will not be released for “five or six years,” according to an interview with French magazine Le Film Français. He will be developing the game, which will be a new action espionage IP, in partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment. During the initial announcement, he stated the following:
“With the full support of SIE, this new action espionage game will use cutting-edge technology and a stellar cast to deliver an experience like no other. Blurring the boundaries between film and games, offering near life-like graphics and a new take on interactive entertainment.”
Kojima Productions has revealed the first teaser trailer for DEATH STRANDING MOSQUITO, the previously confirmed Death Stranding anime film. Hiroshi Miyamoto will direct the film and Aaron Guzikowski will write the screenplay.
ABC Production Studio will produce the animation of the series. The first trailer reveals a character with a tar mask fighting against a porter in the middle of a Timefall storm. The release date, cast, and synopsis of the film are currently unknown. Check out the first teaser trailer for the DEATH STRANDING MOSQUITO anime film below:
In a previous statement, Hideo Kojima said the following about both the upcoming anime film and a separate anime adaptation:
“When it comes to adapting games into visual media, there are works like The Last of Us, which stays true to the original storyline, and films like The Super Mario Bros Movie which are more of a service to fans of the game.
While these works have their own merits, as a film enthusiast, I want to pursue the expressive potential of cinema. I aim to create a Death Stranding that can only be realized through film, one that could win awards at festivals like the Cannes Film Festival or the Venice Film Festival. In fact, we are also currently working on an anime adaptation.”
Michael Sarnoski (A Quiet Place: Day One) will direct the new live-action film adaptation of Death Stranding. A24 will produce the Death Stranding film with game producer Hideo Kojima as the film’s producer, according to Deadline. The most recent entry in the Death Stranding franchise, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, is available now on PlayStation 5. Check out our review of the game, which we rated a 5/5, here.
Pocketpair, Inc. has revealed Palworld: Palfarm, a new farming simulation game and Palworld spin-off for PC via Steam. In addition, new collaboration items from New Blood Interactive and Arsi “Hakita” Patala’s hit FPS ULTRAKILL are coming to Palworld!
Here’s an overview of the new game, courtesy of Pocketpair:
A cozy farming life alongside your Pals
Bringing the world of Palworld into a brand-new farming experience with mysterious creatures known as “Pals”—introducing Palworld: Palfarm!
Move to an island where the Pals live, work together to till the fields, cook, craft, and build the farm of your dreams.
Each Pal will lend a hand in farm work by making use of their unique abilities. From sowing seeds and watering to harvesting, Pals make for reliable partners. Deepen your relationships with the island residents and Pals through daily conversation and gift-giving, and you may discover unexpected, special stories unfolding.
At times, you’ll also need to defend your farm from some nasty Pals that come to wreak havoc. Head to the market, buy and sell crops or crafted goods, and sometimes even obtain rare items. Of course, multiplayer is also supported, so you can build your farm life together with friends.
A cozy life is waiting for you with your Pals!
Weapons and gear from ULTRAKILL will appear in Palworld in a future collaboration. The press release teases the collaboration as follows:
Weapons and gear from ULTRAKILL will appear in the world of Palworld. The fusion of stylish, over-the-top action and the carefree life with Pals will deliver a chaotic new gameplay experience like never before.
At first glance, “a slow life with Pals” and “slaughter in Hell” seem like worlds that could never collide. What will happen when these worlds come together? Will blood rain upon the Palpagos Islands?
